Works and Days

In Western society, the traces of rites of age- and sex-role reversal persist in such customs as Halloween, when the powers of the structurally inferior are manifested in the liminal dominance of preadolescent children. The monstrous masks they often wear in disguise represent mainly chthonic or earth-demonic powers — witches who blast fertility; corpses or skeletons from underground; indigenous peoples, such as Indians; troglodytes, such as dwarves or gnomes; hoboes or anti-authoritarian figures, such as pirates or traditional Western gun fighters. These tiny earth powers, if not propitiated by treats or dainties, will work fantastic and capricious tricks on the authority-holding generation of householders — tricks similar to those once believed to be the work of earth spirits, such as hobgoblins, boggarts, elves, fairies, and trolls. In a sense, too, these children mediate between the dead and the living; they are not long from the womb, which is in many cultures equated with the tomb, as both are associated with the earth, the source of fruits and receiver of leavings. The Halloween children exemplify several liminal motifs: their masks insure them anonymity, for no one knows just whose particular children they are. But, as with most rituals of reversal, anonymity here is for purposes of aggression, not humiliation. The child’s mask is like the highwayman’s mask — and, indeed, children at Halloween often wear the masks of burglars or executioners. Masking endows them with the powers of feral, criminal autochthonous and supernatural beings.

–Victor Turner, “The Ritual Process,” pg. 172

1-10
unu, du, tri, kvar, kvin
ses, sep, ok, naŭ, dek

11-20
dek unu, dek du, dek tri, dek kvar, dek kvin,
dek ses, dek sep, dek ok, dek naŭ, dudek

21, 22… 30
dudek unu, dudek du… tridek

31, 32… 40
tridek unu, tridek du… kvardek

100, 200… 1000
cent, ducent… mil

1984
mil naŭcent okdek kvar

“Tell me, is Mrs. Jackson at home?”

“No, sir.”

“Not at home?”

“No, sir.”

The young man sighed.

“Ah well,” he said, “we must always remember that these disappointments are sent to us for some good purpose. No doubt they make us more spiritual. Will you inform her that I called? The name is Psmith. P-Smith.”

“Peasmith, sir?”

“No, no. P-s-m-i-t-h. I should explain to you that I started life without the initial letter, and my father always clung ruggedly to the plain Smith. But it seemed to me that there were so many Smiths in the world that a little variety might well be introduced. Smythe I look on as a cowardly evasion, nor do I approve of the too prevalent custom of tacking another name on in front by means of a hyphen. So I decided to adopt the Psmith. The p, I should add for your guidance, is silent, as in phthisis, psychic, and ptarmigan. You follow me?”

“Y-yes, sir.”

“You don’t think,” he said anxiously, “that I did wrong in pursuing this course?”

“N-no, sir.”

“Splendid!” said the young man, flicking a speck of dust from his coat-sleeve. “Splendid! Splendid!”

–P.G. Wodehouse, Leave it to Psmith

* Aunt Agatha gives you a new turtleneck sweater. It’s hideous.
* Naturally.
* Log into you account on Ephbid and put the sweater up for sale.
* Nerdy the Fool.
*Turtlenecks will definitely make a comeback.

You give him sweater, he uses money $ to par-ta. Rinse and repeat.

Vowels

[α a] [ε e] [η eh] [ι i] [ο o] [υ y] [ω oh]

Diphthongs

[αι ai] [αυ au] [ει ei] [ευ eu] [ηι ehi] [οι oi] [ου ou] [υι ui] [ωι ohi]

Stops

[π p] [τ t] [κ k] [β b] [δ d] [γ g] [φ ph] [θ th] [χ kh]

Nasals

[μ m] [ν n] [γ n (before κ, γ, χ, ξ)]

Liquids, Sibilants

[λ l] [ρ rh (initial), r (medial)] [σ,ς s]

Compound Letters

[ζ sd] [ξ ks] [ψ ps]

Notes

The letter h serves three functions. Initially and after initial rho, it signifies rough breathing. After a vowel it signifies vowel lengthening (specifically to distinguish epsilon/eta and omicron/omega, but optionally to distinguish long and short alpha, iota, and upsilon). After a stop, it signifies aspiration.

Upsilon is written y when standing alone, u when part of a diphthong.

The transliteration of compound letters is consistent with the transliteration of the component letters, which are never written separately when occurring in combination.

What happens when you drop a yellow hat into the Red Sea?

Why didn’t the skeleton cross the road?

What goes up a chimney down, but not down a chimney up?

stān stone, dæg day, weal wall, mearh horse

Sing. Nominative, Accusative, Genitive, Dative, Instrumental

N.A. stān, G. stānes, D.I. stāne

N.A. dæg, G. dæges, D.I. dæge

N.A. weal, G. wealles, D.I. wealle

N.A. mearh, G. mēares, D.I. mēare

μου̂σαι Πιερίηθεν ἀοιδῃ̂σιν κλείουσαι
δευ̂τε, Δί’ ἐννέπετε, σφέτερον πατέρ’ ὑμνείουσαι:
ὅντε διὰ βροτοὶ ἄνδρες ὁμω̂ς ἄφατοί τε φατοί τε,
ῥητοί τ’ ἄρρητοί τε Διὸς μεγάλοιο ἕκητι.
ῥέα μὲν γὰρ βριάει, ῥέα δὲ βριάοντα χαλέπτει,
ῥει̂α δ’ ἀρίζηλον μινύθει καὶ ἄδηλον ἀέξει,
ῥει̂α δέ τ’ ἰθύνει σκολιὸν καὶ ἀγήνορα κάρφει
Ζεὺς ὑψιβρεμέτης, ὃς ὑπέρτατα δώματα ναίει.
κλυ̂θι ἰδὼν ἀίων τε, δίκῃ δ’ ἴθυνε θέμιστας
τύνη: ἐγὼ δέ κε, Πέρση, ἐτήτυμα μυθησαίμην.

Come, Muses of Pieria, who glorify
in songs, and sing a hymn of praise to father Zeus:
For through him mortal men alike are given names
or go without them, spoken of or left unknown;
For easily he makes them strong, and easily
he batters down their strength, diminishing the proud
and raising up the humble; easily he makes
the crooked straight, or makes the haughty wither up–
the one who dwells above, the thunderer on high.
With eye and ear attend, and make these judgments straight
with justice, for, O Perses, I would speak things true.