26 March (1928): James Joyce to Harriet Shaw Weaver

James Joyce was translating one of Aesop’s fables, “The Ant and the Grasshopper” for his book Finnegans Wake. In this meticulous letter to his editor and patron Harriet Shaw Weaver, he tries to explain many of his word choices by way of lexical roots in German, French, Italian and Norwegian.

_____________________________

To Harriet Shaw Weaver

MS. British Museum

Postmark 26 March 1928
Hotel du Rhin & de Newhaven, Dieppe

Ondt (Nor) = angry

Gracehoper = Graeshoper (Nor)

Floh = Ger. flea

Luse = O.E. louse

Bienie = Biene (Ger) bee

Vespatilla = Lat. little wasp Ital.

pupa = entom. term: = doll

pulicy = Ital. dial = pula = flea

commence insects = commit incest

everlistings = laurel bushes

harry me &c = Vico, thunderclap, marriage with auspices, burial of dead, providence

puce = Fr. flea

fourmish = Fr. ant

Spinner’s = Ger. spider

fourmilierly = Fr. anthill

Tingssomgenting = Nor = nothing

Besterfarther = Nor grandfather also conqueror

Zeuts = Zeus + Zeit (time)

myrmidens = myrmis Ger. ant

pszozlers = Pol. bee

sommerfugl = Nor butterfly

sphex = insect

Nix &c = Ger. dial. = Nothing

Pou = Fr. louse

lopp = Nor. flea

Weltall = Ger. universe

raumy = Ger. space

pysche = Gr. butterfly also E. gloss

laus = Ger. louse

mouche = Fr. fly

chairmanlook = Germanlooking

wetting with waps (betting, wasp, wop (Americ. slang for Italian)

sylph = entom. term

Iomio = Ital Dio mio! (he is not on the sociallist bot on the egolist).

Crick = cricket

whilepaper = time also wallpaper

lustre = 5 years also chandelier

mensas & seccles (tables & settles) also months and siècles

ephemerids = insect living a day

the terniatary = eternity also termitary (white anthill)

cicada = Ital. kind of cricket

grillo = Ital cricket (aver grilli in capo = to have a bee in one’s bonnet)

leivnits = Leibnitz also live nits i.e young lice (cf akKant, schoppinhour etc and other philosophers)

Tossmania = Tasmania, he stands on his head to be really ‘antipodal’

phthin = Gr. louse

lugly = ugly and luglio, It = July

Tournedo = tornado and tournedos (we turn our back to the wind)

tilehats = tall hats (tile, slang) also tiles from huts

Bora etc = Bora (adriatic wind) Aurora Borealis

tetties = It. roofs also dial. breasts

coppe = rooftiles (It. dial)

unshrinkables = pyjamas

swarming of = Ger to be enthusiastic over (i.e. himself)

monkynous = monkeynuts also the ‘nous’ rational intelligence cf monasticism

coonfucion of minthe, confession of mind ‘infusion de menthe’

appi = Ital. beer

Libido

cosy fond tuttes = Cosi fan tutte (Mozart) So do Ladies All.

Be jiltses etc. = By Jesus Christ also By Jaysus wept/Dublin accent

schneezed = Germ to sneeze in snow (Schnee)

eyeforsight = Eifersucht. Ger. jealousy

wittol = O.E.—a conniving cuckold

spizz = Ital dialect = itch

spass = Germ amusement

formicolation = Lat. ant also penis & melding {?}

amiesing = Ger. ant

faith hope & charity

Dorcu = Irish grasshoper

Dunshager = Irish anthill

odderkop = other head also Nor spider

myre = mire also Nor ant

actual grace

sanctifying”

despair and presumption are sins against hope

Xopos

Dear Miss Weaver: These few lines of explanation may be useful. I would continue but I feel rather tired this afternoon. I shall write as soon as I am really rested—if ever. With kindest regards one who hopes for grace

J.J.

________________________________