Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 7 of 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
#159212 05/04/06 02:18 AM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
B
Bingley Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
B
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
I believe Humbert exists as a name in English, although not perhaps a particularly common one.


Bingley
#159213 05/04/06 02:20 AM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Wasn't Humbert Humbert the guy with the hots for Lolita?

#159214 05/04/06 03:46 AM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
B
Bingley Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
B
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
So I believe (not that I've read it). Any idea where Nabokov got the name?


Bingley
#159215 05/04/06 04:52 AM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
In an interview in 1973, Nabokov said that he selected the name Humbert because it sounded villainous (c.f the Italian "umbra" for shadow), because it sounded like a prince (and he needed that for some of the allusions in the novel) and because its diminuitive ("Hum") was a good match to Lolita's mother's pet name for her ("Low).

#159216 05/04/06 10:43 AM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
One look says it is a rare surname.

#159217 05/04/06 02:40 PM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Please, can anyone explain to me the use of solipsist here?
Humbert makes her his solipsist ideal
web page

#159218 05/04/06 06:49 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Solipsism being the notion that reality is nothing more than a product of one's own imagination, I should think that Humbert sees Lolita as the ideal woman he has created entirely on his own.

#159219 05/05/06 01:22 AM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
B
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
B
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Aw crumb...I'm no further ahead in trying to guess the real definition.

O.k., I pick P, just because it has nothing to do with quickness.

#159220 05/05/06 01:27 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Thanks, Faldage. I was having trouble with it, based on this definition:
: a theory holding that the self can know nothing but its own modifications and that the self is the only existent thing
M-W

#159221 05/05/06 02:36 AM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
it is with little haste and much hesitude that I hash out a vote for h.

aside to the hogmaster: good luck handling these responses.

Page 7 of 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,344
Members9,182
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
Ineffable, ddrinnan, TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV
9,182 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 782 guests, and 2 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
wofahulicodoc 10,546
tsuwm 10,542
LukeJavan8 9,918
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5