Hi Jansy,

I usually don't respond to postings I don't agree with unless it is a matter of facts.

Your assertion is very surprising indeed!

There is no synaesthesia at play here, only one's auditive faculty. Just a matter of consonance: the only difference in the pronunciation of "Haze" and "Hase" are the vowels, the "e" in the English word being silent, while in the German one it is a "shwa", i.e. the French "e". The consonants H en Z en S have similar sounds in both languages. Anyone could have made the connection VN did.

AB.

From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] On Behalf Of Jansy
Sent: donderdag 28 januari 2010 15:28
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: [NABOKV-L] [NABOKOV-L] Rabbits, Haze and Hase - and Rab'lais

Nabokov's association of "Haze" with "Hase" is very surprising.

The German word sounds very unlike the misty Irish one. VN's particular synesthesia - related either to shapes and shades - must have been a determining factor for this approximation - which, for anyone else, must remain unfathomable.

Search the archive	Contact the Editors	Visit "Nabokov Online Journal"
Visit Zembla	View Nabokv-L Policies	Manage subscription options

All private editorial communications, without exception, are read by both co-editors.