Subject
Re: J. Rea on Knaves and Jacks
From
Date
Body
In a message dated 29/01/2007 20:00:23 GMT Standard Time, nabokv-l@UTK.EDU
writes:
Clearly not "American" (and unintelligible to most "unwashed" Americans) for
whom the pbrase is, "King Queen, Jack" (and no "dames" please}.
Since "Knave" is presumably closely cognate with German "Knabe", a more
accurate translation into American would be King, Queen, Boy; although "Boy" is,
I suppose, quite unacceptable these days (cf the film Casablanca, or the song
Chattanooga-Choo-Choo). The Swedish is Kung, Dam, Knekt, no doubt cognate
with Knight; although Knekt, in Swedish, has been demoted to servant, varlet or
batman, not elevated to petty nobility, as in English. Not that a nobleman
needn't be a servant, depending on whom he serves. I seem to recall that in
English, I mean in England, the Jack, whether one-eyed or two-faced, is also
called a Knight. Or am I thinking of chess? And a Swedish Dam is normally a
Lady. All knowledge derives from translation.
Charles
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm