Lance wrote: >> "A maru once bit my sister." > > What is the fascination (mania? obsession?) with the word "maru" on this > list? The only maru I'm familiar with is the Kobyashi Maru from Star > Trek and I somehow don't think that is the correct reference.
Ah, but you're closer than you think. Rob (the originator of the maru tag) Seeberger wrote in response the last time someone asked: (BTW, to you and other new listmembers, welcome!) The long answer: >> What is Maru? >> Hmmmm......good question. >> Maru is a ship, a Japanese ship. >> Maru is also a defense against the cultural imperialism of the >> Culture >> mailing list with their GSVs and ROUs.(That's a different >> discussion >> though<G>) >> Maru is a way of adding remarks at the end of a message in a way >> that >> is distinctive and exclusive to Brin-L. >> If you see someone who uses a Maru shipname, they are from Brin-L. >> Maru is a means to crack a joke, make an observation, or poke a >> stick >> in someone's eye. >> >> And below is the background from which it was derived. >> >> *********************************************** >> The word "maru" originated in the seventh century and has since >> come >> to >>> serve as a popular name for a host of Japanese vessels. The first >>> ship to use the suffix is said to have been the 16th century ship >>> called the Nipon Maru, built by the legendary Toyotomi Hideyoschi. >>> However, despite its widespread use, the word has never been >>> graced >>> with a definitive definition. >>> >>> Our attempts to muster a universal meaning of the term maru have >>> all >>> ended in frustration, with each possibility smothered in a >>> down-pour >>> of vaguery. For instance, one Japanese reference worker gave as >>> many >>> as fourteen meanings for maru, while another offered at least five >>> additional meanings without including all the other fourteen. >>> >>> These misunderstandings and discrepancies have arisen from the >>> fact >>> that maru is a word laced with suggestiveness. Here is a selection >>> of some of the explanations we have found. >>> >>> Possible meanings >>> The term maru originally seemed to act as a form of compliment >>> when >>> attached to certain personal names. >>> >>> For example, people seemed to be bestowing respect upon the eighth >>> century poet Hitomaru Kikinomoto by attaching the term to his >>> name. >>> It could also be seen as a term of endearment rather like a >>> diminutive, as in the juvenile name Ushiwakamaru, of the >>> twelfth-century general Yoshitsune Minamoto. >>> >>> Gradually the word was thrown to the dogs, literally, as people >>> became accustomed to bestowing it upon their pet animals. Other >>> names which received the maru blessing included a precious utensil >>> used perhaps in some kind of tea ceremony or even the favoured >>> tool >>> of a deft craftsman. Another example of this maru phenomenon can >>> be >>> found in the mighty sword Mura-same-Maru; this famous blade of the >>> seventeenth and eighteenth centuries was supposed to be so potent >>> that whoever owned it, regardless of his own intent, was destined >>> to >>> kill somebody sooner or later. >>> >>> The term maru also became associated with the concept of a circle. >>> This circular affinity suggested completeness, entirety, >>> wholeness; >>> notions which the image of a circle seems to symbolise. >>> >>> >>> Indeed, the connotation of 'wholeness' perhaps led to the use of >>> maru to mean 'one entire hour' and also as a term for the fanciful >>> frying of a 'whole' animal, as opposed to a mere handful of >>> giblets. >>> >>> In addition to all these other meanings, it also has an >>> association >>> with 'dust', while at the same time referring to 'those naive in >>> love', hence the wistful phrase "dusty lover". >>> >>> Maru and ships >>> Having sashayed through the multifarious meanings of maru, it is >>> now >>> time to cut to the chase, examining it in the context of ships. >>> The >>> use of maru in a ship name would seem to express the hope that the >>> ship will defend those aboard against all perils of the sea, being >>> as complete as a circle, as trustworthy as a sword and as virile >>> as >>> a master craftsman's favourite tool. In addition to this, it also >>> carried a feeling of attachment or endearment, such as that felt >>> by >>> one "dusty lover" for another. Also, unlike most other countries, >>> a >>> ship in Japan is referred to as a male and in adding "maru" to the >>> ships name, as was done with young boys in olden times, the ship >>> was >>> protected from harm. >>> >>> ************************************************************ >>> >>> In the 1905 edition of Basil Hall Chamberlain's "Things Japanese" >>> he >>> says of `maru' "It is often asked: what does the word Maru mean in >>> the names of ships ...?" His answer is: >>> >>> a.. the real meaning is obscure >>> b.. it is probably merging of two words: `maru' and `maro', which >>> was a term of endearment. >>> c.. it used to be used for swords, armour, parts of castles, etc. >>> too. >>> *************************************************************** >>> >>> From India, the Sanskrit "manu" also traveled east. In Japan, >>> "manu" >>> became "maru," a word which is included in the name of most >>> Japanese >>> ships. In ancient Chinese mythology, the god Hakudo Maru came down >>> from heaven to teach people how to make ships. This name could >>> well >>> relate to Noah, the first shipbuilder. >>> >>> The custom of including "maru" in the names of Japanese ships >>> seems >>> to have started between the 12th and 14th centuries. In the late >>> 16th century, the warlord Hideyoshi built Japan's first really >>> large >>> ship, calling it "Nippon Maru." In Japanese "maru" also seems to >>> mean a round enclosure, or circle of refuge, so that the circle is >>> considered to be a sign of good fortune. Noah's ark, of course, >>> had >>> been the first great enclosure of refuge. >>> >>> ************************************************************** >>> >>> Swords >>> >>> MARU Round. Often used to describe BOSHI. >>> MARU-DOME Round groove termination. >>> MARU-MUNE Round backridge, either blade or tang. >>> BOSHI "Hat." Temper line in KISSAKI. Also, portion of temper >>> line in KISSAKI closest to the point. >>> KISSAKI Point section. Plane bounded by the KO-SHINOGI, YOKOTE >>> and FUKURA. >>> KO-SHINOGI The SHINOGI ridgeline attendant to the KISSAKI. >>> FUKURA The curve of the HA or edge in the KISSAKI. >>> >>> YOKOTE "At the Side." Line separating the JI from the KISSAKI. >>> JI Sword-body surface plane between the SHINOGI and the HA. >>> SHINOGI Ridgelines on a "fighting sword." >>> HA Sword edge. Cutting edge. >>> >>> >>> *************************************************************** >>> Tom Paine Maru (Del Rey Books, 1984) >>> L. Neil Smith >>> The North American Confederacy reaches the stars at last, its >>> Prime >>> Directive: search out governments wherever they are found to exist >>> and destroy them! >>> >>> ***************************************************************** >>> "YD-038, the hero of my fifth novel, Tom Paine Maru, is an escapee >>> from the kind of world that liberals have spent the last 60 years >>> trying to build for us. >>> >>> ***************************************************************** >>> >>> THE TOM PAINE MARU, Del Rey, 1984. ISBN 0-345-29243-X. >>> The first of the mainline Confederacy novels in which Win Bear >>> does >>> not appear. Whitey O'Thraight, descendant of some of the first >>> extrasolar colonists, finds himself in the North American (now >>> Galactic) Confederacy. His homeworld having reverted to barbarism >>> (i.e. government), he suffers a rather severe case of culture >>> shock >>> but eventually assimilates into the culture. >>> >>> ******************************************************* >>> TOM PAINE MARU (Del Rey, 1984) Launching spaceships eight miles in >>> diameter, the freewheeling North American Confederacy reaches for >>> the >>> stars! _Its_ Prime Directive: search out governments wherever they >>> exist -- and destroy them! Sapient dolphins and talking apes >>> contend >>> with aliens on the endless frontier. >>> >>> ************************************************* >>> OK, let's talk about the Confederate Fleet! >>> >>> In 234 A.L., Construction began on Tom- and Bobfleet, on the >>> assumption faster-than-light drive would be >>> discovered, which it was in 250 A.L. >>> >>> Tomfleet and Bobfleet consist of 6 ships each, you can see the >>> roster below, each about 7.5 jeffersonian miles (jm) in diameter >>> with tiers of smaller auxiliary ships docked on the underside of >>> them, 7 per tier. I am not quite sure as to weither there are 4 or >>> 5 >>> tiers of ships, but depending on the number there are either 400 >>> or >>> 2801 individual vessels per ship once all the auxiliaries are >>> docked >>> to their mother-ship. >>> >>> The vessels themselves are light-colored featureless "inverted >>> salad bowl" in shape. My calculations indicate that they are 3.75 >>> times as wide as they are high, and I would guess that would apply >>> to all tiers of ships. I will post a diagram in a separate >>> message. >>> >>> I am not sure if the TRANS-UNIVERSAL fleet follows the same >>> design as Tom- and Bobfleets as I get the impression they are >>> smaller faster vessels for inter-world travel. Neil, can you let >>> us >>> know? >>> >>> Lux >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >>> ------------- >>> TABLES: >>> >>> >>> Fleet Hierarchy: >>> >>> Tier 1 1 7.5 jm 12.0 km >>> Tier 2 7 2.1 jm 3.4 km >>> Tier 3 49 (7x7) 2940 jf 940 m >>> Tier 4 343 (7x7x7) 823 jf 260 m >>> ---- >>> 400 >>> >>> Tier 5 2401 (7x7x7x7) 230 jf 73 m >>> --- >>> 2801 >>> >>> >>> >>> Ships of the Confederate Fleet >>> >>> TOMFLEET: >>> Tom Paine Maru >>> Tom Jefferson Maru >>> Tom Szasz Maru >>> Tom Edison Maru >>> Tom Huxley Maru >>> Tom Sowell Maru >>> >>> BOBFLEET: >>> Bob Heinlein Maru >>> Bob Wilson Maru >>> Bob Shea Maru >>> Bob LeFever Maru >>> Bob Poole Maru >>> Bob Walpole Maru >>> >>> TRANS-UNIVERSAL >>> Ragnar Danneskold >>> Hagbard Celine >>> Captian Nemo >>> Peter LaNague >>> Star Fox >>> Zorro >>> >>> >> ************************************************************************* >> >> xponent >> Tom Bob Maru >> rob _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
