Vielen Dank, Dieter. A timely warning against roaming beyond the borders of one’s native fluency. Ironically (and never to mention the War) the German word most familiar to Brits of my generation (b. 1929) is the noun-cum-warning Achtung! as seen chiefly inside cartoon balloons.
Clayton’s allusion may well survive, but stated more cautiously. For example, by merely noting the undoubted phonetic affinity between Acht and achte. And the sound itself reeks of despair in all languages! Then, taking the literal value 8, can trigger unbounded numerological and gematrial speculations (if 8 doesn’t ‘work,’ try 16 or 64!). All of which opens the door to spurious associations, many of which VN himself disowned with “I wish I had thought of that” (but, often, one feels, with a touch of mock discouragement.) The English idioms that spring to mind with over-zealous allusion-hunting are “making a meal of it,” and “where to draw the line.” After posting my own “creative” (as in “creative accounting”) link from Iris(h) to Liebestod, I remembered Eliot’s direct quote from Tristan und Isolde in the Waste Land: Mein Irisch kind, Wo weilest du? (No challenge to glossers and footnoters there!)
I continue to believe that, in spite of the fun in tracing the sources of VN’s every phrase, his wordplay is very much incidental to his genius for capturing truth and beauty in atmosphere, character and plot. I glean some support for this view in reading VN’s comments on the greatness of Joyce’s Ulysses in contrast to the failure of narrative-obscured Finnegans Wake.
Stan Kelly-Bootle, Oswestry, Salopia, England.
On 15/01/2010 08:15, "Dieter E. Zimmer" <mail@D-E-ZIMMER.DE> wrote:
I am sorry to say that in German "acht" is just "eight" and not the imperative form of "achten" (to respect, to pay attention), not even coloquially. The correct imperative of "achten" would be "achte", "achtet" or "achten Sie". As a noun, "die Acht" survives only in old idioms like "in Acht und Bann tun" (to ostracize). "Acht" is an albeit very rare German surname. Currently there is no "Iris Acht" in the telephone directory.
Dieter Zimmer, Berlin
----- Original Message -----
From: Carolyn Kunin <mailto:chaiselongue@EARTHLINK.NET>
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 5:20 PM
Subject: [NABOKV-L] Wer ist Iris?
Clayton Smith on Iris Acht... Translated,“acht” would have a meaning akin to the authoritative command, “Pay attention!” Given Nabokov’s knowledge of German and penchant for linguistic games, there can be little doubt that he is telling astute readers in no uncertain terms to look at this passage, and specifically Iris Acht, very carefully."
Dear Mr Smith,
Please don't forget the original Iris Acht - - an unfortunate actress who dies young in a wild novel, the victim of a gray villain.
Carolyn Kunin