Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0010896, Sun, 9 Jan 2005 17:09:03 -0800

Subject
Fwd: Re: supine vs. prostrate
Date
Body
EDNOTE. See Stadlen comment at end.

----- Forwarded message from STADLEN@aol.com -----
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2005 12:04:47 EST
From: STADLEN@aol.com


In a message dated 18/12/2004 18:57:20 GMT Standard Time,
chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu writes:

> Dear List,
>
> A friend recently made the offhand comment that Vladimir Nabokov, though a
> master of the English language, never observed the difference between
> "supine" and "prostrate". He didn't have any examples to cite.
> Any responses from the list to this charge?
>
> yours,
> Mike Stauss <jameselcoco@hotmail.com>
>

I suggest your friend studies the first chapter of "Despair", where examples
of "supine" and "prone" (used of Felix), though not "prostrate", are found.
Brian Boyd is obviously right that VN was a master of English who would not
muddle the uses of these three words.

Anthony Stadlen

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