Re-reading Matt's posting and contrasting it to Fet's
scientific information:
Matt Roth: ... [Virginia
creepers and] Boston Ivy, Parthenocissus tricuspidata (also mentioned in
the W2 definition of Ampelopsis). The overall
point remains the same...
Victor Fet: "Partenocissus is a Latin name for creepers --
ivies of grape family (Vitaceae), of Asian and North American origin. In Russian
it is called "devichii vinograd" (maiden's grape), which is of course a
connection both to maidens (or virginity) and Gradus!"
Jansy: Connections established by
chance in contrast to those that fall under the thumb-rule of the
signifying process are fascinating.
One should not exclude "chance" when reading Nabokov
who loved coincidences. For example:
Matt was marking the hidden connections bt. Shade's
Hall and the wax-wing by the aristocratic creeper Parthenocissus and the
bird's scientific designation "Ampelis".
Fet and Friedman were,apparently, undecided
if, from the general "Parthenocissus", one could decide if the
aforsaid creeper was Virginian or Bostonian. Still, it is Boston, not
Virginia, which lies in the vicinity of Wordsmith.
The coincidence here lies in the name of the state,
Virginia... and the Greek word "Partheno.." (Virgin), for these are
unrelated...are they not?
And yet, perhaps, VN was aware of that convergence
bt. the Virgin-Queen and the kind of reproduction implied in the term
"parthenocissus" ( I'm no expert but... doesn't the word imply reproduction
without sexual intercourse?)
I'm unfamiliar with American culture but I know the
expression "grapevine" ( close in spirits to Kinbote's eavesdropping or to
the conversations he reported as taking place in the lofty Hall) ... and I
also remember now one more coincidence: someone in the List called our
attention to the waxwing's name in French (Jaseur, was it? Talkative and
indiscrete? )