Pynchon's Preterite

[Paul Mackin]

On Wed, 2004-10-20 at 08:37, Ghetta Life wrote:
> >From: "Joseph Tracy" <brook7 at earthlink.net>
> >
> > > From: Paul Mackin <paul.mackin at verizon.net>
> > >
> > > Pynchon appropriated the grammatical and general term "preterite"  
> >meaning past or past tense to apply to the poor and wretched of the earth, 
> >by analogy with those who are passed over, not Elected for Salvation, under 
> >the theological doctrine of Preterition.
> > >
> >I sort of deduced something like that but am confused, because despite a 
> >pretty good familiarity with theological language, I am un familiar with 
> >the term Preterition. I know the term perdition, meaning lost, but it's a 
> >different root word. Is Preterition a Calvinist term? any more info on the 
> >history?
> 
> As with many things Pynchonian, his use of the word "preterite" is a playful 
> coinage with numerous connotations.  Websters has it defined thus:
> 
> Main Entry: 1preterit
> Variant(s): or preterite  /'pre-t&-r&t/
> Function: adjective
> Etymology: Middle English preterit, from Middle French, from Latin 
> praeteritus, from past participle of praeterire to go by, pass, from praeter 
> beyond, past, by (from comparative of prae before) + ire to go -- more at 
> FOR, ISSUE
> archaic : BYGONE, FORMER
> 
> To be "passed by" is reminiscent of "passed over," which is the root of the 
> name of the Passover celebration of Judaism.  I assume everyone knows the 
> story of the last scourge G-d sent to Egypt whereby those houses whose entry 
> doorframes were smeared with the blood of the sacrificial animal were 
> passed over, that is, not visited by the Angel of Death.  Obviously in 
> this usage to be preterite would have its advantages.  Of course the 
> wretched in this case would be those not passed over.
> 
> Calvanism also obviously applies because it preaches that there is a 
> select people (just as Judaism preached that the Jews were G-ds chosen) 
> foreknown by God to be saved.  All others are predestined to damnation.

Are there any p-listers out there who are fluent in Herero?

I was wondering what sense of being passed over "mba-kayere" (I am
passed over) indicates.

When Hereros go around chanting mba-kayere are they mainly referring to
the fact that so many of their kind were slaughtered and their
traditional way of life was so compromised, OR, are they celebrating the
fact that at least they themselves, the current chanters, are still
around to tell the tale. 

The closing pages of the book (p734-5) seems to indicate the latter
sense.

Perhaps either/or is not appropriate here and the Herero incantation
means both.

Is the meaning supposed to be that it is possible under extreme
conditions to overcome logocentrism? Or binary opposition?

Who knows?