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- THE ENABLE LIST: AN INTRODUCTION\r
- ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ\r
-\r
-\r
-Mendel has asked me to write a few words on my perspectives on the \r
-production and validation of the ENABLE list. So here they are. Note that my \r
-contribution to this work began at the point at which the words of more than \r
-eight letters (for which MW10 was the only source) were added to the list. \r
-Thus the emphasis on MW10 in what follows. I should also note that my \r
-comments apply specifically to the ENABLE list with the "signature words" \r
-removed. While I understand the reasons for the inclusion of signature words \r
-(and indeed, contributed to their selection), I consider the list without \r
-signatures to be the base or primary version. It is certainly the only form \r
-of the list subject to objective evaluation. \r
-\r
-The most important thing to understand about the ENABLE list is what sort of \r
-thing it is. Do not criticise the list on the grounds of common sense, \r
-linguistic erudition, or references other than MW10. ENABLE is not a work of \r
-scholarship: rather, it is a work of scriptural exegesis. Its perspective is \r
-that the god Merweb (also called Mahweh) has given us a holy book referred \r
-to as MW10, which its devotees are required to take literally. Like all \r
-useful holy books, it is upon occasion obscure, incomplete and at odds with \r
-what we call mundane reality. Our job is to extract from this book a subset \r
-of its lexicon, according to certain rules, without going beyond the bounds \r
-of legitimate interpretation. Because it pleased Him to do so, Merweb failed \r
-to include in His revelation certain information necessary for this task, \r
-namely, consistent information about inflections and, for certain sets of \r
-words, parts of speech. In order to obtain this information, it has been \r
-necessary to consult with other interpreters of the tradition, such as the \r
-Hasbro CD-ROM, and, in extremis, the holy writings of other Peoples of the \r
-Book, notably the scriptures of the gods Ahweb, Rahweb and Webnew. Such \r
-consultations have been performed with care; when the letter of MW10 was \r
-inadequate, we at least attempted to remain true to its spirit and discover \r
-that which Merweb would have revealed to us, had He not in His wisdom \r
-decided to challenge us with a Mystery or two. \r
-\r
-There was also an issue here which does not occur with most Scriptures, \r
-which is that the revelation of Merweb is a continuing revelation. Since it \r
-is impossible for any mortal to accurately prophesy the future revelations \r
-of a divinity, of necessity we have had to be content with using the most \r
-current available texts. We have especially taken note of the new TWL98 \r
-revelation; as the most recent addition to the canon, its contents and its \r
-implications have great importance, and have significantly affected the \r
-final version of ENABLE. (Note that sinners such as ourselves have not been \r
-allowed to see the actual text of TWL98, lest it consume us utterly. We are \r
-relying on second-hand reports of its contents, which appear adequate for \r
-our purposes.) As Merweb continues to refine His Word(s), the ENABLE list \r
-will gradually become less and less reliable. We are forced to accept this \r
-limitation, but are cheered by the expectation that ENABLE will be succeeded \r
-by another more worthy (and more wordy) compilation before it becomes \r
-entirely useless. \r
-\r
-To give a simple example of the literalism required in the compilation of \r
-ENABLE, MW10 states that "oxymora" is the only acceptable plural of \r
-"oxymoron". Other traditions disagree, and the compilers of this list \r
-themselves would not be caught dead saying "oxymora"; nevertheless, the \r
-burden of literalism mandates that "oxymorons" not be accepted, even though \r
-no one can doubt that it is the plural most commonly used by unbelievers. \r
-(For the record, it should be noted that, even though their work is perhaps \r
-most valuable for those whose faith in the perfection of the Merwebian \r
-revelation is unshakable, the compilers of the ENABLE list consider \r
-themselves students of comparative religion, and profess no faith in \r
-Merwebian dogma themselves.) \r
-\r
-Here is another example of the difficulties of interpreting MW10, in this \r
-case an issue on which the interpreters were unable to agree. Consider the \r
-word "omphaloskepsis". Meditate on it in the lotus position. An important \r
-and unique revelation of Merweb is that all singular nouns have plurals \r
-(even words like "contraoctave" and "ogham" which would seem to admit of \r
-*no* sensible plural). What, then, is the Merwebian plural of \r
-"omphaloskepsis"? MW10 does not show a plural, but Merweb answers many such \r
-questions indirectly, as described in the "Inflected Forms" portion of the \r
-MW10 Explanatory Notes. "omphaloskepsis" ends in -sis, so perhaps the \r
-statement that the plural of -sis is -ses applies. However, "omphaloskepsis" \r
-also ends in "skepsis", which is itself listed in MW10, without an explicit \r
-plural. Now the secondary sources come into play. "skepsis" is listed in \r
-OSPD (the Omnibus Scriptures of Pedantic Deities), a syncretistic work \r
-combining the revelations of Merweb with those of the other deities listed \r
-above, as well as the ancient and almost forgotten god Funkwag. OSPD states, \r
-without equivocation, that the only plural of "skepsis" is "skepsises", \r
-implying the similar form "omphaloskepsises". Other consultations were made: \r
-the Hasbro compilation accepts the form "omphaloskepses", and does not speak \r
-to "omphaloskepsises", since this hexadecagrammaton is outside the \r
-boundaries to which that compendium is restricted. The ENABLE compilers were \r
-unable to agree on the resolution of this conundrum. Mendel holds that \r
-Merweb could hardly have been so silly as to imply the existence of \r
-"omphaloskepsises", while I myself hold that if Merweb had wished us to \r
-accept "omphaloskepses", He would have so annotated either the entry for \r
-"omphaloskepsis" or the OSPD entry for "skepsis", lest He otherwise violate \r
-His own commandments and lead His disciples into confusion. Because the \r
-ENABLE list is intended to be used in circumstances where allowing each \r
-believer his or her own interpretation is infeasible, it was necessary to \r
-make a decision (and therefore, let all know that the plural *is* \r
-"omphaloskepses"); however, users of ENABLE should be aware that such \r
-choices were made, and we can only pray that the God was with us and \r
-moved us to choose correctly.\r
-\r
-Finally, I note that whenever Scriptural literalism is discussed some \r
-smart aleck is likely to bring up an error so egregious as to seemingly cast \r
-doubt on any reliance whatever on the authority of the work in question. For \r
-instance, a liberal Christian may challenge his Fundamentalist brethren by \r
-bringing up the passage in I Kings which implies that the value of pi is 3. \r
-I will bring up a similar case here, in order to illustrate how such \r
-objections may be disposed of. In its list of words beginning with the \r
-prefix co-, MW10 includes the apparently nonsensical word "coresidenttial". \r
-Does Merweb actually expect us to believe in this word, especially when the \r
-implied "residenttial" is not listed? Of course not. This is a human error \r
-in reducing the ineffable revelation to printed form, and of no more \r
-substance than the 17th century Bible which omitted the word "not" from the \r
-Seventh Commandment. We know better than to think that adultery is a moral \r
-requirement, and similarly, we know better than to attempt to play \r
-"coresidenttial" in a serious game of Scrabble (tm), no matter how great the \r
-temptation. (Some of us have been known, admittedly, to play it in our \r
-hearts, where it always falls on a triple-word score.) \r
-\r
-In short, our faith in the essential truth of the Merwebian corpus allows us \r
-to detect and overcome the insignificant errors which have occasionally \r
-crept in due to the God's necessary use of fallible man to bring His \r
-revelation to the world. Like previous interpreters of the tradition, we \r
-have no doubt that we have occasionally stumbled ourselves, but we also feel \r
-sure that any such missteps will be discovered in their turn, and all to the \r
-greater glory of Merweb and the marvelous language of which He is still the \r
-foremost avatar. \r
-\r
-\r
-ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ\r
-\r
-Scrabble is a trademark of the Milton Bradley Co., Inc. Forever and ever. \r
-Amen. \r
-\r
-\r
-\r
-\r
----Alan Beale\r
projects / deb_pkgs / scowl.git / blobdiff