Meaning/translation of title “The Light Fantastic” By Terry PratchettTranslation: Why are parts of the original language kept?Meaning of the title “They Shoot Horses, Don't They?”Who are the Mephistophelians?Why does the Czech translation of “Till we have faces” mean the opposite?Does translation take away from the meaning of verse and poetry?Does a translation editor need to know the language of the source document?What is the literary effect of dropping articles from titles?Protagonist's comments on his student's essay in 'The Professor' by Charlotte BrontëWhy did Arthur Waley change the title in his translation of Journey to the West?

I'm made of obsolete parts

Can something have more sugar per 100g than the percentage of sugar that's in it?

This fell out of my toilet when I unscrewed the supply line. What is it?

How to print all EmailTemplate component names using SFDX CLI?

What is /dev/null and why can't I use hx on it?

Why didn't Snape ask Dumbledore why he let "Moody" search his office?

Why didn't Trudy wear a breathing mask in Avatar?

Determine the Winner of a Game of Australian Football

What benefits are there to blocking most search engines?

A goat is tied to the corner of a shed

What does this superscript on HypergeometricPFQ mean?

Find the number for the question mark

What are the most important factors in determining how fast technology progresses?

What's the difference between motherboard and chassis?

In 1700s, why was 'books that never read' grammatical?

Who became a professor?

Minimum perfect squares needed to sum up to a target

What kind of nut is this

Power Adapter for Traveling to Scotland (I live in the US)

Is there a penalty for switching targets?

What is the difference between bytecode, init code, deployed bytedcode, creation bytecode, and runtime bytecode?

How slow was the 6502 BASIC compared to Assembly

Venn diagrams show + - = underneath

Is cloning illegal in the Star Trek: TNG continuity?



Meaning/translation of title “The Light Fantastic” By Terry Pratchett


Translation: Why are parts of the original language kept?Meaning of the title “They Shoot Horses, Don't They?”Who are the Mephistophelians?Why does the Czech translation of “Till we have faces” mean the opposite?Does translation take away from the meaning of verse and poetry?Does a translation editor need to know the language of the source document?What is the literary effect of dropping articles from titles?Protagonist's comments on his student's essay in 'The Professor' by Charlotte BrontëWhy did Arthur Waley change the title in his translation of Journey to the West?






.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty
margin-bottom:0;

.everyonelovesstackoverflowposition:absolute;height:1px;width:1px;opacity:0;top:0;left:0;pointer-events:none;








12















I have read The Light Fantastic By Terry Pratchett in English and always interpreted title as "The Fantastic(adjective) light(noun)". Mostly because I do not see "Fantastic" as noun. To my surprise the localized (Slovak) version has title "Ľahká fantastika" translatable as "The Light(adjective) Fantastic(noun)", "Easy fiction" or "The Lightweight Fiction".



Is "The Light(adjective) Fantastic(noun)" correct meaning/translation of title? If yes, does "Fantastic(noun)" here mean fiction?



Investigating this only made me more confused:



Reading the wikipedia page, title of the book is quote from "L'Allegro" by John Milton, but there it is used like this:




Come, and trip it, as you go,
On the light fantastic toe; And in thy
right hand lead with thee




So there it is used as "The Light(adjective) Fantastic(adjective)"?.



Definition for "Fantastic(noun)" yields "A fanciful or whimsical person." so this could refer to one of MCs of the book (Rincewind?).
I hope this fits here better than English SE.










share|improve this question









New contributor



Piro is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 1





    I think this is a triple pun by Pratchett. 1: The light (adj, humorous, not serious) fantastic (noun, speculative fiction). 2: The light (noun, illumination) fantastic (adj. magical). 3: as in Milton. But I agree that (2) is the meaning they should have picked for the translation.

    – Peter Shor
    10 hours ago


















12















I have read The Light Fantastic By Terry Pratchett in English and always interpreted title as "The Fantastic(adjective) light(noun)". Mostly because I do not see "Fantastic" as noun. To my surprise the localized (Slovak) version has title "Ľahká fantastika" translatable as "The Light(adjective) Fantastic(noun)", "Easy fiction" or "The Lightweight Fiction".



Is "The Light(adjective) Fantastic(noun)" correct meaning/translation of title? If yes, does "Fantastic(noun)" here mean fiction?



Investigating this only made me more confused:



Reading the wikipedia page, title of the book is quote from "L'Allegro" by John Milton, but there it is used like this:




Come, and trip it, as you go,
On the light fantastic toe; And in thy
right hand lead with thee




So there it is used as "The Light(adjective) Fantastic(adjective)"?.



Definition for "Fantastic(noun)" yields "A fanciful or whimsical person." so this could refer to one of MCs of the book (Rincewind?).
I hope this fits here better than English SE.










share|improve this question









New contributor



Piro is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 1





    I think this is a triple pun by Pratchett. 1: The light (adj, humorous, not serious) fantastic (noun, speculative fiction). 2: The light (noun, illumination) fantastic (adj. magical). 3: as in Milton. But I agree that (2) is the meaning they should have picked for the translation.

    – Peter Shor
    10 hours ago














12












12








12


1






I have read The Light Fantastic By Terry Pratchett in English and always interpreted title as "The Fantastic(adjective) light(noun)". Mostly because I do not see "Fantastic" as noun. To my surprise the localized (Slovak) version has title "Ľahká fantastika" translatable as "The Light(adjective) Fantastic(noun)", "Easy fiction" or "The Lightweight Fiction".



Is "The Light(adjective) Fantastic(noun)" correct meaning/translation of title? If yes, does "Fantastic(noun)" here mean fiction?



Investigating this only made me more confused:



Reading the wikipedia page, title of the book is quote from "L'Allegro" by John Milton, but there it is used like this:




Come, and trip it, as you go,
On the light fantastic toe; And in thy
right hand lead with thee




So there it is used as "The Light(adjective) Fantastic(adjective)"?.



Definition for "Fantastic(noun)" yields "A fanciful or whimsical person." so this could refer to one of MCs of the book (Rincewind?).
I hope this fits here better than English SE.










share|improve this question









New contributor



Piro is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











I have read The Light Fantastic By Terry Pratchett in English and always interpreted title as "The Fantastic(adjective) light(noun)". Mostly because I do not see "Fantastic" as noun. To my surprise the localized (Slovak) version has title "Ľahká fantastika" translatable as "The Light(adjective) Fantastic(noun)", "Easy fiction" or "The Lightweight Fiction".



Is "The Light(adjective) Fantastic(noun)" correct meaning/translation of title? If yes, does "Fantastic(noun)" here mean fiction?



Investigating this only made me more confused:



Reading the wikipedia page, title of the book is quote from "L'Allegro" by John Milton, but there it is used like this:




Come, and trip it, as you go,
On the light fantastic toe; And in thy
right hand lead with thee




So there it is used as "The Light(adjective) Fantastic(adjective)"?.



Definition for "Fantastic(noun)" yields "A fanciful or whimsical person." so this could refer to one of MCs of the book (Rincewind?).
I hope this fits here better than English SE.







meaning translation title terry-pratchett






share|improve this question









New contributor



Piro is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.










share|improve this question









New contributor



Piro is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.








share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 1 hour ago









Sean

1031 gold badge1 silver badge4 bronze badges




1031 gold badge1 silver badge4 bronze badges






New contributor



Piro is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.








asked 23 hours ago









PiroPiro

1636 bronze badges




1636 bronze badges




New contributor



Piro is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.




New contributor




Piro is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.












  • 1





    I think this is a triple pun by Pratchett. 1: The light (adj, humorous, not serious) fantastic (noun, speculative fiction). 2: The light (noun, illumination) fantastic (adj. magical). 3: as in Milton. But I agree that (2) is the meaning they should have picked for the translation.

    – Peter Shor
    10 hours ago













  • 1





    I think this is a triple pun by Pratchett. 1: The light (adj, humorous, not serious) fantastic (noun, speculative fiction). 2: The light (noun, illumination) fantastic (adj. magical). 3: as in Milton. But I agree that (2) is the meaning they should have picked for the translation.

    – Peter Shor
    10 hours ago








1




1





I think this is a triple pun by Pratchett. 1: The light (adj, humorous, not serious) fantastic (noun, speculative fiction). 2: The light (noun, illumination) fantastic (adj. magical). 3: as in Milton. But I agree that (2) is the meaning they should have picked for the translation.

– Peter Shor
10 hours ago






I think this is a triple pun by Pratchett. 1: The light (adj, humorous, not serious) fantastic (noun, speculative fiction). 2: The light (noun, illumination) fantastic (adj. magical). 3: as in Milton. But I agree that (2) is the meaning they should have picked for the translation.

– Peter Shor
10 hours ago











4 Answers
4






active

oldest

votes


















3
















In-universe the "light fantastic" is an actual, factual thing.




There was no real need for the torches. The Octavo filled the room with a dull, sullen light, which wasn’t strictly light at all but the opposite of light; darkness isn’t the opposite of light, it is simply its absence, and what was radiating from the book was the light that lies on the far side of darkness, the light fantastic.



It was a rather disappointing purple color.



The Light Fantastic




Pratchett, in the Discworld Companion notes that this is not to be confused with Octarine (which is the "Colour of Magic") and splits from ordinary light.




Light, nature of.



Meta-light is almost an idea rather than a phenomenon. It is the light by which darkness can be seen, and therefore is always available, everywhere. If it didn’t exist, darkness could not be visible. It is widely used in the film industry for shots in caves and mines.



...



The light fantastic is perhaps best evidenced by the dull, sullen light which fills the room where the OCTAVO is kept. Not strictly light at all but the opposite of light. Darkness is not the opposite of light, it is simply its absence. The light fantastic is the light that lies on the far side of darkness.



Ordinary light passing through a strong magical field is split into not seven but eight colours, and the eighth – OCTARINE – is generally associated with things magical. It can be described in terms of other colours about as readily as red can be described in terms of green, yellow and blue, but if some description is really insisted on then octarine is a rather disappointing greeny-purple-yellow colour.



As far as can be determined, there are now four distinct types of
light on the Disc. For the sake of discussion they could be called
common light, meta-light, dark light and ‘the light fantastic’.







share|improve this answer


































    11
















    It is a punning reference to the phrase ‘trip the light fantastic’, which means (per The Phrase Finder)




    To dance, especially in an imaginative or 'fantastic' manner.




    The phrase seems to arise from the works of Milton, in Comus he wrote, as you have already seen,




    Come, knit hands, and beat the ground,
    In a light fantastic round.




    And in L’Allegro




    Come, and trip it as you go
    On the light fantastic toe.




    Later, in 1894, as cited in Wikipedia, Clarke’s B Lawlor and James W Blake included the lines




    Boys and girls together, me and Mamie O'Rourke

    Tripped the light fantastic

    On the sidewalks of New York.




    So, as summarised by WordOrigins.com




    It is not light that is fantastic, but rather the toe or dance step. Both trip and light refer to the movement of the feet.




    And this is where the pun comes in, Pratchett uses the phrase to refer to actual ‘light’ that is ‘fantastic’. In this sense it is both the light cast by the red star and the star itself which can be referred to as the ‘fantastic light.’



    The translated title's doubled meaning is therefore a fortuitous co-incidence which preserves the spirit of the original punning reference and is an example of how good translation goes beyond the mere literal substitution of words.






    share|improve this answer


































      6
















      The light that Pratchett refers to is Octarine.



      This is defined in the Discworld books as the eighth colour of the spectrum and the colour of magic. "The Colour Of Magic" itself being a title of another book in the series.



      This is fantastic because its existence is part of the Discworld fantasy universe. Pratchett is very fond of such puns and allusions in his work.



      So the Light Fantastic is indeed noun - adjective, a poetic syntax.






      share|improve this answer




















      • 1





        This is, alas, incorrect. The light fantastic is not Octarine.

        – Valorum
        13 hours ago






      • 1





        Can you substantiate that comment @Valorum? It would be helpful if you did.

        – Francis Davey
        6 hours ago






      • 2





        @FrancisDavey - If you glance a few inches that way ↓↓ , you'll find proof directly from Pratchett's own fair hand. Octarine splits from "common light" but the light fantastic is the opposite of light.

        – Valorum
        6 hours ago



















      0
















      And to add yet another facet: "light" as a distinctive qualifier is used in military, such as in the famous "The Charge of the Light Brigade" poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson or "Leichte Kavallerie" (light cavalry), an obscure operette by Franz von Suppé about a dance troup that is these days only known because of its world famous ouverture. So "The Light Fantastic" can also allude to an agile form of fantasy.






      share|improve this answer


























        Your Answer








        StackExchange.ready(function()
        var channelOptions =
        tags: "".split(" "),
        id: "668"
        ;
        initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

        StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
        // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
        if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
        StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
        createEditor();
        );

        else
        createEditor();

        );

        function createEditor()
        StackExchange.prepareEditor(
        heartbeatType: 'answer',
        autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
        convertImagesToLinks: false,
        noModals: true,
        showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
        reputationToPostImages: null,
        bindNavPrevention: true,
        postfix: "",
        imageUploader:
        brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
        contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"u003ecc by-sa 4.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
        allowUrls: true
        ,
        noCode: true, onDemand: true,
        discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
        ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
        );



        );







        Piro is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.









        draft saved

        draft discarded
















        StackExchange.ready(
        function ()
        StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fliterature.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f11771%2fmeaning-translation-of-title-the-light-fantastic-by-terry-pratchett%23new-answer', 'question_page');

        );

        Post as a guest















        Required, but never shown

























        4 Answers
        4






        active

        oldest

        votes








        4 Answers
        4






        active

        oldest

        votes









        active

        oldest

        votes






        active

        oldest

        votes









        3
















        In-universe the "light fantastic" is an actual, factual thing.




        There was no real need for the torches. The Octavo filled the room with a dull, sullen light, which wasn’t strictly light at all but the opposite of light; darkness isn’t the opposite of light, it is simply its absence, and what was radiating from the book was the light that lies on the far side of darkness, the light fantastic.



        It was a rather disappointing purple color.



        The Light Fantastic




        Pratchett, in the Discworld Companion notes that this is not to be confused with Octarine (which is the "Colour of Magic") and splits from ordinary light.




        Light, nature of.



        Meta-light is almost an idea rather than a phenomenon. It is the light by which darkness can be seen, and therefore is always available, everywhere. If it didn’t exist, darkness could not be visible. It is widely used in the film industry for shots in caves and mines.



        ...



        The light fantastic is perhaps best evidenced by the dull, sullen light which fills the room where the OCTAVO is kept. Not strictly light at all but the opposite of light. Darkness is not the opposite of light, it is simply its absence. The light fantastic is the light that lies on the far side of darkness.



        Ordinary light passing through a strong magical field is split into not seven but eight colours, and the eighth – OCTARINE – is generally associated with things magical. It can be described in terms of other colours about as readily as red can be described in terms of green, yellow and blue, but if some description is really insisted on then octarine is a rather disappointing greeny-purple-yellow colour.



        As far as can be determined, there are now four distinct types of
        light on the Disc. For the sake of discussion they could be called
        common light, meta-light, dark light and ‘the light fantastic’.







        share|improve this answer































          3
















          In-universe the "light fantastic" is an actual, factual thing.




          There was no real need for the torches. The Octavo filled the room with a dull, sullen light, which wasn’t strictly light at all but the opposite of light; darkness isn’t the opposite of light, it is simply its absence, and what was radiating from the book was the light that lies on the far side of darkness, the light fantastic.



          It was a rather disappointing purple color.



          The Light Fantastic




          Pratchett, in the Discworld Companion notes that this is not to be confused with Octarine (which is the "Colour of Magic") and splits from ordinary light.




          Light, nature of.



          Meta-light is almost an idea rather than a phenomenon. It is the light by which darkness can be seen, and therefore is always available, everywhere. If it didn’t exist, darkness could not be visible. It is widely used in the film industry for shots in caves and mines.



          ...



          The light fantastic is perhaps best evidenced by the dull, sullen light which fills the room where the OCTAVO is kept. Not strictly light at all but the opposite of light. Darkness is not the opposite of light, it is simply its absence. The light fantastic is the light that lies on the far side of darkness.



          Ordinary light passing through a strong magical field is split into not seven but eight colours, and the eighth – OCTARINE – is generally associated with things magical. It can be described in terms of other colours about as readily as red can be described in terms of green, yellow and blue, but if some description is really insisted on then octarine is a rather disappointing greeny-purple-yellow colour.



          As far as can be determined, there are now four distinct types of
          light on the Disc. For the sake of discussion they could be called
          common light, meta-light, dark light and ‘the light fantastic’.







          share|improve this answer





























            3














            3










            3









            In-universe the "light fantastic" is an actual, factual thing.




            There was no real need for the torches. The Octavo filled the room with a dull, sullen light, which wasn’t strictly light at all but the opposite of light; darkness isn’t the opposite of light, it is simply its absence, and what was radiating from the book was the light that lies on the far side of darkness, the light fantastic.



            It was a rather disappointing purple color.



            The Light Fantastic




            Pratchett, in the Discworld Companion notes that this is not to be confused with Octarine (which is the "Colour of Magic") and splits from ordinary light.




            Light, nature of.



            Meta-light is almost an idea rather than a phenomenon. It is the light by which darkness can be seen, and therefore is always available, everywhere. If it didn’t exist, darkness could not be visible. It is widely used in the film industry for shots in caves and mines.



            ...



            The light fantastic is perhaps best evidenced by the dull, sullen light which fills the room where the OCTAVO is kept. Not strictly light at all but the opposite of light. Darkness is not the opposite of light, it is simply its absence. The light fantastic is the light that lies on the far side of darkness.



            Ordinary light passing through a strong magical field is split into not seven but eight colours, and the eighth – OCTARINE – is generally associated with things magical. It can be described in terms of other colours about as readily as red can be described in terms of green, yellow and blue, but if some description is really insisted on then octarine is a rather disappointing greeny-purple-yellow colour.



            As far as can be determined, there are now four distinct types of
            light on the Disc. For the sake of discussion they could be called
            common light, meta-light, dark light and ‘the light fantastic’.







            share|improve this answer















            In-universe the "light fantastic" is an actual, factual thing.




            There was no real need for the torches. The Octavo filled the room with a dull, sullen light, which wasn’t strictly light at all but the opposite of light; darkness isn’t the opposite of light, it is simply its absence, and what was radiating from the book was the light that lies on the far side of darkness, the light fantastic.



            It was a rather disappointing purple color.



            The Light Fantastic




            Pratchett, in the Discworld Companion notes that this is not to be confused with Octarine (which is the "Colour of Magic") and splits from ordinary light.




            Light, nature of.



            Meta-light is almost an idea rather than a phenomenon. It is the light by which darkness can be seen, and therefore is always available, everywhere. If it didn’t exist, darkness could not be visible. It is widely used in the film industry for shots in caves and mines.



            ...



            The light fantastic is perhaps best evidenced by the dull, sullen light which fills the room where the OCTAVO is kept. Not strictly light at all but the opposite of light. Darkness is not the opposite of light, it is simply its absence. The light fantastic is the light that lies on the far side of darkness.



            Ordinary light passing through a strong magical field is split into not seven but eight colours, and the eighth – OCTARINE – is generally associated with things magical. It can be described in terms of other colours about as readily as red can be described in terms of green, yellow and blue, but if some description is really insisted on then octarine is a rather disappointing greeny-purple-yellow colour.



            As far as can be determined, there are now four distinct types of
            light on the Disc. For the sake of discussion they could be called
            common light, meta-light, dark light and ‘the light fantastic’.








            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited 6 hours ago

























            answered 13 hours ago









            ValorumValorum

            2,62711 silver badges17 bronze badges




            2,62711 silver badges17 bronze badges


























                11
















                It is a punning reference to the phrase ‘trip the light fantastic’, which means (per The Phrase Finder)




                To dance, especially in an imaginative or 'fantastic' manner.




                The phrase seems to arise from the works of Milton, in Comus he wrote, as you have already seen,




                Come, knit hands, and beat the ground,
                In a light fantastic round.




                And in L’Allegro




                Come, and trip it as you go
                On the light fantastic toe.




                Later, in 1894, as cited in Wikipedia, Clarke’s B Lawlor and James W Blake included the lines




                Boys and girls together, me and Mamie O'Rourke

                Tripped the light fantastic

                On the sidewalks of New York.




                So, as summarised by WordOrigins.com




                It is not light that is fantastic, but rather the toe or dance step. Both trip and light refer to the movement of the feet.




                And this is where the pun comes in, Pratchett uses the phrase to refer to actual ‘light’ that is ‘fantastic’. In this sense it is both the light cast by the red star and the star itself which can be referred to as the ‘fantastic light.’



                The translated title's doubled meaning is therefore a fortuitous co-incidence which preserves the spirit of the original punning reference and is an example of how good translation goes beyond the mere literal substitution of words.






                share|improve this answer































                  11
















                  It is a punning reference to the phrase ‘trip the light fantastic’, which means (per The Phrase Finder)




                  To dance, especially in an imaginative or 'fantastic' manner.




                  The phrase seems to arise from the works of Milton, in Comus he wrote, as you have already seen,




                  Come, knit hands, and beat the ground,
                  In a light fantastic round.




                  And in L’Allegro




                  Come, and trip it as you go
                  On the light fantastic toe.




                  Later, in 1894, as cited in Wikipedia, Clarke’s B Lawlor and James W Blake included the lines




                  Boys and girls together, me and Mamie O'Rourke

                  Tripped the light fantastic

                  On the sidewalks of New York.




                  So, as summarised by WordOrigins.com




                  It is not light that is fantastic, but rather the toe or dance step. Both trip and light refer to the movement of the feet.




                  And this is where the pun comes in, Pratchett uses the phrase to refer to actual ‘light’ that is ‘fantastic’. In this sense it is both the light cast by the red star and the star itself which can be referred to as the ‘fantastic light.’



                  The translated title's doubled meaning is therefore a fortuitous co-incidence which preserves the spirit of the original punning reference and is an example of how good translation goes beyond the mere literal substitution of words.






                  share|improve this answer





























                    11














                    11










                    11









                    It is a punning reference to the phrase ‘trip the light fantastic’, which means (per The Phrase Finder)




                    To dance, especially in an imaginative or 'fantastic' manner.




                    The phrase seems to arise from the works of Milton, in Comus he wrote, as you have already seen,




                    Come, knit hands, and beat the ground,
                    In a light fantastic round.




                    And in L’Allegro




                    Come, and trip it as you go
                    On the light fantastic toe.




                    Later, in 1894, as cited in Wikipedia, Clarke’s B Lawlor and James W Blake included the lines




                    Boys and girls together, me and Mamie O'Rourke

                    Tripped the light fantastic

                    On the sidewalks of New York.




                    So, as summarised by WordOrigins.com




                    It is not light that is fantastic, but rather the toe or dance step. Both trip and light refer to the movement of the feet.




                    And this is where the pun comes in, Pratchett uses the phrase to refer to actual ‘light’ that is ‘fantastic’. In this sense it is both the light cast by the red star and the star itself which can be referred to as the ‘fantastic light.’



                    The translated title's doubled meaning is therefore a fortuitous co-incidence which preserves the spirit of the original punning reference and is an example of how good translation goes beyond the mere literal substitution of words.






                    share|improve this answer















                    It is a punning reference to the phrase ‘trip the light fantastic’, which means (per The Phrase Finder)




                    To dance, especially in an imaginative or 'fantastic' manner.




                    The phrase seems to arise from the works of Milton, in Comus he wrote, as you have already seen,




                    Come, knit hands, and beat the ground,
                    In a light fantastic round.




                    And in L’Allegro




                    Come, and trip it as you go
                    On the light fantastic toe.




                    Later, in 1894, as cited in Wikipedia, Clarke’s B Lawlor and James W Blake included the lines




                    Boys and girls together, me and Mamie O'Rourke

                    Tripped the light fantastic

                    On the sidewalks of New York.




                    So, as summarised by WordOrigins.com




                    It is not light that is fantastic, but rather the toe or dance step. Both trip and light refer to the movement of the feet.




                    And this is where the pun comes in, Pratchett uses the phrase to refer to actual ‘light’ that is ‘fantastic’. In this sense it is both the light cast by the red star and the star itself which can be referred to as the ‘fantastic light.’



                    The translated title's doubled meaning is therefore a fortuitous co-incidence which preserves the spirit of the original punning reference and is an example of how good translation goes beyond the mere literal substitution of words.







                    share|improve this answer














                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer








                    edited 1 hour ago









                    muru

                    4,5381 gold badge16 silver badges53 bronze badges




                    4,5381 gold badge16 silver badges53 bronze badges










                    answered 20 hours ago









                    SpagirlSpagirl

                    3,4457 silver badges33 bronze badges




                    3,4457 silver badges33 bronze badges
























                        6
















                        The light that Pratchett refers to is Octarine.



                        This is defined in the Discworld books as the eighth colour of the spectrum and the colour of magic. "The Colour Of Magic" itself being a title of another book in the series.



                        This is fantastic because its existence is part of the Discworld fantasy universe. Pratchett is very fond of such puns and allusions in his work.



                        So the Light Fantastic is indeed noun - adjective, a poetic syntax.






                        share|improve this answer




















                        • 1





                          This is, alas, incorrect. The light fantastic is not Octarine.

                          – Valorum
                          13 hours ago






                        • 1





                          Can you substantiate that comment @Valorum? It would be helpful if you did.

                          – Francis Davey
                          6 hours ago






                        • 2





                          @FrancisDavey - If you glance a few inches that way ↓↓ , you'll find proof directly from Pratchett's own fair hand. Octarine splits from "common light" but the light fantastic is the opposite of light.

                          – Valorum
                          6 hours ago
















                        6
















                        The light that Pratchett refers to is Octarine.



                        This is defined in the Discworld books as the eighth colour of the spectrum and the colour of magic. "The Colour Of Magic" itself being a title of another book in the series.



                        This is fantastic because its existence is part of the Discworld fantasy universe. Pratchett is very fond of such puns and allusions in his work.



                        So the Light Fantastic is indeed noun - adjective, a poetic syntax.






                        share|improve this answer




















                        • 1





                          This is, alas, incorrect. The light fantastic is not Octarine.

                          – Valorum
                          13 hours ago






                        • 1





                          Can you substantiate that comment @Valorum? It would be helpful if you did.

                          – Francis Davey
                          6 hours ago






                        • 2





                          @FrancisDavey - If you glance a few inches that way ↓↓ , you'll find proof directly from Pratchett's own fair hand. Octarine splits from "common light" but the light fantastic is the opposite of light.

                          – Valorum
                          6 hours ago














                        6














                        6










                        6









                        The light that Pratchett refers to is Octarine.



                        This is defined in the Discworld books as the eighth colour of the spectrum and the colour of magic. "The Colour Of Magic" itself being a title of another book in the series.



                        This is fantastic because its existence is part of the Discworld fantasy universe. Pratchett is very fond of such puns and allusions in his work.



                        So the Light Fantastic is indeed noun - adjective, a poetic syntax.






                        share|improve this answer













                        The light that Pratchett refers to is Octarine.



                        This is defined in the Discworld books as the eighth colour of the spectrum and the colour of magic. "The Colour Of Magic" itself being a title of another book in the series.



                        This is fantastic because its existence is part of the Discworld fantasy universe. Pratchett is very fond of such puns and allusions in his work.



                        So the Light Fantastic is indeed noun - adjective, a poetic syntax.







                        share|improve this answer












                        share|improve this answer



                        share|improve this answer










                        answered 18 hours ago









                        ChenmunkaChenmunka

                        1,6631 gold badge10 silver badges26 bronze badges




                        1,6631 gold badge10 silver badges26 bronze badges










                        • 1





                          This is, alas, incorrect. The light fantastic is not Octarine.

                          – Valorum
                          13 hours ago






                        • 1





                          Can you substantiate that comment @Valorum? It would be helpful if you did.

                          – Francis Davey
                          6 hours ago






                        • 2





                          @FrancisDavey - If you glance a few inches that way ↓↓ , you'll find proof directly from Pratchett's own fair hand. Octarine splits from "common light" but the light fantastic is the opposite of light.

                          – Valorum
                          6 hours ago













                        • 1





                          This is, alas, incorrect. The light fantastic is not Octarine.

                          – Valorum
                          13 hours ago






                        • 1





                          Can you substantiate that comment @Valorum? It would be helpful if you did.

                          – Francis Davey
                          6 hours ago






                        • 2





                          @FrancisDavey - If you glance a few inches that way ↓↓ , you'll find proof directly from Pratchett's own fair hand. Octarine splits from "common light" but the light fantastic is the opposite of light.

                          – Valorum
                          6 hours ago








                        1




                        1





                        This is, alas, incorrect. The light fantastic is not Octarine.

                        – Valorum
                        13 hours ago





                        This is, alas, incorrect. The light fantastic is not Octarine.

                        – Valorum
                        13 hours ago




                        1




                        1





                        Can you substantiate that comment @Valorum? It would be helpful if you did.

                        – Francis Davey
                        6 hours ago





                        Can you substantiate that comment @Valorum? It would be helpful if you did.

                        – Francis Davey
                        6 hours ago




                        2




                        2





                        @FrancisDavey - If you glance a few inches that way ↓↓ , you'll find proof directly from Pratchett's own fair hand. Octarine splits from "common light" but the light fantastic is the opposite of light.

                        – Valorum
                        6 hours ago






                        @FrancisDavey - If you glance a few inches that way ↓↓ , you'll find proof directly from Pratchett's own fair hand. Octarine splits from "common light" but the light fantastic is the opposite of light.

                        – Valorum
                        6 hours ago












                        0
















                        And to add yet another facet: "light" as a distinctive qualifier is used in military, such as in the famous "The Charge of the Light Brigade" poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson or "Leichte Kavallerie" (light cavalry), an obscure operette by Franz von Suppé about a dance troup that is these days only known because of its world famous ouverture. So "The Light Fantastic" can also allude to an agile form of fantasy.






                        share|improve this answer





























                          0
















                          And to add yet another facet: "light" as a distinctive qualifier is used in military, such as in the famous "The Charge of the Light Brigade" poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson or "Leichte Kavallerie" (light cavalry), an obscure operette by Franz von Suppé about a dance troup that is these days only known because of its world famous ouverture. So "The Light Fantastic" can also allude to an agile form of fantasy.






                          share|improve this answer



























                            0














                            0










                            0









                            And to add yet another facet: "light" as a distinctive qualifier is used in military, such as in the famous "The Charge of the Light Brigade" poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson or "Leichte Kavallerie" (light cavalry), an obscure operette by Franz von Suppé about a dance troup that is these days only known because of its world famous ouverture. So "The Light Fantastic" can also allude to an agile form of fantasy.






                            share|improve this answer













                            And to add yet another facet: "light" as a distinctive qualifier is used in military, such as in the famous "The Charge of the Light Brigade" poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson or "Leichte Kavallerie" (light cavalry), an obscure operette by Franz von Suppé about a dance troup that is these days only known because of its world famous ouverture. So "The Light Fantastic" can also allude to an agile form of fantasy.







                            share|improve this answer












                            share|improve this answer



                            share|improve this answer










                            answered 13 hours ago







                            user7835































                                Piro is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.









                                draft saved

                                draft discarded

















                                Piro is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.












                                Piro is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.











                                Piro is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.














                                Thanks for contributing an answer to Literature Stack Exchange!


                                • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                                But avoid


                                • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                                • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.

                                To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




                                draft saved


                                draft discarded














                                StackExchange.ready(
                                function ()
                                StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fliterature.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f11771%2fmeaning-translation-of-title-the-light-fantastic-by-terry-pratchett%23new-answer', 'question_page');

                                );

                                Post as a guest















                                Required, but never shown





















































                                Required, but never shown














                                Required, but never shown












                                Required, but never shown







                                Required, but never shown

































                                Required, but never shown














                                Required, but never shown












                                Required, but never shown







                                Required, but never shown







                                Popular posts from this blog

                                Invision Community Contents History See also References External links Navigation menuProprietaryinvisioncommunity.comIPS Community ForumsIPS Community Forumsthis blog entry"License Changes, IP.Board 3.4, and the Future""Interview -- Matt Mecham of Ibforums""CEO Invision Power Board, Matt Mecham Is a Liar, Thief!"IPB License Explanation 1.3, 1.3.1, 2.0, and 2.1ArchivedSecurity Fixes, Updates And Enhancements For IPB 1.3.1Archived"New Demo Accounts - Invision Power Services"the original"New Default Skin"the original"Invision Power Board 3.0.0 and Applications Released"the original"Archived copy"the original"Perpetual licenses being done away with""Release Notes - Invision Power Services""Introducing: IPS Community Suite 4!"Invision Community Release Notes

                                Canceling a color specificationRandomly assigning color to Graphics3D objects?Default color for Filling in Mathematica 9Coloring specific elements of sets with a prime modified order in an array plotHow to pick a color differing significantly from the colors already in a given color list?Detection of the text colorColor numbers based on their valueCan color schemes for use with ColorData include opacity specification?My dynamic color schemes

                                Tom Holland Mục lục Đầu đời và giáo dục | Sự nghiệp | Cuộc sống cá nhân | Phim tham gia | Giải thưởng và đề cử | Chú thích | Liên kết ngoài | Trình đơn chuyển hướngProfile“Person Details for Thomas Stanley Holland, "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008" — FamilySearch.org”"Meet Tom Holland... the 16-year-old star of The Impossible""Schoolboy actor Tom Holland finds himself in Oscar contention for role in tsunami drama"“Naomi Watts on the Prince William and Harry's reaction to her film about the late Princess Diana”lưu trữ"Holland and Pflueger Are West End's Two New 'Billy Elliots'""I'm so envious of my son, the movie star! British writer Dominic Holland's spent 20 years trying to crack Hollywood - but he's been beaten to it by a very unlikely rival"“Richard and Margaret Povey of Jersey, Channel Islands, UK: Information about Thomas Stanley Holland”"Tom Holland to play Billy Elliot""New Billy Elliot leaving the garage"Billy Elliot the Musical - Tom Holland - Billy"A Tale of four Billys: Tom Holland""The Feel Good Factor""Thames Christian College schoolboys join Myleene Klass for The Feelgood Factor""Government launches £600,000 arts bursaries pilot""BILLY's Chapman, Holland, Gardner & Jackson-Keen Visit Prime Minister""Elton John 'blown away' by Billy Elliot fifth birthday" (video with John's interview and fragments of Holland's performance)"First News interviews Arrietty's Tom Holland"“33rd Critics' Circle Film Awards winners”“National Board of Review Current Awards”Bản gốc"Ron Howard Whaling Tale 'In The Heart Of The Sea' Casts Tom Holland"“'Spider-Man' Finds Tom Holland to Star as New Web-Slinger”lưu trữ“Captain America: Civil War (2016)”“Film Review: ‘Captain America: Civil War’”lưu trữ“‘Captain America: Civil War’ review: Choose your own avenger”lưu trữ“The Lost City of Z reviews”“Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios Find Their 'Spider-Man' Star and Director”“‘Mary Magdalene’, ‘Current War’ & ‘Wind River’ Get 2017 Release Dates From Weinstein”“Lionsgate Unleashing Daisy Ridley & Tom Holland Starrer ‘Chaos Walking’ In Cannes”“PTA's 'Master' Leads Chicago Film Critics Nominations, UPDATED: Houston and Indiana Critics Nominations”“Nominaciones Goya 2013 Telecinco Cinema – ENG”“Jameson Empire Film Awards: Martin Freeman wins best actor for performance in The Hobbit”“34th Annual Young Artist Awards”Bản gốc“Teen Choice Awards 2016—Captain America: Civil War Leads Second Wave of Nominations”“BAFTA Film Award Nominations: ‘La La Land’ Leads Race”“Saturn Awards Nominations 2017: 'Rogue One,' 'Walking Dead' Lead”Tom HollandTom HollandTom HollandTom Hollandmedia.gettyimages.comWorldCat Identities300279794no20130442900000 0004 0355 42791085670554170004732cb16706349t(data)XX5557367