Neil wrote:
Nico wrote:
I think most of the series names are pretty good. The crew have fairly standard English names with some variant spellings, except for Vila
Restal
and Soolin. I can't pick what language Vila Restal would come from.
According to my pocket Russian-English dictionary, 'vila' means
'pitchfork'.
Hey, interesting, though I doubt they knew that. Maybe if it meant picklock... :-) Can't see Vila as a son of the soil though.
It's also a Hispanic surname in the US (e.g. Bob Vila). But I doubt Terry Nation chose it for that either. Maybe he meant it as a future version of William, or was thinking subconsciously of villains and arrest...
In my e-mails I had Vila make up some jokes for Orac after Ultraworld. Two 'knock-knock's based on his name were:
Knock knock! Who’s there? Vila! Vila who? Vilification’s all I get no matter what I do. Knock knock! Who’s there? Vila Restal! Vila Restal who? Vila Restal of you ven I catch you!
Nico