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 Gorean NumbersThis is my narrative and relevant references from the Books where Gorean Numbers are mentioned. I make no pronouncements on these matters, but report them as I find them. Arrive at your own conclusions. I wish you well, Fogaban This page is dedicated to Lady Moon of Ort So, the question is, are there Gorean words for numbers? In other words, what is the Gorean word for "one" and "first" or "two" and "second" and so on?
Some might reason that "En" is Gorean for "first" and that "Se" is Gorean for "second" based upon the names of the four great fairs. We know the names of the four Great Fairs are: The Fair of En'Kara The Fair of En'Var The Fair of Se'Kara The Fair of Se'Var based on this quote: And then, using these quotes, one might reason "En"="first" and "Se"="second". See? En'Var means First Resting and Se'Var means Second Resting Logical conclusion? En = First and Var = Resting Se = Second and Var = Resting Alright, I agree and I am the first to encourage reasoning on what the books show us. So, while we're reasoning on this, bear with me while I take this a step further. Read this quote carefully: If En = First, why didn't Tarl say "occurs on the En of Se'Var"? Wouldn't this be the perfect place to expound on how En=First and Se=Second? We're all familiar with John Norman's penitent for interrupting the story and going off on a tangent. Let's look at a few other perfect opportunities to explain the Gorean words for one/first, two/second, three/third and so on. (see more quotes below in the Supporting References section) So, no, based on the overall theme of the series, there is no usable evidence of any reference to the Gorean equivalent of 'one / first' or 'two / second'. What about actual number characters, like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on? On Gor, are these written as 1, 2, 3 and so on or are the characters in Gorean script? It sure seems there are Gorean script characters for numbers.
Notice this quote. If the number had been written in 'English', Doreen would have been able to read it.
Notice, she adds "in Gorean".
Janice, being from Earth, could not read Gorean. Hence the numbers must have been written in a Gorean script.
This girl knows it was a number but she was unfamiliar with the script.
And finally, we this quote which says "a number clearly inscribed in Gorean".
No doubt about it, Gorean numbers have their own unique Gorean characters, in Gorean script. We simply have no evidence of what Gorean number characters look like. "I am Mul-Al-Ka," said one, "honored slave of the glorious Priest-Kings. "I am Mul-Ba-Ta," said the other, "honored slave of the glorious Priest-Kings." "In the Nest," said Misk, "the expression 'Mul' is used to designate a human slave." I nodded. The rest of it I did not need to be told. The expressions 'Al-Ka' and 'Ba-Ta' are the first two letters of the Gorean alphabet. In effect these men had no names, but were simply known as Slave A and Slave B. I turned to Sarm. "I assume," I said, "you have more than twenty-eight human slaves." There were twenty-eight characters in the Gorean alphabet. I had intended my remark to be rather vicious but Sarm took no offense. "Others are numbered," he said. "When one dies or is destroyed, his number is assigned to another." "Some of the low numbers," volunteered Misk, "have been assigned as many as a thousand times." "Why do these slaves not have numbers?" I asked. "They are special," said Misk. "It was a slave collar," I said. "But the engraving was large and very plain," he said. "Did you not read it?" asked Mul-Ba-Ta. "No," I said irritably, "I did not." "It was the numeral '708'," said Mul-Al-Ka. I started and did not speak. 708 had been the number of Vika's collar. There was now a new slave for her chamber. What did this mean? "Also," said Cernus, "it is understood by me that you picked up one of my girls on the street." I tensed slightly, my hand dropping to the hilt of the short sword. "What was her number?" Cernus was asking Caprus, who stood near him. "74673," said the Scribe. Targo's wagons, now in the number of sixteen, the additional wagons and teams purchased in Laura, were scattered about at various distances from the compound, forming, in groups of twos and threes, small, isolated camps for the guards. The Spring Equinox, incidentally, is also used for the New Year by the Rune-Priests of the North, who keep the calendars of Torvaldsland. They number years from the time of Thor's gift of the stream of Torvald to Torvald, legendary hero and founder of the northern fatherlands. In the calendars of the Rune-Priests the year was 1,006. Kurii use, I understand, a base-twelve mathematics. "What was your number in the pens of Tor?" asked Samos. "87432," she said, "Master." The sales number is not in Gorean. The wrist ring size and ankle ring size are not in Gorean measurements. About my neck I wore a light chain, locked. From it depended an oval disk. On this disk was a number, my lot number, or sales number. Sucha, who could read, told me it was 128. She had been 124. "She is Girl 128," he said to the crowd. From an assistant he took a board, with rings and papers. He read from that paper which was now first upon the board, others being loose and thrown back. "128," he said, reading irritably, "is brown haired and brown eyed. She is 51 horts in height. Her weight is 29 stones. Her block measurements, certified, are 22 horts, 16 horts, 22 horts. She will take a number-two wrist ring and a number-two ankle ring. Her collar size is ten horts. I take a number-two wrist ring and a number-two ankle ring. These run in separate series, the ankle rings being larger, of course, than the wrist rings. It is regarded as desirable in a slave that she takes the same number wrist and ankle ring, this suggesting a delicious symmetry. There are four numbers in the series; one is regarded as small, two and three as normal, and four as large. I could not slip a four ankle ring, of course; I could slip a four wrist ring, if it were set at four; most such wrist and ankle rings, however, are adjustable to 1, 2, 3 or 4. Thus, they, like slave bracelets, lock to the perfect holding point on each girl. There were varieties of ring locks. This one was a combination padlock, in which numbers, inscribed on rotating metal disks, fitted together, are to be properly aligned, this permitting the free extraction of the bolt. This, as is the case with most single-alignment ring locks, was not a high-security lock. The materials in the box, I was confident, would not be of great value. The numbers on the lock were in Gorean. "Come around to the side of the table and kneel here," he said. I did so. He then bent over and, cupping his left hand under my left breast, held it steady and, with a grease pencil, across it, above the nipple, inscribed four characters. "That is your mill number, Tiffany," he said, "four thousand and seventy-three." On the upper portion of my left breast something was written, inscribed there with a grease pencil. I had heard that it was the number "89." I could not read it. It was my lot number. "Who is he?" I asked. "Curiosity is not becoming in a kajira," he said. "Forgive me, Master," I said. "He is "41,"" he said. "The prisoners in this corridor are referred to only by numbers." |
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