Names of Characters in Foreign Editions.

[Tonyblack]

In the book Mort, the character is indeed called Mortimer, which gets shortened to Mort. There's a bit when Death and Mort first meet:

WHAT IS YOUR NAME?
'Uh,' said Mort, 'Mortimer ... sir. They call me Mort.'
WHAT A COINCIDENCE

Death is acknowledging that in some languages he is known as Mort, or in countries where words have sex - Morte.

 

[Cheery]

Oui! Il est morte. Means "He is dead".

Doesn't just "Mort" mean death? That would be a bit of a problem in the french edition

 

[Cheery]

Speaking of the meaning of names: did you know "Detritus" means "rubbish" in latin?

Poor guy!

 

[Tonyblack]

Speaking of the meaning of names: did you know "Detritus" means "rubbish" in latin?

Poor guy!

It used in English too.

 

[theoldlibrarian]

Speaking of the meaning of names: did you know "Detritus" means "rubbish" in latin?

Poor guy!

It used in English too.

I would thought it was closer to rubble or wreckage

 

[Doughnut Jimmy]

Speaking of the meaning of names: did you know "Detritus" means "rubbish" in latin?

Poor guy!

It used in English too.

I would thought it was closer to rubble or wreckage

I think it can mean any waste or left over material :

 

[Tonyblack]

Like all of Terry's troll characters, there's a geological connection. Detritus is usually used as a geological term - but it can also mean waste meterial - in that sense, 'rubbish' would fit.

 

[Sjoerd3000]

In the Dutch editions he has a very odd name Gneisbaard. Baard means Beard

 

[Tonyblack]

But Gneiss is a type of rock.

 

[Sjoerd3000]

Is it? learnt something new today But Detritus doesn't have a beard So that's still odd!

 

[Tonyblack]

Is it? learnt something new today But Detritus doesn't have a beard So that's still odd!

Show me where, in the text of the books, it says that Detritus doesn't have a beard.

 

[bikkit]

carrot is morkov in russian.
Vimes is vimes
colon- Kolon
anga- anguva

 

[Sjoerd3000]

Is it? learnt something new today But Detritus doesn't have a beard So that's still odd!

Show me where, in the text of the books, it says that Detritus doesn't have a beard.

1. Men at Arms cover

Note that Detritus has no beard
2. Some picture from Lspace

No beard again
3. Picture from Paul Kidby

No beard

 

[Tonyblack]

Show me where, in the text of the books, it says that Detritus doesn't have a beard.

That's just artists' representations of what they think a troll looks like. Notice how very different Josh and Paul have drawn their trolls.

 

[Sjoerd3000]

Yes but with no beards

 

[Jan Van Quirm]

I always think Paul's trolls are related to Gorillas - or even Orangs (or with that long muzzle-like chin, the Barbary Apes that live on the Rock of Gibraltar )

It's the long arms of course...

 

[Cheery]

I draw them like that. sort of.

And it says in the books that detritus drags his knuckles along the floor, which means long arms.

 

[Jan Van Quirm]

That's right Cheery, but I think that physical attribute didn't start until Men At Arms - or maybe Moving Pictures, as that's the first one Detritus had a featured cameo role and first met Ruby of course. The other trolls in that were fairly smart and mostly did stunt work, though Rock and Flint were aspiring to bit parts...

I think one of the first things that Terry wrote about Detritus and Ruby as a couple was how dopey Detritus was when Ruby said he should be bringing her pretty oo-grah meaning flowers and he obediently went and got her a whole tree though it wasn't completely down to him as oo-grah just means any leafy plant So the inference of dragging knuckles is there in spirit

 

[Tonyblack]

Detrtus was in Guards! Guards! He worked as a 'splatter' (like a bouncer only trolls use more force) in the Mended Drum. Carrot gets into a fight with him.

 

[Sjoerd3000]

Detrtus was in Guards! Guards! He worked as a 'splatter' (like a bouncer only trolls use more force) in the Mended Drum. Carrot gets into a fight with him.

Yes and knocks him out