The Second Apocalypse

Earwa => The Aspect-Emperor => The Great Ordeal => Topic started by: twooars on October 30, 2016, 03:25:13 pm

Title: What is "Phusis"?
Post by: twooars on October 30, 2016, 03:25:13 pm: Maybe this was answered before, but I couldn't find anything, what is Phusis, has it been mentioned anywhere else?

When the thing-called-Serwe is chasing the Survivor's son, quote from the latter's perspective:
Quote
The thing commanded Phusis - there could be no question
(The Great Ordeal, UK)
Title: Re: What is "Phusis"?
Post by: Wilshire on October 30, 2016, 07:54:29 pm: Not sure. Is that the name of the skin spy?
Title: Re: What is "Phusis"?
Post by: Hirtius/Pansa on October 30, 2016, 10:23:27 pm: I think a quick google search will help. The Boy is basically saying that the skin-spy has superior physical strength/endurance(phusis) so instead of a direct confrontation he'll have to use his superior Dunyain intellect to outsmart it(logos).
Title: Re: What is "Phusis"?
Post by: themerchant on November 02, 2016, 04:56:26 pm: Quote from: Hirtius/Pansa on October 30, 2016, 10:23:27 pm
I think a quick google search will help. The Boy is basically saying that the skin-spy has superior physical strength/endurance(phusis) so instead of a direct confrontation he'll have to use his superior Dunyain intellect to outsmart it(logos).

This is my interpretation as well, again after googling :D
Title: Re: What is "Phusis"?
Post by: Wilshire on November 02, 2016, 05:34:18 pm: Too bad I though it was a name or I could have looked less of an idiot :)
Title: Re: What is "Phusis"?
Post by: Quintus on November 03, 2016, 08:31:16 am: I think that's the author playing word games with us. Again.
"Phusis" or "Physis" (with the ypsilon letter usually transcribed as a "y", not "u") is the Greek for "nature", just like "techne" (the "ch" being the transcription of the letter "chi", most likely originally pronounced as an aspirated "k") is the Greek for art/skill/technique.
Title: Re: What is "Phusis"?
Post by: Monkhound on November 03, 2016, 12:03:14 pm: I distinctly remember looking up phusis because I thought it referred to a person as well.
My English vocabulary has expanded a lot since my first read of TGO, which does not happen often anymore. And... let's face it, So has my French and Dutch: Philology is an incredibly useful skill to be proficient in (provided you have affinity with Language) ;D
Title: Re: What is "Phusis"?
Post by: Wilshire on November 03, 2016, 12:26:52 pm: We seem to have a dense population of polyglots around our forum. I find that fascinating.
Title: Re: What is "Phusis"?
Post by: EkyannusIII on November 10, 2016, 05:16:57 pm: Quintus' post is correct; that noun is just Bakker's way of saying that the skin spy is a product of the Tekne and thus physically superior to the Boy (c.f. Kellhus having a hard time wrestling Sarcellus in TWP). Read it as "materiality" and it comes through clearly.
Title: Re: What is "Phusis"?
Post by: twooars on November 17, 2016, 12:03:37 am: Ah, makes sense. I was thrown by the capitalisation and assumed that it was explained somewhere else! Thanks.