The librarian (Disc-world)

the librarian of the invisible Université is a character of the Disc-world.

It appeared for the first time in the second book of annals of the Disc-World, the Eighth Magic spell , in which it was transformed into Orang-outan by an effect edge of powerful a magic spell. Since, it appeared in the near total of volumes, even if sometimes its interventon represents only some lines.

By discovering that the state of orang-outang had certain advantages for a librarian (like the fact of not more needing a scale to reach the highest racks), he refused to be retransformé into human. Since there remained an orang-outang. Gradually, the other magi were accustomed to the situation.

The Librarian is famous to have a violent reaction as soon as he intends somebody to use the word “Singe” to nominate his person. Indeed, an orang-outang is a Simien, even a Hominidé, and undoubtedly a anthropoïde. It should be specified that this behavior is especially explainable in English: in the original version, the Librarian puts himself in anger when it is treated “ monkey ”, whereas as orang-outang it is a “ ape ”. These two words respectively indicate the small monkeys (or monkeys with tail) and the large monkeys (or Hominides), whereas the word “French monkey” indicates the two joined together categories. The anger of the Librarian is thus less explainable, but it was necessary well to find an artifice of translation to make the character ombrageux of the character.

The real name of the Librarian mentioned forever in any novel; he is always simply “the Librarian”. It is notable that among all the magi (alive) of the Invisible University, the only one which still knows its name is Rincevent, to which the Librarian has " demandé" not to reveal it at the end of the novel the Last Continent (this request having taken the shape of the suspension of Rincevent by the legs with the top of the parapet of the tower of the university of Foutenlair, on the Iksien continent) . the Vade mecum announces that it could be Doctor Horace Chapelotte, L. are Thau, D.M.

As orang-outang, the Librarian is limited to the level of the sounds which it can pronounce. Those are generally summarized with the word “Oook” and the interjection “Eeek”. The vocabulary is however not limited by it since many magi, such Rincevent, are able to discuss with him. The Librarian even tried to write a Dictionnaire Orang-outan/Humain which gives something like that:

Oook: Yes
Oook: Not
Oook: For you it is perhaps a biomass Végétal E which oxygenates planet, but me, it is there that I live.
Oook: You would not have seen a Banane?
…

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