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What one person thinks means one thing, may mean the complete opposite to someone else.
Patience is the key when discussing anything Gorean, pushing your point does nothing if you dont have the time to listen to anyone else. Here are a few examples commonly seen online.
Home Stone or Homestone?
In every instance of the term Home Stone being used in the books, it is shown as two words.
Laziness has taken over online Gor it seems. Here are just two examples.
'Gor,' he said, 'is the name of this world. In all the languages of this planet, the word means Home Stone.' He paused, noting my lack of comprehension. 'Home Stone,' he repeated.
'Simply that.'
Tarnsman of Gor
The love of their city tends to become invested in a stone which is known as the Home Stone, and which is normally kept in the highest cylinder in the city. In the Home Stone - sometimes little more than a crude piece of carved rock, dating back perhaps several hundred generations to when the city was only a cluster of huts by the bank of a river, sometimes a magnificent and impressively wrought, jewel-encrusted cube of marble or granite - the city finds its symbol.
Yet to speak of a symbol is to fall short of the mark. It is almost as if the city itself were identified with the Home Stone, as if it were to the city what life is to man. The myths of these matters have it that while the Home Stone survives, so, too, must the city.
But not only is it the case that each city has its Home Stone.
The simplest and humblest village, and even the most primitive hut in that village, perhaps only a cone of straw, will contain its own Home Stone, as will the fantastically appointed chambers of the Administrator of so great a city as Ar.
Outlaw of Gor
Urth
Earth is mentioned numerous times in every book, though there is no instance of it being shown as "Urth".
"Nonsense," he said. "She is only a slave." "Perhaps Samos has found a love slave," I said.
"An Earth girl?" laughed Samos. "Perhaps," I said. "Perposterous," said Samos.
"She is only a slave, only a thing to serve, and to beat and abuse, if it should please me."
Explorers of Gor
"She was gentle, not understanding, naive, in her way foolish--a girl of Earth but not on Earth
--not a woman of Gor female on her own barbaric world--she would always be of Earth--..."
Nomads of Gor
Kassar Language
Although there are instances of many varied dialects on Gor, there is no specific "language" called Kassar referred to. This is not to say there isnt a language of that nature on Gor, but again,
until John Norman prints a "Kassar Dictionary" it cannot be seen to be true to His writings.
There are, of course, many languages spoken on Gor, but that language I have called Gorean, in its various dialects, is the lingua franca of the planet. It is spoken most everywhere, except in remote areas. One of these remote areas, of course, is the equatorial interior.
The dialects of the Ushindi region I will usually refer to as the inland dialects.
To some extent, of course, this is a misnomer, as there are many languages which are spoken in the equatorial interior which would not be intelligible to a native speaker of the Ushindi area. It is useful, however, to have some convenient way of referring to the linguistic modalities of the Ushindi area.
Gorean, incidentally, is spoken generally in Schendi. The word Schendi, as nearly as I can determine, has no obvious, direct meaning in itself. It is generally speculated, however,
that it is a phonetic corruption of the inland word Ushindi, which, long ago, was apparently used to refer to this general area. In that sense, I suppose, one might think of Schendi,
though it has no real meaning of its own, as having an etiological relationship to a word meaning �Victory�. The Gorean word for victory is "Nykus," which expression seems clearly influenced by "Nike," or "Victory," in classical Greek.
Shaba usually named his discoveries, incidentally, in one or another of the inland dialects. He speaks several fluently, though his native tongue is Gorean, which is spoken standardly in Anango, his island. The inland language, or, better, one of its dialects, is, of course, the language of the court of Bila Huruma, Shaba�s patron and supporter.
Explorers of Gor
Red Sugar
In the books, there are only two colours of sugar actually named, yellow and white.
Four Gorean sugars are mentioned, though there is no reference as to what colours they are.
This does not mean there is no red sugar, red sugar could just be un-named, but until John Norman actually puts in print a sugar named as red, it does not exist to me.
"With a tiny spoon, its tip no more than a tenth of a hort in diameter, she placed four measures of white sugar, and six of yellow, in the cup; with two stirring spoons, one for the white sugar, another for the yellow, she stirred the beverage after each measure."
Tribesmen of Gor
Lola now returned to the small table and, kneeling, head down, served us our dessert, slices of tospit, sprinkled with four Gorean sugars."
Rogue of Gor
Ko'lar
From the following quote, it is clearly obvious that the word, Ko-lar, is used to show the way the word Collar is pronounced, the way the word would roll off a Goreans tongue.
"Ko-lar," she said, indicating her collar. "It is the same word in English," I cried. She did not understand my outburst. Gorean, as I would learn, is rich in words borrowed from Earth languages; how rich it is I am not a skilled enough philologist to conjecture. It may well be that almost all Gorean expressions may be traced to one or another Earth language. Yet, the language is fluid, rich and expressive.
And further in the same passage..
"Collar!" I said. Eta frowned. "Ko-lar," she repeated,
again indicating the neck band of steel fashioned on her throat.
"Ko-lar," I said, carefully following her pronunciation. Eta accepted this.
Slave Girl of Gor
Bazi Tea Ceremony
Bazi Tea is tea, you drink it... it isn't cause for an overly long ceremony.
"Make me tea", I said. "Is it ready?" I asked. I looked at the tiny copper kettle on the small stand. A tiny kaiila-dung fire burned under it. A small, heavy, curved glass was nearby, on a flat box, which would hold some two ounces of the tea. Bazi tea is drunk in tiny glasses, usually three at a time, carefully measured. She did not make herself tea, of course. She lifted the kettle from the fire and, carefully, poured me a tiny glass of tea. I took the glass."
Tribesmen of Gor
Haroun smiled. �Let us discuss these matters over small cups of Bazi tea at the end of the day,� he suggested. �There are more important matters to attend to at the moment."
Tribesmen of Gor
"Well," I said. "Let us return to the tent. The tabuk are gone and I am soaked and freezing.
I will relish a hot cup of Bazi tea."
Beasts of Gor
Third Person Speech
Slaves did not always speak in third person and most often spoke in first. Many examples are strewn throughout the books showing them resorting to third in differing situations such as slave need, submission and placating men. The command to a slave to speak in third therefore should not be taken to be soully a disciplinive measure but more a reminder of her station. The example here shows a slave being told to speak in third person, though it must be remembered that this command is being given by another slave.
"Who!" she demanded. "I did," I cried. "I did!" "Speak as a slave!" demanded Ute. "El-in-or betrayed Ute!" I cried. "El-in-nor betrayed Ute!"
Captive of Gor
Servery
The term servery was not used within the books anywhere. There were many places one could grab a bite from. If you are reading these words and they dont reside on the seven quivas site then my personal interpretation has simply been copied and pasted elsewhere. Good to know those who steal dont actually read what they steal first isnt it?
"..together we had eaten some dried bosk meat and drank water, from one of the commissary wagons attached to one of Hundreds in the city. As commanders we could eat where we chose."
Nomads of Gor
There was the odor of food in the kitchen, and of spilled drink. There were several yards of sausages hung on hooks...
Assassin of Gor
"The slave boy, Fish, had emerged from the kitchen, holding over his head on a large silver platter a whole roasted tarsk, steaming and crisped, basted, shining under the torch light, a larma in its mouth, garnished with suls and Tur-Pah."
Raiders of Gor
Rask is a character not a body part
The use of the word rask for a slaves ass is also a cyberism. The character Rask was a merciless man, worthy of being recalled as something more than the ass of a worthless slave.
"And little more seemed known of Rask of Treve than of his remote and mysterious city.
It was said that he was young, audacious and ruthless, that he was powerful, and brutal and bold, that he was resourceful, brilliant, elusive, a master of disguises and subterfuges.
It was said that a woman might not even know when she was in the presence of Rask of Treve, being casually examined, to see whether or not she was later to be acquired by him.
It was said that he was a fierce, long-haired man, a tarnsman, a warrior.
It was said that he was one of the master swords of Gor.
It was said, too, that he was incredibly handsome, and merciless to women.
Men feared his sword.
Women feared the steel of his slave collars."
Captive of Gor
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