[Ads-l] Fwd: Re: Off-topic: Ηψπατία Λίβ =?UTF-8?Q?=CF=81=CE=B1=CF=81=CF=88_?=?

[Jim Parish]

I inadvertently sent this only to Joel instead of the list. My apologies.

Jim Parish



-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: 	Re: Off-topic: Ηψπατία Λίβραρψ ?
Date: 	Wed, 29 Jun 2016 11:23:47 -0500
From: 	Jim Parish <jparish at siue.edu>
To: 	Joel Berson <berson at att.net>



Perhaps the first word is a crude attempt to write "Hypatia", writing
capital eta for "H" and psi for "y", purely on the basis of accidental
visual similarity. (Cf. pseudo-Cyrillic writing interpreting ya as "R".)
This would also explain the psi ending of the second word.

Jim Parish

On 6/29/2016 11:00 AM, Joel Berson wrote:
> The back cover of a cheaply-produced, I'm sure optically-transcribed, edition of Hawthorne's three "Old News" sketches has on it the two words in Greek script Ηψπατία Λίβραρψ.  (As best I can transcribe the letters.)  The back cover can be seen, I hope, at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1519283350/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0
> ("Flip to back.")
>
> Is this real Greek?  (The second word's resemblance to "library", which even my infinitesimal knowledge tells me is not the Greek word for library, makes me suspicious.)  What might it mean, whether or not it is real Greek?
>
>
> Please don't ask me why the front cover ascribes this work to Robert Ervin Howard.  But if you know why, please tell me!
>
>
> Thanks!Joel
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>


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