On Lapine (and I don't mean Warren)

[tamaranth]

Reading this page on Lapine makes me want to reread Watership Down, which was my very favourite book when I was about ten and which I don't think I have read since my teens.

From the Langmaker main page:
"Lapine, the language [Adams] sketches for his rabbits, is arguably the best naming language ever created, and is a minimalist virtuoso performance, a haiku of a language compared to the sonnet of Sindarin. It's amazing how much can be accomplished with so little (56 words!)."

Comments

[ramtops.livejournal.com]

To this day, I call a tractor a "hrududu" (sp), which makes most people thing I'm entirely mad. They may be right, of course.

[lj_stowaway]

Hrududu/hrududil pop into my head now and again when I am stuck in traffic and make me chuckle. But not long ago I found myself using tharn, perfectly unconsciously, in a conversation with the veterinarian (What? It was the perfect word!) and had to scramble a bit to cover the slip. *g*

[easterbunny.livejournal.com]

I remember being impressed that the whole endeavour led up to one of the rabbits being able to snarl "Snafu hraika!" (or whatever the Lapine words for "eat" and "rabbit poo" were) in a children's book. Otherwise, the book made me cry and cry and cry, so I haven't wanted to reread it. The movie is currently recorded on our PVR - I'm tempted to accidentally delete it when Adam's not looking in case he tries to make me watch it.

[darth-tigger.livejournal.com]

Silflay hraka. And I'm almost (but not quite) embarrassed to say I didn't have to look that up.

[triciasullivan.livejournal.com]

I wonder how many people of our generation(ish) were imprinted with this book? To me the best thing is the concept of 'hrair'. Not being a mathy person, it really works for me!

Was just thinking the other day (while mowing the lawn, oddly) about how the El-ahrairah stories were such gems all on their own. And wondering what Prince Rainbow looked like.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about El-ahrairah whilst shopping (no rabbit Whiskas for cats today) and wondering whether my vague notion that some of the stories were based on Odysseus would hold water ...

[triciasullivan.livejournal.com]

Really? Do elaborate!

The only ones I can properly remember are Rowsby Woof and the Fairy Wogdog, and also the one where he wears burdock leaves for ears...actually can't remember that one too well either. Frightening how it all goes...oh and what was the one where Rabscuttle goes swimming and sings to the moon??

I'm going to have to reread bigtime.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

I will also have to reread bigtime to refresh memories! It may just have been the whole 'trickster' thing.

On the other hand, Google is my friend:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=El-ahrairah+odysseus

[darth-tigger.livejournal.com]

The El-ahrairah stories were fabulous. Such a shame all but one was cut from the film.

A few years ago I had the (sadly, abridged) audio tapes of the book, which I listened to at bedtime whilst dropping off to sleep. For the first time I came close to getting what it was like for the rabbits during the scenes underground, where they were relying on other senses than sight to 'see'. When reading the book in the light, my sense of sight had got in the way of properly imagining it, but listening in the dark made it real.

[hairyears.livejournal.com]

Imprinted? I was. And so, I suspect, was PTerry: one, two, many, lots.

[triciasullivan.livejournal.com]

LOL!