Brobdingnagian Alphabet

[logophile]

Which 4 letters were missing from the Brobdingnagian alphabet in Gulliver's Travels ?

[Golem]

I think your question assumes that their alphabet is the equivalent of ours with letters missing, but in chapter 7 of A Voyage to Brobdingnag it reads;

"No law in that country must exceed in words the number of letters in their alphabet, which consists only of two and twenty. But indeed few of them extend even to that length."

There is nothing to suggest that the letters are A, B, C ...etc. The Hebrew alphabet contains 22 letters but we don't say there are letters 'missing'; the Arabic alphabet has 28 letters but we don't say there are 'extra' letters. That's just how they are.

In chapter 2 Gulliver writes,

"Besides, I had learnt their alphabet, and could make a shift to explain a sentence here and there; for Glumdalclitch had been my instructor while we were at home, and at leisure hours during our journey. She carried a little book in her pocket, not much larger than a Sanson's Atlas; it was a common treatise for the use of young girls, giving a short account of their religion: out of this she taught me my letters, and interpreted the words."

This suggests that they had different symbols that constituted letters, otherwise why would he have to be taught what the "letters" were.

[logophile]

Golem - Thanks for that ! I had assumed the same characters, because I was hoping 4 in particular (Q,X,Y and Z) were not used. However, I am sure you are correct and that characters did not correspond to ours.

 

Logophile

[Quizmonkey]

So...a Listener solver, eh?!

[rabet]

Hi Quizmonkey ~ you a Listener fan? I''ve been doing it for more than thirty years.
But when the Listener folded it took me a long time to discover that it was continuing in theSaturday Times. Do you happen to know ~ did it transfer immediately, or was there a gap? You may be interested to know that I have never in my life met anybody else who has even attempted, never mind solved a Listener crossword.

Do you think the puzzles have become more difficult in recent years? When I was working full-time I didn't usually have a problem with them, but now I am semi-retired they seem to take longer. Some weeks I don't even bother starting because I know I won't have time to finish.

[rabet]

Apologies for space missing in my last posting!

[logophile]

The Listener moved to the Saturday Times pretty much straight after the magazine folded, I think in 1991. It was then that I discovered it, but it's only in the past 10 years that I've been a regular solver.

There is general agreement amongst crossword aficionados that the puzzle has been a lot easier over the past few months, so now may be a good time to get back into it, as this trend may not continue indefinitely ! 

[rabet]

Many thanks, Logophile.

[Quizmonkey]

Hi Rabet - I've been Listenering since about the mid-80s which is frighteningly 20 years! I've quite a good record: I'm usually on the 'top solvers' list and last won earlier this year (previous last win was in 1999 I think!). I too have never met another solver, but there is frequent correspondence on www.crossword.org.uk - however, it's illegal to discuss 'live' puzzles and rightly so. Hope I haven't sinned by making the connection with your post.

There was a brief time before the switch to The Times (a matter of weeks if I remember rightly, when lone solvers were seen wandering round streets dazed, in a state of Listener cold turkey). I would agree with the other chap that overall they're easier these days, but obviously there are still toughies that crop up often enough. It's still the best crossword in the world!

[rabet]

Thanks for your reply, Quizmonkey. When you say that it's 'illegal' to discuss 'live' puzzles I take it you mean that it's a breach of an unofficial crossword-solvers' code, not that it's actually against the law?

[Quizmonkey]

Yes, I do - can't really see the laws of the land extending to cruciverbalism just yet, however seriously we take our hobby! With the Listener, there's more to it than just the weekly prizes: statistics are kept of all entries and solvers can request a personal record after a year's puzzles. So it's more important to solve solo.