salamandraga (salamandraga) wrote in linguaphiles,
2012-09-21 15:50:00

Palimpsest

Is there a synonym for palimpsest (aside from codex rescriptus) or perhaps another way to say that something is a palimpsest. I'm trying to describe the traces of previous writing on a chalkboard that was erased, but is still somewhat visible. I considered saying "ghosts" or something, but I'm not sure that it's a better choice.
Tags: semantics, words
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  • 14 comments

provencepuss

September 21 2012, 20:03:43 UTC 8 months ago

i like the idea of "phantoms' don't ask me why!

imps85

September 21 2012, 20:19:27 UTC 8 months ago

hm I didnt even know there was a word for this. Learn something new every day huh?

wasureneba

September 21 2012, 20:49:42 UTC 8 months ago

Could you refer to underwritings or undertext, as you would with a palimpsest?

Or perhaps just refer to the `faint traces' of previous chalk?

kindmemory

September 21 2012, 21:12:36 UTC 8 months ago

"Shades" of a previous work/text/lesson?

spamsink

September 21 2012, 23:19:10 UTC 8 months ago

"Ghost" is right

pickledginger

September 21 2012, 23:44:03 UTC 8 months ago

Yes, ghost writing would work.

ficklepig

September 22 2012, 16:12:02 UTC 8 months ago

I don't want to be contrary, but I think the conventional meaning of "ghost writing" might confuse the issue, unless the OP wanted to introduce some poetic ambiguity.

pickledginger

September 22 2012, 16:33:11 UTC 8 months ago

You're entirely correct. Given the venue, I should have made clear that I was amused by the echoes of multiple meanings: "ghost-writing" (writing a book on behalf of someone else and under that person's name, as in a celebrity autobiography); writing produced by ghosts or spirits; ghostly remnants of writing.

Perhaps "ghostly" would offer greater clarity?

salamandraga

September 22 2012, 00:44:22 UTC 8 months ago

Thanks.

provencepuss

September 22 2012, 05:19:25 UTC 8 months ago

ghost writing by a ghost writer...spooky!
Seriously I think 'traces' is probably the most accurate word for what you are talking about.

ficklepig

September 22 2012, 16:15:42 UTC 8 months ago

I've seen "palimpsest" used this way, actually, though obviously it's not literal.

ficklepig

September 22 2012, 16:25:45 UTC 8 months ago

Oh, I bet you're trying *not* to do that. Hum. I guess "traces," "remnants," "ghosts," and the like would be what I'd go for.

salamandraga

September 22 2012, 20:20:46 UTC 8 months ago

This was the original line:
The blackboards were covered in enough script and scribbling to make a madman proud, a palimpsest of poetry covered in formulae.

I'm just trying to improve on it.

verrucaria

September 22 2012, 22:19:14 UTC 8 months ago

I'm not the greatest of writers, but the sentence sounds fine to me.