Talk:Ascian language

The remark about Star-Trek episode Darmok is incorrect. That episode is about a language based on metaphors. The metaphorical language was not forced on the people by a dictator, as the Ascian language. In fact, in the Star trek episode the leader sacrifices himself for his people. The metaphorical language mentioned presents problems to the crew of the Enterprise, but not to the native speakers, while the Ascian language makes it difficult for its native speakers to express critical thoughts. Rumostra 13:33, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

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Ascians and North Koreans

Gene Wolfe fought in the Korean War. It has always seemed likely to me that his Ascians draw on his experiences of North Korean cant and idioms of Kim-ist/ Communist propaganda. Both come from the north and have unfathomable totalitarian ideologies and cultures that seem to emulate hive insects. Enon (talk) 23:52, 9 July 2009 (UTC)

@Enon: That may well be relevant to the writing of the story, but that's not the source of the word. See § The word. Thnidu (talk) 17:44, 21 December 2017 (UTC)

I didn't say or imply that North Korean was the origin of the word "Ascian", the origin of the word wasn't even under discussion, but rather the Ascian language described in the books, a language made entirely of prescribed political slogans. Though it is worth noting that the origin of "Ascian" as "without shadows", or in other words, "people living near the equator", together with their coming from the North, implies that the book takes place in the Southern Hemisphere, and with other geographic clues matching the Andes, Patagonia and the Amazon, implies a setting for the books in South America.Enon (talk) 18:03, 25 January 2019 (UTC)

Confucius's Great Learning

When Severian meets his first Ascian, in the military hospital, he expresses doubt that the Ascians can say anything meaningful. The Ascian answers him with a brief speech that, it seems to me, is a paraphrase of a key passage from Confucius's Great Learning. Their exchange closes that particular chapter.

The passage in question goes inward then outward. (Paraphrasing from memory) -- the superior man, wishing tranquility in the Universe, he first controls his kingdom, wishing to control his kingdom, he first pacifies his household, wishing to pacify his household, he regulates his family. His family being regulated, his household is pacified. His household being pacified, his kingdom is controlled. His kingdom being controlled everything is tranquilized under Heaven and Earth. I don't have my copy of Wolfe handy, but the corresponding passage from the thoughts of the Group of Seventeen is instantly recognizable. For what it is worth the author of the book that wrote about this passage from the Great Learning said something like, "To their contemporaries, the ancient Greek philosophers, this central passage from the Great Learning would be nothing more than a series of non sequitors."

Yes, it would be original research to put this in article space, but I would encourage other contributors to keep their eyes peeled to see if an RS has also noticed this similarity.

FWIW Confucious was not from the North. Geo Swan (talk) 07:49, 20 December 2011 (UTC)