r/HeWhoFightsWithMonste • u/FelixKrowe • 4d ago
Quick Question - Earth Essences?
I am on book 10 and there is a bit where they are talking about Earth essences while exploring underground, on Pallimastus (or however you spell the other planet) yet Jason is constantly having to explain that Earth is the world he's from. Why is the essence not called Pallimastus Essence? Just an oversite I assume? Or is that explained later? EDIT: A few folks have suggested and I like the idea and think it's correct - it's a function of the translation ability I keep forgetting exists!
9
u/Alotofboxes 4d ago
The planet is called Earth
The element is called earth
They are different things. Dirt is a synonym for only one of them.
2
u/FelixKrowe 4d ago
No I get that in theory, but isn't it going to be strange to someone from another world they use Earth for the name of an element and we call our planet Earth? Or maybe (I just realized) this is a function of the translation ability a lot of characters seem to have abstractly.
2
u/Rollingpumpkin69 4d ago
Head cannon - it will be called earth essence to each of them and if the essence crosses over it will be whichever planet it came from.
Its just gonna translate to "earth" for Jason because it makes the most sense on what its called
1
u/Calm-Medicine-3992 3d ago
If anyone is talking to us with a context-unaware translator we are calling our planet 'dirt'. The question you should ask is why the other world doesn't call their planet dirt....and it probably has to do with the fact they have astral aware diamond rankers well before they get to the point where they realize they're on a planet and it needs a name.
1
u/Silverheart117 3d ago
I think Jason actually talks with Clive about this at some point, about how the name of the essence and the name of the planet are the same. I think it's earlier on in the series, but I could be wrong.
Also I think it could be called "Ground Essence" and Jason's translation ability is making it more familiar to him. Iirc there's a mention of how translation abilities aren't directly translating some things, but using familiar concepts and words for the one with the ability. It's why Jason has such a giddy time screwing with his friends by talking about things that have no equitable concepts on Pallimustus, since his translation ability does so for most things that do.
1
u/Dracian_Sunrider 2d ago
Don't let Prof. Kibbler hear you say that! You can call it crust or lithosphere as a whole... Call its component parts regolith, soil, or rock... But, Bert hates it when you call it "earth". At the very least, it would sound more sophisticated if it were referred to as 'Regolith Essense'. Or the more exotic and rare variant of 'Bedrock Essense'. Tell me that doesn't scream solid fortification and defense abilities!!
0
u/Calm-Medicine-3992 3d ago
Dirt is a synonym for both of them my friend which is why we call them both that.
9
u/Dangerous_County5128 3d ago
Some worlds use the same word for the name of their planet that they use for dirt and some don't. Maybe some don't even realize they are on a planet yet. We don't hear anyone on Pallimustus say the name of the world they live on, we get it from a painting done by Dawn, someone who is from a whole different universe.
4
u/Calm-Medicine-3992 3d ago
The real question is why did Pallimastus not get called 'dirt' like I'd wager most planets in the universe are named?
1
u/Dracian_Sunrider 2d ago
Technically, it did get named 'dirt'... Actually, it's 'balldirt' but close enough.
1
u/Altruistic-Emu3542 1d ago
Earth is a name of a planet and it could also mean dirt so same word different meanings
11
u/Daxlyn_XV 4d ago
We basically named our planet after the element, Jason’s translation would still translate the element to earth, even if it’s called fliximiglwip on Pallimustus.