What's up with the Solomani?

[Scratches]

I've never like the name Solomani, we call those folks Terrans IMTU.

Curious as to how the term originated and became the Galanglic standard historically within the OTU . I can see that it relates to the other major human race names with the use of Sol, but it doesn't seem like something the self absorbed Earthers would approve of. I can see the Imperium using it but not the Confederation.

It sounds insultingly Vilani.

 

[Procopius]

Well, I mean, who uses the name "Terrans" right now in casual conversation? I like it, it's one of those little setting touches that makes the universe a little alien. Of course, I prefer the Spinward Marches to the Rim as a setting for the same reason.

 

[TheDS]

It's DIFFERENT, plus it's INTERESTING. "Terrans" has been done to death, just like "Earthlings". "Earthers" is less common, but getting old. Solomani, being Italian, sounds cool, and it's uncommon, so people wonder what it is. And when you explain the dual meaning, it's even more cool.

 

[Orr]

Curious as to how the term originated and became the Galanglic standard historically within the OTU .

IIRC, there's a mention in MT about an early 2E/RoM emperor - perhaps Hiroshi Estigarribia himself? - using the term "men of Sol" or Sol men" in some speech.

Apparently the term "Solomani" was just elided from that usage.

 

[aramis]

I've never like the name Solomani, we call those folks Terrans IMTU.

Curious as to how the term originated and became the Galanglic standard historically within the OTU . I can see that it relates to the other major human race names with the use of Sol, but it doesn't seem like something the self absorbed Earthers would approve of. I can see the Imperium using it but not the Confederation.

It sounds insultingly Vilani.

The OTU is, largely, told from the 3rd Imperium's perspective.

Aslan is not what the Fteirle call themselves.
Vargr is not what most Vargr will call themselves - but they lack a singular word.
Zhodani is not the Zhdotlas' name for themselves (Which means, per AM Z, "Superior Man")

Solomani probably is the Bilandin word for men of sol. It's remarkably like italian...

 

[kilemall]

I would assume it was part and parcel of the Rule of Man, to shed the image of the tiny Terran Confed and to get across that Earth rule was expansive enough to use cultural memes as 'just another branch of humaniti/we're not that bad once you knuckle under and get used to us'.

Indeed, one could say a goodly portion of the Terran leadership likely got submerged in Vilani culture, much like the Mongols did in their various subject kingdoms.

 

[Brian Smaller]

That reminds me.

A Vilani and a Terran meet. Despite difficulties with language the Terran asks the Vilani where he comes from and gets told.
"Ahh, Vland" Says the Terran, "I am from Earth"
But the Vilani was too polite to reply.

 

[DonM]

Actually, I've had this clarified for me, and hope to write things this way going forward.

From an IMPERIUM perspective, Terran would refer to anything done by humans originating from Terra including the Interstellar Wars, the Rule of Man, the Long Night, and up to the political developments of the Solomani Movement at court after the Civil War. Anything involving the Solomani Movement at court, the Solomani Autonomous Region or the Solomani Confederation would be Solomani, while anything involving other humans from Terra not part of the Confederation or supporting the movement should probably get Terrran.

Now, as WRITTEN... it gets more confusing. Some authors use Solomani for everything, which *IS* the Solomani perspective.

Definitely something to think about for future authors.

 

[McPerth]

IIRC, there's a mention in MT about an early 2E/RoM emperor - perhaps Hiroshi Estigarribia himself? - using the term "men of Sol" or Sol men" in some speech.

Apparently the term "Solomani" was just elided from that usage.

ITTR to have read somewhere (sorry, I cannot give you exact reference) that the origin of the world Solomani was in doubt among "Men of Sol" and "Solo Men", making reference of being the only true men, as they are the only ones from men home planet.

 

[Scratches]

IIRC, there's a mention in MT about an early 2E/RoM emperor - perhaps Hiroshi Estigarribia himself? - using the term "men of Sol" or Sol men" in some speech.

Apparently the term "Solomani" was just elided from that usage.

You are right about the etymology. I found the original source material, rather embarrassingly, right at the beginning in CT Alien Module 6 on page 7. There's a section "Origin of the Term Solomani" saying exactly that.

Good info on this thread, thanks everyone.

 

[Condottiere]

When the Solomani liberate Earth, they should celebrate by renaming their polity the Terran Confederation, centred on Terra.

 

[simonh]

If humans of terran descent had colonised the rest of our solar system (The Moon, Mars, the Asteroid belt, etc) before contacting the Vilani, the term Terran might have been in common usage to mean people specifically from Earth as against anywhere else in the solar system. In which case they'd need a new term to refer to people from our solar system in general.

Simon Hibbs

 

[Dagrill]

Well, I mean, who uses the name "Terrans" right now in casual conversation? I like it, it's one of those little setting touches that makes the universe a little alien. Of course, I prefer the Spinward Marches to the Rim as a setting for the same reason.

Well I use Terra as part of the address on the back of postcards I send and I included it in the email to Marc when he requested my up to date address recently, but I don't use it in business letters, casual conversations or when dealing with the tax man, as I make the assumption that I am dealing with fellow Terrans. If I knew I was dealing with an alien I would be sure to use it.

Kind Regards

David

 

[talos402000]

IMTU Terran means a person born on Terra, while Solomani means somebody who is racially and culturally descended from Terrans.

 

[aramis]

IMTU Terran means a person born on Terra, while Solomani means somebody who is racially and culturally descended from Terrans.

Same IMOTU games.

 

[BlackBat242]

Well, I mean, who uses the name "Terrans" right now in casual conversation? I like it, it's one of those little setting touches that makes the universe a little alien. Of course, I prefer the Spinward Marches to the Rim as a setting for the same reason.

So what percentage of "casual conversation" where you live commonly discusses residents of more than one planet?

When you are only ever speaking about the residents of one planet, the term for residents of that planet in general will almost never be used. Instead, we use species names - humans vs cats, etc.

If humans of terran descent had colonised the rest of our solar system (The Moon, Mars, the Asteroid belt, etc) before contacting the Vilani, the term Terran might have been in common usage to mean people specifically from Earth as against anywhere else in the solar system. In which case they'd need a new term to refer to people from our solar system in general.

Simon Hibbs

Exactly - Terrans vs Martians vs Lunians/Lunars (Loonies/Moonies) vs Belters, etc.

IMTU Terran means a person born on Terra, while Solomani means somebody who is racially and culturally descended from Terrans.

With the qualifier that the Terran Confederation refers to a major inter-system polity governed from Terra, and thus "Terran" refers to any citizen of the TC - even if they are not human! The term "Solomani" only appears in the 3rd Imperium.

Similarly, "Solomani" would refer to any citizen of the polity governed by those who are racially and culturally descended from Terrans (once the term "Solomani" comes into use).

And I do (for the OTU) hold with the theory of:
"The name originated as "Men of Sol" during the "Rule of Man" (2nd Imperium), which then became "Sol's Men" and "Sol-Man", then "Solo-Man" ("The Only Man") as used by the radicals of the "Solomani Movement" to indicate that Vilani etc aren't really men/human, with "Solomani" as the plural term. This then was adopted by the new Sol-based polity, triumphing over its main alternative, the "New Terran Confederation".



However, since my Traveller games are in an alternate history where the Vilani Empire doesn't collapse when the OTU says it did, so there is no 2nd Imperium - that period of time is actually a period of stalemate between the Vilani Imperium and the Terran Confederation, as shown in the map below.

Thus, when the period of economic & political breakdown that Traveller calls "The Long Night"* finally ends, the term "Solomani" never really becomes popular - and the revival of a major Terran-led inter-system polity is given the name "New Terran Confederation", which becomes the "Terran Federation" as the structure evolves away from the 'weak central government with powerful local governments' model of the old TC into a more-strongly-centralized (Federal) government.



* thanks, Poul Anderson, for both the term & concept in your 1950s-60s short stories about the Fall of the Terran Empire.