anathem-glossary

A.R.
Year of the Reconstitution. Arbre's dating system defines Year 0 as the year in which the Reconstitution took place; any year prior to that is assigned a negative number, any year that is expressed as a positive number or, equivalently, followed by A.R., happened afterwards.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Adrakhonic Theorem
An ancient theorem from plane geometry, attributed to Adrakhones, the founder of the Temple of Orithena, stating that, in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. Equivalent to the Pythagorean Theorem on Earth.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Allswell
A naturally occurring chemical that, when present in sufficient concentrations in the brain, engenders the feeling that everything is basically fine. Its level may be artificially adjusted by, e.g., consuming blithe.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Analemma
A shape like a slender, elongated figure eight, observed by astronomers who track the way the sun's apparent movement across the sky varies from day to day over the course of a year.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Anathem
(1) In Proto-Orth, a poetic or musical invocation of Our Mother Hylaea, used in the aut of Provener, or (2) an aut by which an incorrigible fraa or suur is ejected from the mathic world.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Apert
The aut in which a math opens its gates for a period of ten days, during which time the avout are free to come and go extramuros, and Seculars are free to come in, sightsee, and talk to the avout. Depending on the math, Apert is celebrated every one, ten, hundred, or thousand years.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Arbortect
One who genetically engineers new species of trees.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Arbre
The name of the planet on which Anathem is set.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Ark
Equivalent to a church, temple, synaogue, etc., on Earth.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Atlanian
See Liaison, Atlanian.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Aut
A rite observed in the mathic world. Some of the more important and commonly celebrated auts are Provener, Eliger, Regred, and Requiem. Rarely celebrated rites include Anathem, Voco, and Inbrase.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Avout
A person sworn to the Cartasian Discipline and therefore dwelling in the mathic, as opposed to Saecular, world.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Baritoe, Saunt
(1) A noblewoman of the mid-Praxic Age, the hostess and the leader of the Sconics. (2) A concent of the same name, one of the Big Three.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Baz
Ancient city-state that later created an empire encompassing the known world.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Bazian Orthodox
The state religion of the Bazian Empire, which survived the Fall of Baz, erected, during the succeeding age, a mathic system parallel to and independent of that inaugurated by Cartas, and endured as one of Arbre's largest faiths.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Big Three
The Concents of Saunt Muncoster, Saunt Tredegarh, and Saunt Baritoe, all relatively old, wealthy, distinguished, and close together.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Blithe
A weed that was genetically altered to produce the brain chemical known as Allswell. Forbidden to the avout.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Bly, Saunt
A theor of the Concent of Saunt Edhar who was Thrown Back and lived out the remainder of his days as a Feral on a butte, later known as Bly's Butte. According to legend, he was worshipped as a god by the local slines, who eventually killed him and ate his liver.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Book, The
A tome filled with subtly incoherent material, which misbehaving avout are forced to study as a form of penance. Divided into chapters, the difficulty of which grows exponentially.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Bulshytt
Speech (typically but not necessarily commercial or political) that employs euphemism, convenient vagueness, numbing repetition, and other such rhetorical subterfuges to create the impression that something has been said.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Calca
An explanation, definition, or lesson that is instrumental in developing some larger theme, but that has been moved aside from the main body of the dialog and encapsulated in a footnote or appendix.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Cartabla
A portable location-finding and map-display gadget, like a GPS unit on Earth.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Cartas, Saunt
An educated Bazian noblewoman who, after the Fall of Baz, founded the first math and created the Discipline that was followed all throughout the Old Mathic Age and, with certain renovations, in the mathic world following the Reconstitution.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Cartasian Discipline
The set of rules prescribed by Saunt Cartas, who is credited with having brought the mathic world into being following the Fall of Baz. An avout is a person who has taken an oath to observe the Discipline.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Causal Domain
A collection of things mutually linked in a web of cause-and-effect relationships.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Centenarian
An avout sworn not to emerge from the math or to have contact with the outside world until the next Centennial Apert. Informally, “Hundreder.”
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Chapter
Local organizational unit of an Order of avout. Orders generally span the entire mathic world, and may have local Chapters in any number of different maths and concents. Commonly, as for example at Edhar, a math will comprise two or more distinct Chapters, belonging to different Orders.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Chronicle
Log of all events, great and small, taking place within a math or concent. Assiduously maintained and archived by hierarchs.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Chronochasm
In Mathic architecture, the space in the interior of a clock tower housing the workings of the clock and related equipment such as dials, bells, etc.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Cnoon
According to Protan metatheorics, the pure, eternal, changeless entities, such as geometric shapes, theorems, numbers, etc., that belong to another plane of existence (the Hylaean Theoric World) and that are somehow perceived or discovered (as opposed to fabricated) by working theors.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Cnous
Ancient historical figure famous for having a vision in which he claimed to see into another, higher world. The vision was interpreted in two different and incompatible ways by his daughters Hylaea and Deat.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Collect
Used as a verb, to accept a newcomer into a math from extramuros during Apert. Typically the newcomer is within a few years of his or her tenth birthday. Used as a noun to denote such a newcomer.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Concent
A relatively large community of avout in which two or more maths exist side by side. In general, Centenarian and Millenarian orders are only to be found in concents, as practical considerations make it difficult for them to exist as freestanding maths.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Convox
A large convocation of avout from maths and concents all over the world. Normally celebrated only at Millennial Apert or following a sack, but also convened in highly exceptional circumstances at the request of the Saecular Power.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Cosmi
Plural of cosmos. A coinage necessary for discoursing of polycosmic theorics.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Cosmographer
In Earth terms, an astronomer/astrophysicist/ cosmologist.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Counter-Bazian
Religion rooted in the same scriptures, and honoring the same prophets, as Bazian Orthodoxy, but explicitly rejecting the authority, and certain teachings, of the Bazian Orthodox faith.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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DAG
See Directed Acyclic Graph.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Datonomy
An approach to philosophy rooted in the work of the Sconics and based on rigorous study of data, or, literally, givens, meaning what is given to our minds by our sensory apparatus.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Deat
One of the two daughers of Cnous, the other being Hylaea. She interpreted her father's vision as meaning that he had glimpsed a heavenly spiritual kingdom populated by angelic beings and ruled by a supreme creator.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Decenarian
An avout sworn not to emerge from the math or to have contact with the outside world until the next Decennial Apert. Informally, “Tenner.”
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Deolater
One who favors Deat's interpretation of her father Cnous's vision and therefore believes in a Heaven with a God in it. Compare Physiologer.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Dialog, Peregrin
A Dialog in which two participants of roughly equal knowledge and intelligence develop an idea by talking to each other, typically while out walking around.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Dialog, Periklynian
A competitive Dialog in which each participant seeks to destroy the other's position (see Plane).
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Dialog, Suvinian
A Dialog in which a mentor instructs a fid, usually by asking the fid questions, as opposed to speaking discursively.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Dialog
A discourse, usually in formal style, between theors. “To be in Dialog” is to participate in such a discussion extemporaneously. The term may also apply to a written record of a historical Dialog; such documents are the cornerstone of the mathic literary tradition and are studied, re-enacted, and memorized by fids. In the classic format, a Dialog involves two principals and some number of onlookers who participate sporadically. Another common format is the Triangular, featuring a savant, an ordinary person who seeks knowledge, and an imbecile. There are countless other classifications, including the suvinian, the Periklynian, and the peregrin.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Diax's Rake
A pithy phrase, uttered by Diax on the steps of the Temple of Orithena when he was driving out the fortune-tellers with a gardener's rake. Its general import is that one should never believe a thing only because one wishes that it were true. After this event, most Physiologers accepted the Rake and, in Diax's terminology, thus became Theors. The remainder became known as Enthusiasts.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Diax
An early physiologer at the Temple of Orithena, credited with driving out the Enthusiasts, founding theorics, and placing it on a solid, rigorous intellectual footing.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Directed Acyclic Graph
An arrangement of nodes connected by one-way links (think boxes connected by arrows) so arranged that it is not possible to follow the links around in a circle.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Discipline
See Cartasian Discipline.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Dowment
In its most general usage, any wealth accumulated and held by a Lineage in the mathic world. Almost always used to refer to a building and its contents.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Doyn
At Concents that observe the mealtime tradition of the Messal, a senior avout who has the privilege of sitting at the table and being waited on by a servitor.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Drummon
A large wheeled vehicle used extramuros to transport heavy freight on roads.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Ecba
A volcanic island in the Sea of Seas, home of the Temple of Orithena until the catastrophic eruption of-2621.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Edhar
A Saunt belonging to the Evenedrician order who in 297 established a new order and later founded a concent, where he lived until he died; both the order and the concent ended up being named after him. The full name of the latter is “The Concent of Saunt Edhar” but in common usage this is often shortened to “Saunt Edhar” or simply “Edhar.”
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Eleven
The list of plants forbidden intramuros, typically because of their undesirable pharmacological properties. The Discipline states that any specimen noticed growing in the math is to be uprooted and burned without delay, and that the event is to be noted in the Chronicle.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Eliger
The aut by which a fid chooses, and is chosen by, a specific chapter in his or her math, and thereby ceases to be a fid. Typically celebrated within a few years of the age of twenty.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Enthusiast
Disparaging term for those early Physiologers at Orithena who were driven out by Diax because of their unwillingness or inability to think rigorously.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Erasmas
A fraa at Saunt Baritoe's in the Fourteenth Century A.R. who, along with Uthentine, founded the branch of metatheorics called Complex Protism. Also, his namesake, a fraa at Saunt Edhar's in the Thirty-seventh Century who narrates Anathem.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Ethras
A relatively prosperous and powerful city-state in the ancient world that, during its Golden Age (circa-2600 to-2300) was home to many theors, including Thelenes and Protas. The site of many important Dialogs studied, re-enacted, and memorized by fids.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Etrevanean
See Liaison, Etrevanean.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Evenedric
A protege of Halikaarn, credited with carrying Halikaarn's work forward into the time of the Reconstitution and helping to found the Semantic Faculties.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Evenedricians
An early offshoot of the Halikaarnians.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Everything Killer
A weapons system of unusual praxic sophistication, thought to have been used to devastating effect in the Terrible Events. The belief is widely held, but unproved, that the complicity of theors in the development of this praxis led to universal agreement that they should henceforth be segregated from non-theorical society, a policy that when effected became synonymous with the Reconstitution.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Evoke
To call out an avout in the aut of Voco.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Extra
Slightly disparaging term used by avout to refer to Saecular people.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Extramuros
The world outside the walls of the math; the Saecular world.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Faanians
An early offshoot of the Procians.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Fendant
See Warden Fendant.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Feral
A literate and theorically minded person who dwells in the Seculum, cut off from contact with the mathic world. Typically an ex-avout who has renounced his or her vows or been Thrown Back, though the term is also technically applicable to autodidacts who have never been avout.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Fetch
A wheeled vehicle used extramuros, typically by artisans, to transport small amounts of freight, tools, etc. Typically larger and less comfortable than a mobe.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Fid
A young avout; an avout who has not yet joined an Order. See Eliger.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Fluccish
The dominant global language of the Saecular world. Derived from an ancient “barbarian” (i.e., non-Orth) language, its vocabulary overlaps with that of Orth when dealing with abstractions, technical, medical, or legal terms. When extramuros culture is largely illiterate or aliterate (which is most of the time), it is written in short-lived, ad hoc writing systems such as Kinagrams or Logotype, but it can also be transcribed using the same alphabet as is employed for Orth.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Fraa
A male avout.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Gardan's Steelyard
(1) A rule of thumb stating that when one is comparing two hypotheses, preference should be given to the one that is simpler. Also referred to as Saunt Gardan's Steelyard or simply the Steelyard.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Gheeth
An informal term, verging on an ethnic slur, for a particular ethnic group in the Saecular world.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Graduation
A procedure by which an avout belonging to a Unarian, Decenarian, or Centenarian math may move up to (respectively) the adjoining Decenarian, Centenarian, or Millenarian math, traditionally by passing through a labyrinth that bridges the two maths in question.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Grandfraa
An informal term of respect by which an avout might address a very senior fraa, especially, but not necessarily, one who has celebrated the aut of Regred.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Grandsuur
An informal term of respect by which an avout might address a very senior suur, especially, but not necessarily, one who has celebrated the aut of Regred.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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HTW
See Hylaean Theoric World.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Halikaarn
A Saunt from the last decades of the Praxic Age who clashed with his contemporary, Proc. Sometimes called Saunt Halikaarn the Great. Broadly speaking, Halikaarn is seen as the standard-bearer of the school of theorics promulgated thousands of years earlier by Protas and Thelenes and carried forward after his death by his disciple Evenedric and the Semantic Faculties.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Halikaarnian
Of, or relating to, Saunt Halikaarn or any of the Orders that claim descent from the Semantic Faculties. Frequently seen as natural opponents of Procians and Faanians.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Harbinger
One of a series of three calamities that engulfed most of Arbre during the last decades of the Praxic Age and later came to be seen as precursors or warnings of the Terrible Events. The precise nature of the Harbingers is difficult to sort out because of destruction of records (many of which were stored on syntactic devices that later ceased functioning) but it is generally agreed that the First Harbinger was a worldwide outbreak of violent revolutions, the Second was a world war, and the Third was a genocide.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Hemn space
What is called configuration, state, or phase space on Earth.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Hierarch
One of a specialized caste of avout whose responsibilities include the administration of maths and concents, interaction with the Saecular world and with hierarchs in other maths, defense of the math from Saecular molestation, policing, and maintenance of the Discipline.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Hundred, to go
To lose one's mind, to become mentally unsound, to stray iredeemably from the path of theorics.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Hundreder
Informal term for a Centenarian (see).
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Hylaea
One of the two daughters of Cnous, the other being Deat. She interpreted her father's vision as meaning that he had glimpsed a higher and more perfect world (the Hylaean Theoric World or HTW) populated by pure geometric forms, crudely copied by geometers in this world.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Hylaean Theoric World
The name used by most adherents of Protism to denote the higher plane of existence populated by perfect geometric forms, theorems, and other pure ideas (cnoons)
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Hypotrochian Transquaestiation
Only one of a very large number of rhetorical tactics drilled into fids, particularly those under the tutelage of Procians. It means to change the subject in such a way as to assert, implicitly, that a controversial point has already been settled one way or the other.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Iconography
An oversimplified and, in most cases, wildly inaccurate schema used by Seculars to make sense of what little they know of the mathic world, often taking the form of a conspiracy theory or an allusion to characters and situations from popular entertainments.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Icosahedron
A roughly spherical geometric figure with twenty faces, each of which is an equilateral triangle.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Inbrase
A rarely celebrated aut in which Peregrins are welcomed back into the mathic world following a journey through the Seculum.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Incanter
A legendary figure, associated in folklore with Halikaarnian orders, said to be able to alter physical reality by the incantation of certain coded words or phrases.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Inquisition
Global body charged with maintaining uniform standards of the Discipline across all maths and concents, typically acting through the Wardens Regulant.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Inviolate
One of the three Millenarian maths that was never breached during the seven decades of the Third Sack. The Three Inviolates were at the Concents of Saunt Edhar, Saunt Rambalf, and Saunt Tredegarh.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Ita
A caste dwelling in the mathic world but segregated from the avout, responsible for all functions having to do with syntactic devices and the Reticulum.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Jeejah
Ubiquitous handheld electronic device used by Seculars, combining functions of mobile telephone, camera, network browser, etc. Forbidden in the mathic world.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Jumpweed
A ubiquitous weed that when chewed acts as a stimulant. Psychoactive in larger doses. One of the Eleven.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Kedev
A devotee of the Kelx or Triangle faith.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Kefedokhles
A smug, pedantic interlocutor.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Kelx
(1) A religious faith created during the Sixteenth or Seventeenth Century A.R. The name is a contraction of the Orth Ganakelux meaning “Triangle place,” so called because of the symbolic importance of triangles in the faith's iconography. (2) An ark of the Kelx faith.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Kinagrams
A simple set of ideograms used by Seculars in place of a written language per se.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Laboratorium
At a Convox, a daily work session, typically in the morning, in which the attendees gather in groups to which they have been assigned by the hierarchs and pursue specific projects.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Lesper's Coordinates
Also called Saunt Lesper's Coordinates. Equivalent to Cartesian coordinates on Earth.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Liaison, Atlanian
An unusual type of liaison between a Tenner and a partner who dwells extramuros, therefore only capable of being consummated every ten years.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Liaison, Etrevanean
A liaison roughly equivalent to going steady in the Saecular world.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Liaison, Perelithian
A liaison equivalent to marriage in the Saecular world.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Liaison, Tivian
The most casual and ephemeral type of liaison.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Liaison
A relationship, typically sexual or at least romantic, in the mathic world.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Lineage, Old
According to some traditions, an unbroken chain of mentors and fids beginning with Metekoranes and extending all the way to the era in which Anathem is set, and as such, constituting a community of theors more ancient than, and separate from, the mathic tradition founded by Saunt Cartas.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Lineage
In general, a chronological sequence of avout who, prior to the Third Sack reforms, acquired and held property exceeding the bolt, chord, and sphere, each conferring the property upon a chosen heir at the moment of death. In this sense, frequently connected with Dowments. Also, sometimes used as a shorthand term for the Old Lineage; see Lineage, Old.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Loctor
Informal contraction of Interlocutor, meaning one's partner in a Dialog.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Logotype
A simple writing system used by Seculars but, during the time in which Anathem is set, being rendered obsolete by Kinagrams.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Lorite
A member of an Order founded by Saunt Lora, who believed that all of the ideas that the human mind was capable of coming up with had already been come up with. Lorites are, therefore, historians of thought who assist other avout in their work by making them aware of others who have thought similar things in the past, and thereby preventing them from re-inventing the wheel.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Lucub
At a Convox, an informal work group that, on the members' own initiative, meets in the evening to “burn the midnight oil” on some topic of shared interest.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Ma
An informal term of respect by which a fid might address a more senior suur.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Magister
Title bestowed on the clergy of the Kelx faith.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Matarrhite
One of an Order founded at the Centenarian math of the Concent of Saunt Beedle's between the Second and Third Centennial Aperts. One of the few explicitly religious Orders of avout. Reclusive even by the standards of the mathic world. During the Third Sack they fled to an island in the southern polar regions, where they developed various distinctive cultural traits, including bolts that covered their entire bodies and an austere cuisine based on the limited range of edible things in their environment.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Math
A relatively small community of avout (typically fewer than a hundred, sometimes as small as one). In general, all members of a given math celebrate Apert on the same schedule, i.e., all of them are either Unarians, Decenarians, Centenarians, or Millenarians. Compare Concent.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Messal
At certain (typically larger and older) concents, the traditional way of taking the evening meal, in which no more than seven senior avout (doyns) are waited on by an equal number of junior avout (servitors).
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Metatheorics
Equivalent to metaphysics on Earth. The part of human thought that addresses questions so fundamental that they must be settled before one can even begin to do productive work in theorics.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Metekoranes
A theor of ancient times who was buried under volcanic ash in the eruption that destroyed Orithena. According to some traditions, the founder (probably unwittingly) of the Old Lineage. See Lineage, Old.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Millenarian
An avout sworn not to emerge from the math or to have contact with the outside world until the next Millennial Apert. Informally, “Thousander.”
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Mobe
A wheeled passenger vehicle used extramuros.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Muncoster, Saunt
(1) A theor of the late Praxic Age, responsible for crucial advances in what is called, on Earth, general relativity. (2) One of the Big Three concents.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Mynster
At many concents, the large centrally located building that houses the clock and that serves as the venue for auts and other gatherings of the entire population.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Mystagogue
One who is fond of mysterious thinking and obfuscatory cant. In the Old Mathic Age, an all too powerful faction during the centuries leading to the Rebirth. Since then, a pejorative term.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Newmatter
A form of matter whose atomic nuclei were artificially synthesized and which therefore has physical properties not found in naturally occurring elements or their compounds.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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One Hundred and Sixty-four
A list of plants allowed to be cultivated within maths by the version of the Discipline current at the time in which Anathem is set. Expanded from shorter lists found in earlier versions of the Discipline dating all the way back to Saunt Cartas. The plants on the list are deemed adequate to supply all nutritional requirements of the avout as well as filling other needs including medicinal, shade, erosion control, etc. Compare Eleven.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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One-off
Informal term for a Unarian (see).
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Orithena
A temple founded in ancient times by Adrakhones on the Isle of Ecba, later populated by physiologers who migrated there from all over the ancient world. Destroyed by a volcanic eruption in-2621, excavated, beginning in 3000, by avout who founded a new math around the perimeter of the dig.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Orth
The classical language used by all classes of people in the Bazian Empire and, during the Old Mathic Age, used intramuros in both Cartasian maths and Bazian Orthodox monasteries. The language of science and learned discourse in the Praxic Age. In a revived and modernized form, the language used at almost all times by the avout. May also denote the alphabet used to write it.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Pa
An informal term of respect by which a fid might address a more senior fraa.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Panjandrum
Fraa Orolo's pejorative term for a high-ranking official of the Saecular Power.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Penance
Tedious or unpleasant chore assigned as punishment by the Warden Regulant to avout who have violated the Discipline.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Peregrin
(1) In ancient usage, the epoch beginning with the destruction of the Temple of Orithena in-2621 and ending several decades later with the flourishing of the Golden Age of Ethras. (2) A theor who survived Orithena and wandered about the ancient world, sometimes alone and sometimes in the company of other such. (3) A Dialog supposedly dating to this epoch. Many were later written down and incorporated into the literature of the mathic world. (4) In modern usage, an avout who, under certain exceptional circumstances, leaves the confines of the math and travels through the Saecular world while trying to observe the spirit, if not the letter, of the Discipline.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Perelithian Liaison
See Liaison, Perelithian.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Periklyne
An open area in the ancient city-state of Ethras, home to the market, where Golden Age theors were wont to congregate and engage one another in Dialog.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Physiologer
In the span of time between Cnous and Diax, a thinker who followed the Hylaean Way, i.e., who favored Hylaea's interpretation of her father's vision. The forerunners of theors and the founders of the Temple of Orithena. Compare Deolater.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Plane
Used as a verb, utterly to destroy an opponent's position in the course of a Dialog.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Plenary
In a Convox, an event in which all attendees come together in the same room at the same time for some purpose.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Polycosm
Two or more universes (cosmi), especially when considered as a system that includes the possibility of interactions between cosmi.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Presidium
In Mathic architecture, the tallest structure in a concent, typically the clock tower.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Praxic Age
Period of Arbre's history beginning in the century after the Rebirth (therefore, approximately-500) and ending with the Terrible Events and the Reconstitution (the year 0). So called because the inhabitants of the old mathic system, who had dispersed into the Saecular world after the Rebirth, put their theorics to work exploring the globe and creating technology.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Praxic
An applied scientist, an engineer.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Praxis
Technology.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Primate
The highest-ranking hierarch in a math or concent.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Proc
A late Praxic Age metatheorician, the standard-bearer in his age of the theorical lineage traceable to the Sphenics, and the progenitor of all orders that trace their descent to the Syntactic (as opposed to Semantic) Faculties of the early post-Reconstitution maths. Contrast with Halikaarn.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Procian
Of, or relating to, Saunt Proc or any of the Orders that claim descent from the Syntactic Faculties. Frequently seen as natural opponents of Halikaarnians.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Protan
Of or relating to the ancient Ethran philosopher Protas.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Protas
A student of Thelenes during the Golden Age of Ethras, later the most important theor in Arbran history. Building on the foundation laid by Hylaea and later strengthened by the Orithenans, developed the notion that the objects and ideas that humans perceive and think about are imperfect manifestations of pure, ideal forms that exist in another plane of existence.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Protism, Complex
A relatively recent (Fourteenth Century A.R.) interpretation of traditional (“Simple”) Protism, positing more than two (possibly infinitely many) causal domains linked in a Directed Acyclic Graph or DAG, known, in the most general case, as the Wick. Information about cnoons is assumed to flow through the DAG from “more Hylaean” to “less Hylaean” cosmi.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Protism, Simple
A retroactive coinage used by Uthentine and Erasmas to contrast the traditional conception of Protism, which consisted of one Hylaean Theoric World having a causal relationship to the cosmos in which Arbre is embedded, to their new scheme, which they dubbed Complex Protism. See Protism, Complex.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Protism
The philosophy of Protas. More specifically, the notion that theors perceive pure ideas from another realm of existence known as the Hylaean Theoric World.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Provener
The most commonly observed aut of the mathic world, typically celebrated every day at noon, and linked to the winding of a clock.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Rake
See Diax's Rake.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Rambalf
A concent. One of the Three Inviolates.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Rebirth
The historical event dividing the Old Mathic Age from the Praxic Age, usually dated at around-500, during which the gates of the maths were thrown open and the avout dispersed into the Saecular world. Characterized by a sudden flowering of culture, theorical advancement, and exploration.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Reconstitution
The state of affairs that came into being following the Terrible Events, whereby almost all learned and literate persons were concentrated together in maths and concents.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Regred
The aut by which a senior avout withdraws from active service and goes into retirement.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Regulant
See Warden Regulant.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Requiem
The aut celebrated to mark the death of an avout.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Ret
See Reticulum.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Reticule
A network; two or more syntactic devices that are able to communicate with one another.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Reticulum
The largest reticulum, joining together the preponderance of all reticules in the world.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Rhetor
A legendary figure, associated in folklore with Procian orders, said to have the power of altering the past by manipulating memories and other physical records.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Ringing Vale
A mountain valley that gave its name to a math founded there in 17 A.R., specializing in study and developments of martial arts and related topics. See Vale-Lore.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Rod
Military slang. To bombard a target, typically on the surface of a planet, by dropping a rod of some dense material on it from orbit. The rod has no moving parts or explosives; its destructiveness is a consequence of its extremely high velocity.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Saecular
Of or pertaining to the non-mathic world.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Saecular Power
Whatever entity currently wields power in the non-mathic world.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Seculum
The Saecular world.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Sack
A breach of the terms of the Reconstitution in which maths or concents are forcibly violated and despoiled by Saecular interlopers. Normally used only to refer to Sacks-General, in which most or all of the maths and concents are sacked at the same time.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Samblites
A religious sect tracing its origin back to Saunt Bly, and centered on Bly's Butte, not far from the Concent of Saunt Edhar.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Sarthian
Steppe-dwelling horse archers of ancient times, held responsible for the Fall and Sack of Baz, which ended the Bazian Empire and inaugurated the Old Mathic Age.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Saunt
A title bestowed on great thinkers.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Sconic
One of a group of Praxic Age theors who gathered at the house of Lady Baritoe. They addressed the ramifications of the apparent fact that we do not perceive the physical universe directly, but only through the intermediation of our sensory organs.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Sea of Seas
A relatively small but complex body of salt water, connected to Arbre's great oceans in three places by straits, generally viewed as the cradle of classical civilization.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Semantic Faculties
Factions within the mathic world, in the years following the Reconstitution, generally claiming descent from Halikaarn. So named because they believed that symbols could bear actual semantic content. The idea is traceable to Protas and to Hylaea before him. Compare Syntactic Faculties.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Sequence
The genetic code of a living organism. In various usages, equivalent to gene, genetic, or DNA on Earth.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Servitor
At Concents that observe the mealtime tradition of the Messal, a junior avout who is assigned to wait on a doyn.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Sline
An extramuros person with no special education, skills, aspirations, or hope of acquiring same, generally construed as belonging to the lowest social class.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Sphenics
A school of theors well represented in ancient Ethras, where they were hired by well-to-do families as tutors for their children. In many classic Dialogs, seen in opposition to Thelenes, Protas, or others of their school. Their most prominent champion was Uraloabus, who in the Dialog of the same name was planed so badly by Thelenes that he committed suicide on the spot. They disputed the views of Protas and, broadly speaking, preferred to believe that theorics took place entirely between the ears, with no recourse to external realities such as the Protan forms. The forerunners of Saunt Proc, the Syntactic Faculties, and the Procians.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Starhenge
In Earth terms, an observatory, esp. one with multiple telescopes.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Steelyard
See Gardan's Steelyard.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Suur
A female avout.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Suvin
A school.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Syndev
Contraction of Syntactic Device. A computer.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Syntactic Device
In Earth terms, a computer.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Syntactic Faculties
Factions within the mathic world, in the years following the Reconstitution, generally claiming descent from Proc. So named because they believed that language, theorics, etc., were essentially games played with symbols devoid of semantic content. The idea is traceable to the ancient Sphenics, who were frequent opponents of Thelenes and Protas on the Periklyne.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Tangle
A cultivated plot, roughly hexagonal in plan, supporting a particular set of more or less genetically engineered food-bearing plant species that, taken together, supply all of the nutritional requirements for a single avout. A web of symbiotic relationships among the species bolsters the health and productivity of the plants while preventing exhaustion of the soil. In concents that employ the tangle system, each avout is responsible for maintenance of one tangle; the produce of all of the tangles is pooled to supply food for the concent. Since a math cannot observe the Discipline when it is dependent on Saecular trade for foodstuffs, the tangle is a fundamental enabling technology for the Reconstitution.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Teglon
An extremely challenging geometry problem worked on at Orithena and later, all over Arbre, by subsequent generations of theors. The objective is to tile a regular decagon with a set of seven different shapes of tiles, while observing certain rules.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Tenner
Informal term for Decenarian (see).
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Tenth Night
The traditional conclusion of an Apert, held on its tenth and final night. A feast served by the math to any and all extramuros visitors who wish to attend. Also used to transact certain necessary items of business with the Saecular Power, such as formal transfer of new Collects from Saecular to mathic jurisdiction.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Terrible Events
A poorly documented worldwide catastrophe thought to have begun in the year-5. Whatever it was, it terminated the Praxic Age and led immediately to the Reconstitution.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Thelenes
A great theor of the Golden Age of Ethras, protagonist of many Dialogs, mentor to Protas. Executed by the Ethran authorities for irreligious, or at least disrespectful, teachings.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Theor
Any practitioner of theorics, which see.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Theorician
Nearly equivalent to theor, but with slightly different connotations. “theorician” tends to be used of one who is devoted to highly specific, detailed, technical work, e.g., carrying out elaborate computations.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Theorics
Roughly equivalent to mathematics, logic, science, and philosophy on Earth. The term can fairly be applied to any intellectual work that is pursued in a rigorous and disciplined manner; it was coined by Diax to distinguish those who observed the Rake from those who engaged in wishful or magical thinking.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Thousander
Informal term for a Millenarian (see).
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Throw Back
An informal term meaning to subject an avout to the aut of Anathem.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Throwback
An ex-avout who was Anathematized.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Tredegarh
One of the Big Three concents, named after Lord Tredegarh, a mid-to-late Praxic Age theor responsible for fundamental advances in thermodynamics.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Triangle Ark
Alternate term for the Kelx faith or one of its arks.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Unarian
An avout sworn not to emerge from the math or to have contact with the outside world until the next Annual Apert. Informally, “One-off.”
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Upsight
A sudden, usually unlooked-for moment of clear understanding.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Uraloabus
Prominent Sphenic theor of the Golden Age of Ethras who, if the account of Protas is to be credited, committed suicide after being planed by Thelenes.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Uthentine
A suur at Saunt Baritoe's in the Fourteenth Century A.R. who, along with Erasmas, founded the branch of metatheorics called Complex Protism.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Vale-lore
Martial arts. Associated with the Ringing Vale (see).
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Valer
An avout of the Ringing Vale; one who has, therefore, devoted his or her entire life to the martial arts.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Vlor
An informal contraction of Vale-lore (see).
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Voco
A rarely celebrated aut by which the Saecular Power Evokes (calls forth from the math) an avout whose talents are needed in the Saecular world. Except in very unusual cases, the one Evoked never returns to the mathic world.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Vout
An avout. Derogatory term used extramuros. Associated with Seculars who subscribe to iconographies that paint the avout in an extremely negative way.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Warden Fendant
A hierarch charged with defending the math or concent from Saecular interlopers, by all means up to and including physical violence, and typically overseeing a staff of more junior hierarchs trained to carry out such functions.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Warden of Heaven
During the years leading up to the time in which Anathem is set, a popular religious leader who obtained Saecular power by claiming to embody the wisdom of the mathic world.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Warden Regulant
A hierarch charged with maintaining the Discipline intramuros, empowered to conduct investigations and to mete out penance. Technically subordinate to the Primate but ultimately answerable to the Inquisition, and empowered to depose the Primate in certain exceptional circumstances.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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Wick
In Complex Protism, a fully generalized Directed Acyclic Graph in which a large (possibly infinite) number of cosmi are linked by a more or less complicated web of cause-and-effect relationships. Information flows from cosmi that are more “up-Wick” to those that are more “down-Wick” but not vice versa.
~ From the glossary of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson
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