LINGUIST List 7.1446

Tue Oct 15 1996

Sum: Borgesian joke

Editor for this issue: Ann Dizdar <dizdartam2000.tamu.edu>

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Message 1: Borgesian Joke, Sum

Date: Mon, 14 Oct 1996 22:31:00 +0900
From: "PXX06625niftyse" <PXX06625niftyserve.or.jp>
Subject: Borgesian Joke, Sum
Re: Summary: Borgesian joke?

A few days ago I posted a question about the funny classification of animals on page 103 of the _Other Inquisitions_ by J. L. Borges (1899-1986). *** The Analytical Language of John Wilkins. -- pp. 101-105 in BORGES, Jorge Luis 1964. Other Inquisitions. 1937-1952. [Otros inquisiciones] tr. by Ruth L.C. Simms; Austin: University of Texas Press, ISBN 0-292-76002-7 The Spanish text of "El Idioma Analitico de John Wilkins" is available at: <http://www.tradepoint.fi/tecnotes/wilkins.html>;

Borges gives a vague reference to some work by Franz Kuhn allegedly commenting on the classification of animals by a Chinese encyclopedia called the _Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge_.

>> ... animals are divided into:

(a) those that belong to the Emperor, (b) embalmed ones, (c) those that are trained, (d) suckling pigs, (e) mermaids, (f) fabulous ones, (g) stray dogs, (h) those that are included in this classification, (i) those that tremble as if they were mad, (j) innumerable ones, (k) those drawn with a very fine camel brush, (l) others, (m) those that have just broken a flower vase, (n) those that resemble flies from a distance. <<

I found the humor of this classification very elaborate (cf. /h/ or /l/, for example). First, I assumed that this must have been a Borgesian joke, as we (i.e. my Chinese colleagues and myself) had been unable to find any encyclopedia whose title may have been rendered in English as the Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge. However, Borges referred to Franz Kuhn (1884-1961), whose work I have been familiar with. Franz Kuhn was a renowned translator and scholar of Chinese literature. Bernard Miall$B%f(Bs English version of the early 17th century erotic novel, Jin (= Chin) Ping Mei, i.e. _Chin Ping Mei: the Adventurous History of Hsi Men and his Six Wives_ (New York: Putnam, 1947) was based on Kuhn$B%f(Bs (sensitively condensed) German translation of the original (_Kin Ping Meh, oder die abenteuerliche Geschichte von Hsi Men und seinen sechs Frauen_, Leipzig: Insel Verlag). Since I knew that Franz Kuhn was real, I felt I should assume that the Chinese encyclopedia was also genuine.

Here is the list of those scholars who kindly explained me that this was an absolutely wrong assumption, as Borges enjoyed making up pseudo-learned references mixing facts and fiction:

Caitlin [...] <chinessfsu.edu> Eric J. Adolphson <ejacat.com> Raul Aranovich <aranovchsprynet.com> James F. Bisso <jbissous.oracle.com> George Aaron Broadwell <g.broadwellalbany.edu> Hugh Buckingham <hbucksalvador.speech.lsu.edu> Monica Casco <Mochcaol.com> Scott DeLancey <delanceydarkwing.uoregon.edu> Alex Eulenberg <aeulenbeindiana.edu> Pablo Fessel <postmastfessel.filo.uba.ar> Warren Frerichs <frerichschiba.dendai.ac.jp> Marti Hearst <hearstparc.xerox.com> David Houghton <dh2ACSU.Buffalo.EDU> Simon Kaufmann <slinkysound.traffic.control.com> Suzanne E Kemmer <kemmerruf.rice.edu> John Konopak <jkonopakuoknor.edu> John E Limber <John.Limberunh.edu> Gerardo A. Lorenzino <gerardo.lorenzinoyale.edu> Stavros Macrakis <macrakisosf.org> Mark Mandel <Markdragonsys.com> Mari Broman Olsen <molsenumiacs.UMD.EDU> Gonzalo Rubio <gonzalorjhunix.hcf.jhu.edu> Ingrid de Saint-Georges <desaintigusun.georgetown.edu> Francisco J. Salguero <salguerocica.es> Geoffrey Sampson <geoffscogs.susx.ac.uk> Allan Wechsler <awechslebbn.com> Martin Wynne <eiamjwcomp.lancs.ac.uk>

*****************************************

The respondents pointed out that the Borgesian passage was also commented upon

1. in the preface of Michel Foucault's _The Order of Things_ [Les mots et les choses] New York: Random House, 1970, pp.xv-xxiv;

2. in ROSCH, Eleanor 1978. Principles of Categorization. in ROSCH, E. & B.B. LLOYD 1978. eds. _Cognition and Categorization._ Hillsdale: Erlbaum, pp. 27-48, as well as

3. in LAKOFF, George 1987. _Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things_, Chicago UP, p. 92.

************ There was a detailed discussion of Borges, with sources and conjectural origins on the Darwin list. Archives are at http://rjohara.uncg.edu ************ There exists an important book on the sources: BALDERSTON, Daniel 1986. _ The literary universe of Jorge Luis Borges: An index to references and allusions to persons, titles, and places in his writings. _ Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

AUTHOR: Daniel Balderston, Chair Department of Spanish and Portuguese Tulane University New Orleans, LA. 70118 USA ************ There exists even a journal called _Variaciones Borges: International Journal for Philosophy, Semiotics, and Comparative Literature_ ************ The respondents also turned up the data of a book for those who still want to have a look at Franz W. Kuhn$B%f(Bs works:

KUHN, Hatto. 1980. _Dr. Franz Kuhn (1884-1961): Lebensbeschreibung und Bibliographie seiner Werke: mit einem Anhang unveroffentlichter Schriften._ , 180 pp. Wiesbaden: Steiner, Sinologica Coloniensia; Bd. 10 ISBN 3515032312. ISBN 3515033513 *** Franz (Walter) Kuhn is, by the way, not to be mixed up with Franz Felix Adalbert Kuhn (1822-1881), the philologist and folklorist *****************************************

The responses I have received leave no doubt that I$B%f(Bd better give up on the search for the _Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Creatures_ (and stop pestering my colleagues at the Chinese Department). However, I believe that one cannot prove the non-existence of a book conclusively, and I have had no chance to follow all the conceivable leads in a major library.

Thank you for your help, again!

Best wishes,

Laszlo - --------------- CSERESNYESI, Laszlo Prof. of Ling. Shikoku Gakuin University 765 Kagawa-ken, Zentsuji-shi, Bunkyo-cho 3-2-19 (JAPAN) TEL=FAX -81-877-63 5451 - ---------------------------------------------