"Uncleftish Beholding" (1989)[1] is a short text by Poul Anderson, included in his anthology "All One Universe".[2] It is designed to illustrate what English might look like without its large number of loanwords from languages such as French, Greek, and Latin,[3] especially with regard to the proportion of scientific words with origins in those languages.
Written as a demonstration of linguistic purism in English, the work explains atomic theory using Germanic words almost exclusively and coining new words when necessary;[4] many of these new words have cognates in modern German, an important scientific language in its own right. The title phrase uncleftish beholdingcalques "atomic theory."[5]
For most of its being, mankind did not know what things are made of, but could only guess. With the growth of worldken, we began to learn, and today we have a beholding of stuff and work that watching bears out, both in the workstead and in daily life.
It goes on to define firststuffs (chemical elements), such as waterstuff (hydrogen), sourstuff (oxygen), and ymirstuff (uranium), as well as bulkbits (molecules), bindings (compounds), and several other terms important to uncleftish worldken (atomic science).[7]Wasserstoff and Sauerstoff are the modern German words for hydrogen and oxygen, and in Dutch the modern equivalents are waterstof and zuurstof.[8]Sunstuff refers to helium, which derives from ἥλιος, the Ancient Greek word for "sun." Ymirstuff references Ymir, a giant in Norse mythology similar to Uranus in Greek mythology.
from Greek atomos "uncut, unhewn; indivisible," from a- "not" + tomos "a cutting,"[9]
uncleftish
atomic
as above
beholding
theory
from Greek theōria "contemplation, speculation; a looking at, viewing; a sight, show, spectacle, things looked at," from theōrein "to consider, speculate, look at," from theōros "spectator,"
worldken
science
from Latin scientia "knowledge".[10] World + ken means "knowledge of the world".
stuff firststuff
matter element
from Latin materia "substance from which something is made,"[11] from Latin elementum "rudiment, first principle, matter in its most basic form"[12]
forward bernstonish lading
positive electric charge
from Greek ḗlektron "amber",[13] in German bernstein from Late Latin carricare "to load a wagon or cart"[14]
The vocabulary used in Uncleftish Beholding does not completely derive from Anglo-Saxon. Around, from Old Frenchreond (Modern French rond), completely displaced Old English ymbe (modern English umbe (now obsolete), cognate to German um and Latin ambi-) and left no "native" English word for this concept. The text also contains the French-derived words rest, ordinary and sort.
The text gained increased exposure and popularity after being circulated around the Internet,[18] and has served as inspiration for some inventors of Germanic English conlangs. Douglas Hofstadter, in discussing the piece in his book Le Ton beau de Marot, jocularly refers to the use of only Germanic roots for scientific pieces as "Ander-Saxon."
^Svishchev, Guennady V.; Amatov, Alexander M.; Tolstolutskaya, Eugenia V. (January 2015). "Language Regulation in a Global World". The Social Sciences. 10 (6): 1107–1110. ISSN 1818-5800.
^Omissi, Adrastos (2015-07-11). "Swear words, etymology, and the history of English". OUPblog. from the original on 2015-07-14. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
^"Uncleftish Beholding". Centre for Complexity Science, University of Warwick. 12 Feb 2014. from the original on 2014-11-12. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
^Hofstadter, Douglas R. (August 1994). "Speechstuff and Thoughtstuff: Musings on the Resonances Created by Words and Phrases via the Subliminal Perception of their Buried Parts". Nobel Symposium 92. Stockholm. doi:10.1142/9781908979681_0023.
^R.L.G. (2014-01-28). "Johnson: What might have been". The Economist. Berlin. from the original on 2019-02-20. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
uncleftish, beholding, 1989, short, text, poul, anderson, included, anthology, universe, designed, illustrate, what, english, might, look, like, without, large, number, loanwords, from, languages, such, french, greek, latin, especially, with, regard, proportio. Uncleftish Beholding 1989 1 is a short text by Poul Anderson included in his anthology All One Universe 2 It is designed to illustrate what English might look like without its large number of loanwords from languages such as French Greek and Latin 3 especially with regard to the proportion of scientific words with origins in those languages Uncleftish BeholdingPresented1989Author s Poul AndersonSubjectAtomic theoryPurposeLinguistic purism in EnglishWritten as a demonstration of linguistic purism in English the work explains atomic theory using Germanic words almost exclusively and coining new words when necessary 4 many of these new words have cognates in modern German an important scientific language in its own right The title phrase uncleftish beholding calques atomic theory 5 To illustrate the text begins 6 For most of its being mankind did not know what things are made of but could only guess With the growth of worldken we began to learn and today we have a beholding of stuff and work that watching bears out both in the workstead and in daily life It goes on to define firststuffs chemical elements such as waterstuff hydrogen sourstuff oxygen and ymirstuff uranium as well as bulkbits molecules bindings compounds and several other terms important to uncleftish worldken atomic science 7 Wasserstoff and Sauerstoff are the modern German words for hydrogen and oxygen and in Dutch the modern equivalents are waterstof and zuurstof 8 Sunstuff refers to helium which derives from ἥlios the Ancient Greek word for sun Ymirstuff references Ymir a giant in Norse mythology similar to Uranus in Greek mythology Contents 1 Glossary 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksGlossary EditWord in Uncleftish Beholding Word in English Origin In Englishuncleft atom from Greek atomos uncut unhewn indivisible from a not tomos a cutting 9 uncleftish atomic as abovebeholding theory from Greek theōria contemplation speculation a looking at viewing a sight show spectacle things looked at from theōrein to consider speculate look at from theōros spectator worldken science from Latin scientia knowledge 10 World ken means knowledge of the world stufffirststuff matterelement from Latin materia substance from which something is made 11 from Latin elementum rudiment first principle matter in its most basic form 12 forward bernstonish lading positive electric charge from Greek ḗlektron amber 13 in German bernsteinfrom Late Latin carricare to load a wagon or cart 14 backward bernstonish lading negative electric chargeforwardladen positivebackwardladen negativewaterstuff hydrogen from Greek for water 15 sunstuff helium from Greek for sun 15 stonestuff lithium from Greek for stone 15 coalstuff carbon from Latin for coal 15 chokestuff nitrogen from nitrum in Latinsourstuff oxygen from Greek for sharp or sour 15 glasswortstuff magnesium from Greek for the lodestone 16 Glasswort was used as a source of soda for glassmakingflintstuff silicon from Latin for flint 15 potashstuff potassium Latinised form of potash 17 ymirstuff uranium from Uranus Norse equivalent is Ymir aegirstuff neptunium from Neptune Norse equvialent is AEgir helstuff plutonium from Pluto Norse equivalent is Hel The vocabulary used in Uncleftish Beholding does not completely derive from Anglo Saxon Around from Old French reond Modern French rond completely displaced Old English ymbe modern English umbe now obsolete cognate to German um and Latin ambi and left no native English word for this concept The text also contains the French derived words rest ordinary and sort The text gained increased exposure and popularity after being circulated around the Internet 18 and has served as inspiration for some inventors of Germanic English conlangs Douglas Hofstadter in discussing the piece in his book Le Ton beau de Marot jocularly refers to the use of only Germanic roots for scientific pieces as Ander Saxon See also EditAnglish Thing ExplainerReferences Edit Svishchev Guennady V Amatov Alexander M Tolstolutskaya Eugenia V January 2015 Language Regulation in a Global World The Social Sciences 10 6 1107 1110 ISSN 1818 5800 Anderson Poul 1996 All One Universe Macmillan ISBN 9780312858735 Omissi Adrastos 2015 07 11 Swear words etymology and the history of English OUPblog Archived from the original on 2015 07 14 Retrieved 20 February 2019 Allen Sture ed 1995 Of Thoughts and Words Proceedings of Nobel Symposium 92 The Relation Between Language and Mind Conference publication River Edge New Jersey Imperial College Press pp 217 266 ISBN 9781860940057 LCCN 96130659 OCLC 34912899 Uncleftish Beholding Centre for Complexity Science University of Warwick 12 Feb 2014 Archived from the original on 2014 11 12 Retrieved 20 February 2019 Anderson Poul December 1989 Uncleftish Beholding Analog Science Fiction and Fact Vol 109 no 13 Davis Publications pp 132 135 Hofstadter Douglas R August 1994 Speechstuff and Thoughtstuff Musings on the Resonances Created by Words and Phrases via the Subliminal Perception of their Buried Parts Nobel Symposium 92 Stockholm doi 10 1142 9781908979681 0023 R L G 2014 01 28 Johnson What might have been The Economist Berlin Archived from the original on 2019 02 20 Retrieved 20 February 2019 atom Search Online Etymology Dictionary www etymonline com Retrieved 2021 03 19 Definition of science Dictionary com www dictionary com Retrieved 2021 03 19 matter Search Online Etymology Dictionary www etymonline com Retrieved 2021 03 19 element Search Online Etymology Dictionary www etymonline com Retrieved 2021 03 19 electric Search Online Etymology Dictionary www etymonline com Retrieved 2023 02 04 charge Search Online Etymology Dictionary www etymonline com Retrieved 2021 03 19 a b c d e f Stwertka Albert 1996 A guide to the elements New York Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 508083 1 OCLC 33013451 magnesia Origin and meaning of magnesia by Online Etymology Dictionary www etymonline com Retrieved 2021 03 19 potash Origin and meaning of potash by Online Etymology Dictionary www etymonline com Retrieved 2021 03 19 Johnson What might have been The Economist 2014 01 28 ISSN 0013 0613 Retrieved 2021 03 19 External links EditUncleftish Beholding title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Uncleftish Beholding amp oldid 1138376351, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
