Queen of Pedants

[truepenny]

Yes, I want my own Tarot suit.

Bookslut links to this story about yet another possible plagiarism suit: Lewis Perdue (Daughter of God) takes on Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code), both gentlemen entirely unfamiliar to me. But, of course, what caught my eye, both in Bookslut's entry and then, when I checked the quote (like a good academic), in Book Magazine's news item, was the assertion that "An influential woman by the name of Sylvia (Greek for 'wisdom') appears in both novels."

Sylvia is not the Greek for wisdom. Sophia is the Greek for wisdom; Sylvia--or, more properly, Silvia--is the Latin for wood, as in a stand of trees. That's why the great religious edifice of Byzantium/Constantinople/Istanbul is Hagia Sophia, not Hagia Sylvia.

I assume that the mistake was Book Magazine's, but if it was the mistake of Mssrs. Brown and Perdue, then that would be pretty compelling evidence of plagiarism. Also cretinous fuckheadery, but that, alas, is not illegal.

There. I feel better now.

Comments

[libskrat]

"Cretinous fuckheadery." Nice rhythm to that, I must say.

Sophia as in philo-, also.

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

Which gives me a beautiful image of the bookish nymphs of the Department of Philosylvy heading out into the woods while engaged in earnest debate. Now, what the heck can I do with that ?

[libskrat]

Ack, no language mixing! Even for a pun.

A quick online dictionary check turns up dasos for forest. Philodasy? Greek is not one of my languages.