Metaweb:Glossary

From the Quicksilver Metaweb.

In Quicksilver the use of annotations is more a question of style than otherwise. There are many terms in the novel which do not have annotations, and some of the annotations are either redundant or expository.

An example of an expository style is on page 457, which is a long explanation of where Jack Shaftoe learned to fight. A redundant example would be on page 514, where even though "..the Most Christian King*" is immediately contrasted by the name of James II, we are told * refers to Louie XIV. Again these are questions of style no less than the decision to capitalize certain words of Importance, a Habite of the Periode. Unfortunately initial Capitals are not distinguishable in the mediawiki code, which is a serious flaw thereof.

A more general issue with the glossary would be finding out what terms meant in a period, not just what they mean to us now. This matters if one is going to link concepts that come from any given period, that have changed meaning since then. Which is pretty much any word in any language, since they all evolve in cultural context.

A good list of words that have meanings quite basic to modern society, and modern choices, but which have meant different things in the past in this society, and still mean quite different things even in English, is the Consumerium glossary.

Perhaps where such words are used, they require annotations and acquire meanings from the cult/ure from which they are referred. Of course, an article written in 2003 about events from 1603 might need to refer to both cultural sets.

It's complicated.