Re: [Freeciv-Dev] City styles - proposal.

[Daniel Burrows <Daniel_Burrows@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, Sep 14, 1999 at 06:27:48PM +1000, David Pfitzner was heard to say:
> Jerzy Klek wrote:
> 
> > I have been thinking about one civ2 feature for some time:
> > the city picture were different for different city sizes
> > and also architecture styles like antic, far-east and so on.
> 
> I like the idea; a few comments:
> 
> - "antic" seems a strange term to me, though I guess its related
>   to "antique"/"antiquity".  "Ancient" seems more natural.

  I suspect he didn't mean 'antic', but here you are :-)

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:

  Antic \An"tic\, a. [The same word as antique; cf. It. antico
     ancient. See {Antique}.]
     1. Old; antique. (Zo["o]l.) ``Lords of antic fame.'' --Phaer.
  
     2. Odd; fantastic; fanciful; grotesque; ludicrous.
  
              The antic postures of a merry-andrew. --Addison.
  
              The Saxons . . . worshiped many idols, barbarous in
              name, some monstrous, all antic for shape. --Fuller.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:

  Antic \An"tic\, n.
     1. A buffoon or merry-andrew; one that practices odd
        gesticulations; the Fool of the old play.
  
     2. An odd imagery, device, or tracery; a fantastic figure.
  
              Woven with antics and wild imagery.   --Spenser.
  
     3. A grotesque trick; a piece of buffoonery; a caper.
  
              And fraught with antics as the Indian bird That
              writhes and chatters in her wiry cage. --Wordsworth.
  
     4. (Arch.) A grotesque representation. [Obs.]
  
     5. An antimask. [Obs. or R.]
  
              Performed by knights and ladies of his court In
              nature of an antic.                   --Ford.

  -- so I think this was a correct (albiet archaic) use of the word.  But
    I like the idea of 'Odd; fantastic; fanciful; grotesque; ludicrous'
    buildings as well! :-)

  Daniel

-- 
  He was the kind of man who can use the word "personnel" and mean it.
  -- Terry Pratchett, _The Light Fantastic_