Hard Light Productions Forums
General FreeSpace => FreeSpace Discussion => Topic started by: Lepanto on May 15, 2015, 07:14:55 pm
-
If one must contrast them with the NTF/Rebellion of the Week/Earth Faction of Choice, then we can't just call them 'Terrans", now can we? You can just call them the GTVA, though that designation sounds more appropriate when it includes the 'V' half of the Alliance. Personally, I think "Galactic Terrans" sounds like a good way to distinguish them from other Terran factions, though nobody seems to have used that designation thus far.
Of course, this question has no definitive answer, as :v: never bothered to address it, nor the fandom community. Because I'm probably the only one who cares. So what's YOUR preferred moniker for the Terrans of the GTVA?
-
Well, Blue Planet uses the nickname/epithet "Tev" for pretty much exactly the reason you stated (to focus on the T part of GTVA).
-
Tverrans, of course.
Hey, I wonder where "Alpha 1" hails from. Ribos? Delta Serpentis? Loyalist from Sirius?
-
Terrans.
It's a species, not a political, moniker. If you want political affiliation, they're GTVA.
-
In TI, we have the pirates calling them "Teevers", but that's more of a slang term for the GTVA military generally, rather than the Terran half specifically.
-
Terrans.
It's a species, not a political, moniker. If you want political affiliation, they're GTVA.
yup
-
Yes, but what's desired here is a term that refers specifically to the terran half of the GTVA.
-
GTA.
-
Well, I had an idea of calling terrans "Earthers", because of all this home-longing sentiment.
-
'GTA' already refers to the pre-Great War organisation, and it should stay that way IMO. 'Earther' is just a recipe for confusion if you're also going to mention the actual populace of Sol.
-
'Colonials' works on a semantic basis but YMMV on whether it fits with the Freespace theme.
-
I agree with the logic but Galactic Terrans is a bit of a mouthful to be commonly used. I think you'd more likely end up with GTerrans for GTVA, ETerrans for Earth Alliance etc.as long as their aren't a huge number of independent factions. Neo Terrans sort of works either way.
-
Yes, but what's desired here is a term that refers specifically to the terran half of the GTVA.
Still Terrans, unless for some reason your viewpoint outside the GTVA. It's everybody else who gets adjectivized.
-
Yes, but what's desired here is a term that refers specifically to the terran half of the GTVA.
Still Terrans, unless for some reason your viewpoint outside the GTVA. It's everybody else who gets adjectivized.
That doesn't really make sense.
"Yeah, us Terrans are currently fighting those Earthers."
"Uh... aren't they also Terrans?"
"Of course not; they're not in the GTVA."
":wtf:"
-
Spacenoids
-
A far break-away system would probably call the terran part of the GTVA "capellans", since most outworlders they'd know are capellan refugies relocated into their world by the GTVA government. It should also be quite an insulting nickname since we all know that Capella wasn't the GTVA's best moment.
I guess Sol could call them Tevs/GalTevs, exiles or Betas/Betacs/Betsys (for Beta Aquilae, capital of the GTVA).
-
Mon-keigh? :p
-
GTVA = Gerrans ("Jerrans")
-
Betas (for Beta Aquilae, capital of the GTVA).
I love this one, it's so derogatory. :p
-
Galactic Terran Vasudan Alliance
Motto: Nos excreturi invitus facit.
Capital: Beta Aquilae
Largest City: New Burgerburgh
Population: ~10,000,000,000
Demonym: Home Slice
Walk up music: Who Let The Dogs Out?
-
Viewpoints matter....
I once, during an early campaign development some years back, thought it was a good idea to base a terminology from the Earth-viewpoint on "marooning" (the act of leaving some alone in the wilderness) but my wikipedia-serach turned up that "Maroon" is actually already a term for the people and their culture that were escaped african slaves in the Americas, so it is a "use with caution"-situation as I have no idea if this is a self-designation or a deregatory term (I never did that research as I simply scrapped that part of the story because it was no adding anything to the plot)
-
That doesn't really make sense.
"Yeah, us Terrans are currently fighting those Earthers."
"Uh... aren't they also Terrans?"
"Of course not; they're not in the GTVA."
":wtf:"
That makes perfect sense. They're not Earthers; they're Earth's Terrans. Adjectival Terrans.
Spacenoids
Not while your soul is weighed down by gravity!
-
Negative, I am a meat popsicle.
-
That makes perfect sense.
I don't think our definitions of "sense" match up, then.
-
Terra is old speak for Earth/ground. Terra firma - solid earth
-
Terra is old speak for Earth/ground. Terra firma - solid earth
It's Latin ... and it is "earth" (when you need no information on wheter it is soil or not) or simply "land"; in oposition to "mare" (= sea); "orbis terrarum" is the term for the World/Earth
-
My point being expressed here is earthers = terrans.
-
My point being expressed here is earthers = terrans.
And your point is based on a false ethymology (not to mention that the "old speak"-comment betrayed a hint of anti-intelectulaism that is unbecoming in the information age IMO)...by the latin root of the term, "Terran" would be a "land-dweller"
The designation Terran or Terra Firma for the planet is from the Renissance/Enlightnment period, when Europeans rediscovered Astronomy as a science and translated greek and arabic works into Latin; because there was no proof that any one could ever reach the other observed planets, the dichtonomy of land-sea remained fixed in the world view, even as it expanded. As such the only know life-supporting planet became analogue to "land" as the only place of possible settlement and living.
By extension of the analogue, Terran would for a sci-fi setting work as a term for all planet-dwelling humans, heck even for all planet-dwelling lifeforms - not just for "humans from Earth".
-
Countless groups, individuals, works of fiction already use terran as an analogue collective to the human race, agreed. Don't assume my casual use of language in previous posts equates to a lack of intellectual capacity though. That's borderline tut tut tut.
I'm not engaging in any further discussion seeing as you appear to have a reciprocal view as myself ad others but are nitpicking.
-
Whatever name works for you, works for you. There is no one definitive name for the GTVA Terrans; I just wanted to know what different people thought.
-
Don't assume my casual use of language in previous posts equates to a lack of intellectual capacity though.
Never said anything about you lacking intellectual capacity or ability, I said this:
(not to mention that the "old speak"-comment betrayed a hint of anti-intelectulaism that is unbecoming in the information age IMO)
I accused you of not finding out the that "terra" was a latin word, instead using to "old speak" which is imprecise. Considering that finding out the precise distinction (of which language it comes from) would have taken less than a few keystrokes (or picking up a dictonary), I can only assume that you did it on purpose.
Your response even confirms that, as you wrongly equated that me saying "using the term 'old speak' is anti-intellectual" with me supposidly saying "you are stupid". Anti-Intellecutalism is a mode of behaivior betraying distain for intellectuals, not the lack of capacity to be one.
(It may be noted, that I work in a field were the precision of language is paramount [e.g. I work for an Ethics Board], as much I am very sensitive to the proper use of terminology - doesn't improve my grammar and spelling though ;) )
Countless groups, individuals, works of fiction already use terran as an analogue collective to the human race, agreed.
This is the best of a common definition I could find: Earthling (Wikipedia) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terran_%28demonym%29)*
But I have yet to find an explicitly stated reasoning for chosing "Terran" over any other term. Considering its use in Science Fiction dates back to the 1950s when it was a pulp genre in most literal sense of the word, little I can find on the creative processes that lead to its use.
For that reason I defaulted back to the latin root of the world and cultural context that gave way to its present use - but as I pointed out, nothing there limites the term "Terrans" to humans, aside from the fact that anthropocentrism is still a cultural default to most.
-
You're being really condescending about this for some reason; please stop. I don't even know what you're saying, except being really pedantic about the use of 'terra' to refer to Earth.
-
Calm down, it's not worth an internet fight over.
-
I don't think our definitions of "sense" match up, then.
Well, yes, but I suspect it's because you're not reading at this point. I offered a demonstration in the next sentence; if you have objection, make it instead of being merely snide.
I mean, I'm all for snide, but I try to actually explain why I feel it necessary usually.
-
I offered a demonstration in the next sentence; if you have objection, make it instead of being merely snide.
My objection is that it doesn't actually make sense, hence why I said our definitions of what that means obviously don't match up.
-
Never said anything about you lacking intellectual capacity or ability, I said this:
(not to mention that the "old speak"-comment betrayed a hint of anti-intelectulaism that is unbecoming in the information age IMO)
I accused you of not finding out the that "terra" was a latin word, instead using to "old speak" which is imprecise. Considering that finding out the precise distinction (of which language it comes from) would have taken less than a few keystrokes (or picking up a dictonary), I can only assume that you did it on purpose.
oldspeak - "imprecise".
"I can only assume that you did it on purpose".
What the hell am I reading here.
-
Spring's almost over guys. Time to turn down the testosterone drips. :p
-
I once saw a Marine bar fight that ended in a stabbing.
What caused it? A math problem :P
-
I once saw a Marine bar fight that ended in a stabbing.
What caused it? A math problem :P
The equality of certain repeating decimals to the closest whole number is serious business :D
-
The only military math in bars is either, my change is wrong, or you plus my woman equals trouble.
-
My objection is that it doesn't actually make sense, hence why I said our definitions of what that means obviously don't match up.
You've still not said why; that's only half an objection at best. A statement without supporting detail.
I mean, I can equally say your objection doesn't make sense and I will be absolutely right because there's no sense to be made of it; you haven't offered any reason for it or any reason why it should be agreed with that could be made sense of.
-
Do you really want to have a conversation about this? I was done with it nine days ago.