Brother-Chaplain Kage Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Having recently read through the Ravenor series again, 'selpic blue' came up quite a few times and I seem to remember reading it in some Abnett's other books. Unless he's making up words now, I can't find any sort of definition online. Anyone have an answer for what selpic blue is exactly? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/293621-selpic-blue/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucien Eilam Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 If it's a real word, I don't know where he found it. It could be derived from a place name that would make sense to people living in the Scarus sector. Like indigo (from the Greek word for "Indian") or magenta (named for the Battle of Magenta) in English, neither of which would mean anything to Gothic-speaking people living half a galaxy away 38,000 years in the future. Alternatively, copper sulphate is a vivid blue crystal familiar to most people from school chemistry lessons. "selpic" could be derived from "sulphate" via thousands of years of language drift. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/293621-selpic-blue/#findComment-3764475 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdemayo Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 I'm pretty sure "selpic" is an invented word. I have long admired Abnett's ability to convey an illusion of depth of culture by inventing words, choosing obscure words, or assembling words from different roots. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/293621-selpic-blue/#findComment-3824433 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaeron Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 If it's a real word, I don't know where he found it. Alternatively, copper sulphate is a vivid blue crystal familiar to most people from school chemistry lessons. "selpic" could be derived from "sulphate" via thousands of years of language drift. I don't think it's a real word per se - but happy to be proven wrong. I'd agree that it's probably the closest influence, and works superbly. A word that you basically know what it describes and can picture... when in fact, it's not even a word at all. Too talented. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/293621-selpic-blue/#findComment-3824467 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdemayo Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Just out of curiousity, how do you picture selpic blue? I imagine it as a coppery iridescent blue-green the color of a dragonfly's wing. This is, I admit, based on no evidence whatsoever. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/293621-selpic-blue/#findComment-3829705 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conn Eremon Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I can't help but connect the word to septic. It just sounds really similar. So I tend to think of it as a dirty, brownish blue. Not that the thing that is selpic blue is dirty or anything, just that this is the shade of blue that this thing is painted or colored. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/293621-selpic-blue/#findComment-3829762 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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