so last night I had an epiphany.
WARNING: weird and rambly theory about Doctor Who series 7 coming up
let me take a step backwards. two things you must know: one, I just purchased a decal for my computer (at my boy’s orders, otherwise he was gonna put Apple stickers on it, BUT ANYWAYS) – the Doctor’s name in Gallifreyan. and two, I’ve been really nervous about the Moff’s pseudo-promise to give away the Doctor’s name, finally. like, what gives him the right to spill the beans? 50th anniversary or no, that’s a big…potential letdown.
so I’ve been worried. but looking at my sticker last night, I realized exactly how he can fulfill his promise without actually saying the name.
from what little we know of Gallifreyan, it appears that the symbols mean words rather than letters. the Doctor’s name on his cradle in AGMGtW is several symbols, so it could very well be a phrase instead of a proper name.
there are words, in languages besides English (and in ours, too, we just take them for granted, I think), that sum up phrases. in other words, a very precise experience is captured in a phrase or word. for example: espirit d’escalier is French for “thinking of the perfect comeback a moment too late,” and mamihlapinatapai is Yaghan for “a look between two people that suggests an unspoken, shared desire.” (source here)
the Doctor’s name, then, could be a phrase that captures a precise experience – most likely on Gallifrey. I’m thinking some sort of natural phenomenon exclusive to the planet. SO. Moff can take Eleven and the new companion to Gallifrey and show the Doctor’s name.
…just a theory, but…
