Monday, December 05, 2011

Just Words

I have been pondering Neologisms and inevitable Milton springs to mind. He was a blind Puritan who wrote Paradise Lost and incidentally created 630 new words. He would make an adjective from a verb such as stunning and was the first person to use space to mean outer space. Paradise Lost was originally ten books but in 1674 it was made into twelve books, or you may like to see the film: Paradise Lost is scheduled to be made into an action film in 2012, directed by Alex Provas and to be released sometime in 2013. Milton also made completely new words such as sensuous and pandemonium which segues quite nicely into the tale of two pandas: Sunshine and Sweetie.

These are two giant pandas – endangered species - which are on loan from China to Edinburgh Zoo for ten years. They are eight years old – a good age to have baby pandas. Both of them have reproduced before but with other partners. They arrived yesterday - flown by kilt- wearing pilots - to the accompaniment of bag-pipes and are presently settling into their new quarters. In a week or so the lucky Scottish people can visit them. They eat 4kg of bamboo daily and it will cost the Zoo £600,000 annually to keep them. Hopefully thousands of visitors will more than cover the cost.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

A Paradise Lost movie just isn't right. Some things should be left alone.

Cheers.

Ms Scarlet said...

Panspenda!
I nearly wrote 'Expansive', but I think this word already exists.
Sx

Pat said...

Randall: don't tel me you have read all twelve books?

Pat said...

Scarlet: expansive does exist in my vocab but panspenda leaves me puzzled. Am i being thick?

Ms Scarlet said...

No, I was just being silly by making up words of my own :-)
Sx

Pat said...

Scarlet : I do it too and convince myself they are proper words.
Just discovered my grand-daughter's radio station. It's great to hear her voice.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/21212506/Ellen%20and%20Alice%20Happy%20Hour%20No%2005.mp3

Ms Scarlet said...

Ahhh.. I am having a listen.
Sx

Rough said...

I have so much catching up to do...
Hopefully I'll have some time over Christmas, but I think Paradise Lost will have to wait for the summer holidays.
Glad to hear that you beat that bug down - I wouldn't wait for Christmas to reward myself with a little something:)

Rough said...

Rough is not really rough...it's Nea pretending to be Rough

Macy said...

Like half of Edinburgh, I'm unbelievably excited about the pandas arriving; but with no idea why. I just hope they're OK with snow and biting cold winds...

OldLady Of The Hills said...

How WONDERFUL! Sweetie & Sunshine---I hope they have lots of little cubs....Well, I do dearly hope they have one...! And I hope everyone goes to see them and cheers them on and keeps them in Bamboo!!!

I never read Paradise Lost---but it is fascinating to know that Milton created so very many, then---New Words!

Z said...

I think he invented Pandemonium. I have a great fondness for Milton, I read a fair bit of Paradise Lost for my English A level. I rather fell for the devil, sad to say. Those fallen angels were really quite sexy, especially the sons of Belial, flown with insolence and wine.

However, I was very young, hem hem. Nothing like that now...

I shall certainly make it to Edinburgh Zoo to see them, at some time.

Eryl said...

I don't know Paradise Lost it scares me. And now I know it's twelve books it scares me even more. Thus, I always think of Shakespeare when neologisms are mentioned. Not that I can think of any at this present moment.

I didn't know we had new pandas in Edinburgh zoo, I will visit in the spring once the snows have gone.

Pat said...

Scarlet: the girl with the deeper voice is mu grand-daughter.

Rough: I'm glad you told me. Don't forget out Scrabble. I'm improving slowly.

Macy: with those fur coats they'll be fine.

Naomi: I know its a cop-out but I might just wait for the film.

Z: you are not paying attention missus. I used his pandemonium as a segue.
Well done for having read some of it. I must dip my toe in.

Eryl: fancy not knowing about the pandas and lucky you to be within spitting distance.

Granny Annie said...

1999 a baby panda was born at the San Diego zoo and was named Wai Mei. From birth to six months of age Wai Mei could be observed with her mother in their private enclosure via panda cam. I was in Tulsa, OK and could watch this tiny, tiny infant grow big enough to be introduced to the public. Ron and I went to San Diego in February 2000 and attended the introduction of this baby panda to the outside world. The lines were very long and everyone was instructed to remain quiet as they viewed this baby. I never saw so many people remain so quiet for such a long time. It was a marvelous event in my life.

Pat said...

Granny Annie: how wonderful. It would be great if that could happen in Edinburgh too.

Four Dinners said...

Flown to Scotland eh?...poor things...they could have picked somewhere a bit warmer!!!

I found paradise once...Oldham Athletic were in the Premiership...for all of three seasons...then I lost it again

lom said...

I am putting that on my film list, I loved the book even though it took me a month to read it.

Kane said...

so sensuous was first used in 1674? =) interesting

Did you read the book?

Kane

Pat said...

Four D: that's life I guess:)

LOM: I'm full of admiration!

Kane: alas no! Not even one of the twelve but never say never:)

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

In the middle of traffic, waiting at the stoplight, my mother quotes Milton to me! She does it all the time...quotes Shakespeare, Milton.

Pat said...

GG: she is a rare lady your mother.