Knowledge (XXG)

The Memorandum

Source đź“ť

236:. To entirely avoid the possibilities for confusion that arise with homonyms and similar unrelated words, Ptydepe was created according to the postulate that all words must be formed from the least probable combinations of letters. Specifically, it makes use of the so-called "sixty percent dissimilarity" rule; which states that any Ptydepe word must differ by at least sixty percent of its letters from any other word consisting of the same number of letters. This led to the necessity of creating some very long words. The inevitable problem of pronounceability is solved by breaking very long words up into smaller clusters of letters called "subwords", which nonetheless have no meaning outside of the word they belong to and are not interchangeable. 87: 150:, about an audit. He finds out that Ptydepe was created to eliminate emotional connotations and similarities between unrelated words (such as "fox" and "ox"). Gross tries to get someone to translate the memorandum for him, and gradually becomes opposed to the use of Ptydepe. He finally finds a reluctant 319:
Ra ko hutu d dekotu ely trebomu emusohe, vdegar yd, stro reny er gryk kendy, alyv zvyde dezu, kvyndal fer teknu sely. Degto yl tre entvester kyleg gh: orka epyl y bodur depty-depe emete. Grojto af xedob yd, kyzem ner osonfterte ylem kho dent de det detrym gynfer bro enomuz fechtal agni laj kys defyj
157:
The next day, Gross's deputy Jan Ballas (Max Balas in the Wilson translation) takes over his job. Gross becomes a "staff watcher", someone who spies on the workers of the unnamed organization. Meanwhile, Maria gets fired for translating Gross's memorandum. The last few Ptydepe learners in the
232:. In order to be able to express precisely all the subtle and easily misunderstood nuances of natural language, Ptydepe has a large, non-expandable vocabulary. Another problem of natural language that Ptydepe was intended to eliminate is the frequent similarity of unrelated words, or 158:
organization give up on the language. After a while, Ballas gives his job back to Gross. Ptydepe is replaced with another language, Chorukor, one with very extreme similarities between words so as to make learning it easier, but finally it is decided to get back to the
455: 446: 134:
centers on the introduction of a new language, "Ptydepe", that is meant to make work more efficient despite having the opposite effect. Sam Walters considers
130:
of 1968 as an ironic satire dissenting against communist rule. Despite its veiled themes, the play was approved by government censors and published.
154:
named Maria (Alice in the Wilson translation) who explains that, while she can translate the memorandum, she does not yet have a permit to do so.
228:
According to the characters of the play, Ptydepe was constructed along strictly scientific lines, with none of the messiness and ambiguity of
146:
Josef Gross (Andrew Gross in the Wilson translation), a director of an unnamed organization, receives a memorandum written in Ptydepe, a
669: 679: 86: 644: 633: 279:, but it has no meaning assigned and is held in reserve in case a more general term than "whatever" is discovered. 239:
Length of words, like everything else in Ptydepe, is determined scientifically. The vocabulary of Ptydepe uses
112: 91: 431: 111:. The first English translation, by Vera Blackwell in 1967, used this title. In 2006, Canadian translator 257:" in an English translation. However in the Czech original it is a name for a nonexistent member of the 147: 674: 217: 214: 625: 417: 240: 229: 608: 598: 108: 30: 249:, corresponds to what is so far known to be the most general term in natural language, 663: 283: 127: 243:: shorter words have more common meanings. Therefore, the shortest word in Ptydepe, 258: 123: 78: 488:. Translated from the Czech by Vera Blackwell. Grove Weidenfeld, New York, 1980. 296: 501:. Translated from the Czech by Paul Wilson. Theater 61 Press, New York, 2012. 253:. (The longest word in Ptydepe, which contains 319 letters, is the word for " 151: 650: 303: 233: 634:"Vaclav Havel's Point Is Sharpened to a Keen Edge In Comic 'Memorandum'" 330:
Chorukor serves as the tentative replacement for Ptydepe at the end of
126:
that parodies bureaucracy and conformity. Havel wrote it prior to the
299: 254: 85: 220:, Ptydepe and Chorukor, are at the heart of the play's satire. 447:"Why don't more British theatres put on Václav Havel's plays?" 575:
PERINA: Správně, Kalous! Máte jedničku! Že to je velmi lehké?
162:. The play ends with most of the characters going to lunch. 314:
From the memorandum discovered in the office in Scene 1:
432:"The Memo, by Václav Havel | Theater 61 Press" 399:
PERINA: Correct, Kalous! Good point! Isn't it easy?
74: 66: 36: 26: 21: 475:Václav Havel. Hry. Praha: LidovĂ© noviny, 1992. 56. 445: 568: 558: 552: 546: 540: 534: 528: 527:PERINA: SamozĹ™ejmÄ›. PondÄ›lĂ­ se v chorukoru Ĺ™ekne 390: 376: 370: 364: 358: 352: 346: 317: 274: 268: 244: 103:is the common name in English for the 1965 play 381:. How do you think Sunday is in Chorukor? Hmm? 645:"Thoughts on Vaclav Havel’s – The Memorandum" 8: 282:Havel's younger brother, computer scientist 524: 514:, Volume 2, Columbia University Press, 2007 290: 267:.) Theoretically an even shorter word than 262: 345:PERINA: Of course. In Chorukor, Monday is 18: 512:The Columbia encyclopedia of modern drama 563:. Jak myslĂ­te, Ĺľe se Ĺ™ekne nedÄ›le? No? 409: 295:has been used to mean incomprehensible 565:(HlásĂ­ se jedinĂ˝ Kalous) Tak Kalous! 510:Gabrielle H. Cody, Evert Sprinchorn, 7: 306:intending to hide its true meaning. 115:published a new translation, titled 588:VyrozumÄ›nĂ­, Hra o dvanácti obrazech 418:"Memo into | Theater 61 Press" 14: 523:Czech version. 11. obraz : 647:, Elizabeth Doty, March 18, 2008 632:Nelson Pressley (July 8, 2006). 626:"The Memorandum | Introduction" 458:from the original on 2022-06-18 1: 385:(Only Kalous moves)So Kalous! 286:, helped in its formulation. 138:to be Havel’s masterpiece. 696: 569: 559: 553: 547: 541: 535: 529: 391: 377: 371: 365: 359: 353: 347: 318: 275: 273:exists in Ptydepe, namely 269: 245: 171:Josef Gross (Andrew Gross) 40:Josef Gross (Andrew Gross) 615:. Theater 61 Press, 2012. 320:rokuroch bazuk suhelen... 16:1965 play by Václav Havel 628:Theater 61 Press website 605:. Faber and Faber, 1989. 92:Ljubljana Drama Theatre 680:Bureaucracy in fiction 525: 389:KALOUS: (standing up) 291: 263: 174:Jan Ballas (Max Balas) 107:, by Czech playwright 95: 42:Jan Ballas (Max Balas) 670:Plays by Václav Havel 89: 218:artificial languages 177:Pillar (Victor Kubs) 148:constructed language 119:at Havel's request. 44:Pillar (Victor Kubs) 638:The Washington Post 289:In Czech, the word 209:Invented languages 201:Lear (J. V. Brown) 198:Thumb (Ms. Kalous) 192:Savant (Sid Maher) 189:Stroll (Ken Masat) 96: 60:Lear (J. V. Brown) 58:Thumb (Ms. Kalous) 54:Savant (Sid Maher) 52:Stroll (Ken Masat) 567:KALOUS: (vstane) 230:natural languages 84: 83: 687: 651:"The Memorandum" 641: 591: 584: 578: 577: 572: 562: 556: 550: 544: 538: 532: 521: 515: 508: 502: 495: 489: 482: 476: 473: 467: 466: 464: 463: 449: 442: 436: 435: 428: 422: 421: 414: 395:. (he sits down) 394: 380: 374: 368: 362: 356: 350: 322: 294: 278: 272: 266: 248: 241:entropy encoding 186:Helena (Talaura) 90:The play by the 50:Helena (Talaura) 19: 695: 694: 690: 689: 688: 686: 685: 684: 660: 659: 631: 622: 595: 594: 586:HAVEL, Václav, 585: 581: 574: 566: 564: 526: 522: 518: 509: 505: 497:Havel, Vaclav: 496: 492: 484:Havel, Vaclav: 483: 479: 474: 470: 461: 459: 452:The Independent 444: 443: 439: 430: 429: 425: 416: 415: 411: 406: 397: 387: 383: 343: 342:From Scene 11: 340: 328: 312: 226: 213:The play's two 211: 168: 160:mother language 144: 61: 59: 57: 55: 53: 51: 49: 47: 45: 43: 41: 17: 12: 11: 5: 693: 691: 683: 682: 677: 672: 662: 661: 658: 657: 648: 642: 629: 621: 620:External links 618: 617: 616: 606: 603:The Memorandum 593: 592: 579: 516: 503: 490: 486:The Memorandum 477: 468: 454:. 2011-12-20. 437: 423: 408: 407: 405: 402: 339: 336: 332:The Memorandum 327: 324: 311: 308: 225: 222: 210: 207: 206: 205: 202: 199: 196: 193: 190: 187: 184: 181: 178: 175: 172: 167: 164: 143: 140: 136:The Memorandum 132:The Memorandum 122:The play is a 100:The Memorandum 82: 81: 76: 72: 71: 68: 67:Date premiered 64: 63: 38: 34: 33: 28: 24: 23: 22:The Memorandum 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 692: 681: 678: 676: 673: 671: 668: 667: 665: 656: 652: 649: 646: 643: 639: 635: 630: 627: 624: 623: 619: 614: 610: 609:Havel, Václav 607: 604: 600: 599:Havel, Václav 597: 596: 590:, Praha, 1965 589: 583: 580: 576: 571: 561: 555: 549: 543: 537: 531: 520: 517: 513: 507: 504: 500: 494: 491: 487: 481: 478: 472: 469: 457: 453: 448: 441: 438: 433: 427: 424: 419: 413: 410: 403: 401: 400: 396: 393: 386: 382: 379: 373: 367: 361: 355: 349: 337: 335: 333: 325: 323: 321: 315: 309: 307: 305: 301: 298: 293: 287: 285: 284:Ivan M. Havel 280: 277: 271: 265: 260: 256: 252: 247: 242: 237: 235: 231: 223: 221: 219: 216: 208: 203: 200: 197: 195:George (Josh) 194: 191: 188: 185: 182: 180:Maria (Alice) 179: 176: 173: 170: 169: 165: 163: 161: 155: 153: 149: 141: 139: 137: 133: 129: 128:Prague Spring 125: 120: 118: 114: 110: 106: 102: 101: 93: 88: 80: 77: 73: 69: 65: 56:George (Josh) 46:Maria (Alice) 39: 35: 32: 29: 25: 20: 654: 637: 612: 602: 587: 582: 519: 511: 506: 498: 493: 485: 480: 471: 460:. Retrieved 451: 440: 426: 412: 398: 388: 384: 357:, Wednesday 344: 341: 331: 329: 316: 313: 297:bureaucratic 288: 281: 250: 238: 227: 212: 159: 156: 145: 135: 131: 124:black comedy 121: 116: 109:Václav Havel 104: 99: 98: 97: 79:black comedy 31:Václav Havel 573:. (Usedne) 375:, Saturday 363:, Thursday 264:rorĂ˝s říčnĂ­ 113:Paul Wilson 675:1965 plays 664:Categories 545:, ÄŤtvrtek 462:2019-07-22 404:References 351:, Tuesday 259:genus Apus 166:Characters 105:VyrozumÄ›nĂ­ 37:Characters 27:Written by 560:ilopagoor 557:, sobota 554:ilopageur 539:, stĹ™eda 378:ilopagoor 372:ilopageur 369:, Friday 215:fictional 152:secretary 613:The Memo 570:Ilopagor 551:, pátek 548:ilopagir 542:ilopagur 536:ilopager 533:, ĂşterĂ˝ 530:ilopagar 499:The Memo 456:Archived 392:Ilopagor 366:ilopagir 360:ilopagur 354:ilopager 348:ilopagar 326:Chorukor 304:newspeak 251:whatever 234:homonyms 117:The Memo 338:Example 310:Example 292:Ptydepe 224:Ptydepe 94:in 1969 655:enotes 300:jargon 255:wombat 204:Column 62:Column 302:, or 75:Genre 48:Hana 183:Hana 142:Plot 70:1965 666:: 653:, 636:. 611:. 601:. 450:. 334:. 270:gh 261:, 246:gh 640:. 465:. 434:. 420:. 276:f

Index

Václav Havel
black comedy

Ljubljana Drama Theatre
Václav Havel
Paul Wilson
black comedy
Prague Spring
constructed language
secretary
fictional
artificial languages
natural languages
homonyms
entropy encoding
wombat
genus Apus
Ivan M. Havel
bureaucratic
jargon
newspeak
"Memo into | Theater 61 Press"
"The Memo, by Václav Havel | Theater 61 Press"
"Why don't more British theatres put on Václav Havel's plays?"
Archived
Havel, Václav
Havel, Václav
"The Memorandum | Introduction"
"Vaclav Havel's Point Is Sharpened to a Keen Edge In Comic 'Memorandum'"
"Thoughts on Vaclav Havel’s – The Memorandum"

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.

↑