Vegan n. 2

the language of Vegans

Language

  • 1942 I. Asimov Black Friar of Flame in Planet Stories Spring 22/2 Isaac Asimov bibliography

    Sanat wriggled in the grasp of the two Lhasinuic soldiers. ‘Tell them to let go,’ he cried in the Vegan tongue. ‘I am unarmed.’ ‘Speak,’ ordered the admiral in English. ‘They do not understand your language.’ Then, in Lhasinuic to the soldiers, ‘Shoot when I give the word.’

  • 1943 ‘H. Clement’ Attitude in Astounding Science Fiction Sept. 16/1 page image Hal Clement bibliography

    Most of the Earthmen had some knowledge of Vegan speech—the two systems are near neighbors, and enjoy lively commercial relations—and all looked to Albee for a decision. [Ibid. 27/1] The Vegans, whose quarters were directly opposite, watched from their doorways. They also commented from time to time, but were very seldom answered, since both hands are required to speak Vegan.

  • 1952 C. M. Kornbluth That Share of Glory in Astounding Science Fiction Jan. 10/1 page image C. M. Kornbluth bibliography

    He cast a glance which he hoped would not be the final one over it; a glance which lingered a little fondly on the reel rack where were stowed: ‘Nicholson on Martian Verbs,’ ‘The New Oxford Venusian Dictionary,’ the ponderous six-reeler ‘Deutche-Ganymediche Konversasionslexikon’ published long ago and far away in Leipzig. The later works were there, too: ‘The Tongues of the Galaxy—An Essay in Classification,’ ‘A Concise Grammar of Cephean,’ ‘The Self-Pronouncing Vegan II Dictionary’—scores of them, and, of course, the worn reel of old Machiavelli’s ‘The Prince.’

  • 1955 J. Bixby Laboratory in If Dec. 61 page image Jerome Bixby bibliography

    ‘I told you to deactivate all our experiments,’ he snapped at Gop. ‘Don’t you understand Vegan?’ Abashed, the Junior Scientist lowered his many eyes.

  • 1960 A. Davidson Sixth Season in Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction June 64/1 page image Avram Davidson bibliography

    ‘Isn’t that the Vegan version of “son-of-a-bitch”?’ he asked. Macklin heaved himself up into a semi-sitting position. ‘To be precise—or as precise as one can be, considering—it is the Vegan for “hermaphrodite-illegitimately-begotten-during-its-mother’s-moulting-period-by-a-slave-suffering-from-venereal-encephalitis.”’

  • 1965 R. Zelazny ...And Call Me Conrad in Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction Oct. 17/2 page image Roger Zelazny bibliography

    ‘So kiss my elbow,’ I added, or something like that, in Vegan.

  • 1967 R. Deeley Time Trollers in Worlds of If May 118/2 page image Roger Deeley bibliography

    You could be speaking anything from Vegan to Etruscan, and so could I, but to each other what we say seems to be spoken in our respective native tongues.

  • 1973 F. M. Busby 2000½—A Spaced Oddity in Vertex Aug. 82/1 page image F. M. Busby bibliography

    Next morning the tribe forages for its breakfast: roots and berries. The group comes upon a huge object, black and rectangular. A strange sound is heard; all pause, awed. They cannot see the upper surface of the object; it is too high. Could they view it, they would see but not understand the message in Vegan script: ‘Live Cargo. Other End Up.’ Again the second tribe approaches. Shrieks are shrieked; faces are made; ups-and-downs are jumped.


Research requirements

antedating 1942

Earliest cite

Isaac Asimov, ‘Black Friar of the Flame’

Research History
Most cites submitted by Ben Ostrowsky.

We would like to find any recent evidence.

Last modified 2022-01-10 15:22:23
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.