Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0003675, Wed, 3 Feb 1999 15:38:21 -0800

Subject
Luzhin's gralitsa vs granitsa (fwd)
Date
Body

May be we should explain that GRALITSA tenderly comes from "igrat'" - "to
play"; a sparkling play of a moonlight on water. In the same way Russian
"pryalitsa" (distaff) origins from "pryast'" - to spin.
-----Hqundmne qnnayemhe-----

Jnls: NABOKV-L@UCSBVM.UCSB.EDU <NABOKV-L@UCSBVM.UCSB.EDU>
D`r`: 3 tebp`k 1999 c. 21:36
Rel`: Luzhin's gralitsa vs granitsa


>----
>
>The word is, of course, gralitsa (stress on the first "a") "granitsa" is
>a silly mistake made by illiterary pirates who bring forth tons of Nabokov
>editions in the Territory. It means a pillar of sunlight or moonlight
>reflected on the surface of a sea, especially the White Sea. The term is
>northern Russian, and Nabokov lifted it from Dal' unrivaled lexicon, 3rd
>edition, which VN had on his desk while composing Luzhin's Defence (see the
>photograph of February 27, 1929, in Speak Memory).
>
>GB
>