Seljuq \'sel-jiik\ dynasty or Saljuq \'sal-juk\ dynasty (c. 11th— 13th centuries) Muslim Turkmen dynasty that ruled Persia, Iraq, Syria, and Anatolia. Seljuq was the chief of a nomadic Turkish tribe. His grandsons Chaghri Beg and Toghrjl Beg conquered realms in Iran. Under Alp-Arslan and Malik-Shah, the empire came to include all of Iran, Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine; Alp-Arslan’s victory over the Byzantine Empire at the Battle of Manzikert led to several Crusades. Adherents of Sunnite Islam, the Seljuqs adopted Persian culture, and under them the Persian language partly displaced Arabic as a literary language in Iran. By 1200 Seljuq power remained only in their sultanate of Rum in Anatolia, which col¬ lapsed in a war against the Khwarezm-Shah dynasty in 1230 and was over¬ run by Mongols in 1243. See also Nizam al-Mulk.
Selkirk \'sel-,k3rk\ Mountains Mountain range, southeastern British Columbia, Canada, and northern Idaho and Montana, U.S. The Selkirks extend some 200 mi (320 km) and in many places rise abruptly more than
Selim III, detail of a portrait by H. Ber- teaux, early 19th century; in the Top- kapi Palace Museum, Istanbul
SONIA HAI1IDAY
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1718 I Sellars ► semiconductor
8,000 ft (2,400 m). The highest sum¬ mit is Mount Sir Sanford at 11,555 ft (3,522 m). Crossed by the Canadian Pacific Railway, the range contains parts of Glacier and Mount Revel- stoke national parks.
Sellars, Peter (b. Sept. 27, 1957,
Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.) U.S. stage director. He attended Harvard Uni¬ versity, where he began developing his innovative and often controver¬ sial style of directing. He is best known for staging plays and operas for numerous international theatres in settings far different than those suggested by the text. His controver¬ sial production of Ajax (1986) took the form of a post-Vietnam military trial, and among his many striking opera productions, Wolfgang Ama¬ deus Mozart’s Don Giovanni was staged in an urban ghetto, his Cost fan tutte in a diner, and his Marriage of Figaro in a corporate high-rise.
Sellers, Peter orig. Richard Henry Sellers (b. Sept. 8, 1925, Southsea, Hampshire, Eng.—d. July 24, 1980, London) British film actor. The son of vaudeville performers, he acted from childhood in his parents’ comedy act. In the early 1950s he performed on radio in the popular com¬ edy series The Goon Show. He began appearing in the movies in the mid- 1950s; his performances in The Mouse That Roared (1959), I'm All Right, Jack (1959), Lolita (1962), and Dr. Strangelove (1964), in which he played three characters, were especially well received. He was enor¬ mously popular as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau in the comedy The Pink Panther (1964) and its sequels, and he later won acclaim for his role as a simpleminded gardener in Being There (1979). His large range of characters earned him international stardom at a time when rigid type¬ casting was usual.
Selye Vzel-yoV Hans (Hugo Bruno) (b. Jan. 26, 1907, Vienna, Austria-Hungary—d. Oct. 16, 1982, Montreal, Que., Can.) Austrian-born Canadian endocrinologist. In early work on the effects of stress, he injected ovarian hormones into rats; this stimulated the adrenal glands, causing deterioration of the thymus gland, ulcers, and finally death. He later showed that physical injury, environmental stress, and toxins could have similar effects. Extending his theory to humans, he proved that a stress-induced hormonal system breakdown could lead to so-called “dis¬ eases of adaptation,” including heart disease and hypertension. He was president of the International Institute of Stress and wrote 33 books, including Stress Without Distress (1974).
Selznick, David O(liver) (b. May 10, 1902, Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.—d. June 22, 1965, Hollywood, Calif.) U.S. film producer. He trained with his father, a movie executive, before moving to Hollywood in 1926. Work¬ ing for MGM, RKO, and other studios, he produced films such as Din¬ ner at Eight (1933), King Kong (1933), David Copperfield (1935), and A Tale of Two Cities (1935). He formed his own company, Selznick Inter¬ national, in 1936 and produced hits such as A Star Is Born (1937). He was essential to the enormous success of Gone with the Wind (1939), over¬ seeing its entire production with detailed memos about every aspect of the movie. He brought Alfred Hitchcock to the U.S. and produced Rebecca (1940) and Spellbound (1945). He also produced Duel in the Sun (1946), The Third Man (1949), and A Farewell to Arms (1957), which starred his second wife, Jennifer Jones.
semantics Study of meaning, one of the major areas of linguistic study (see linguistics). Linguists have approached it in a variety of ways. Mem¬ bers of the school of interpretive semantics study the structures of lan¬ guage independent of their conditions of use. In contrast, the advocates of generative semantics insist that the meaning of sentences is a function of their use. Still another group maintains that semantics will not advance until theorists take into account the psychological questions of how people form concepts and how these relate to word meanings.
semaphore Vse-mo-.forV Method of visual signaling, usually with flags or lights. Before radio, a semaphore system was widely used to send mes¬ sages between ships. A person would stand with arms extended, moving
two flags to specific angles to indicate letters or numbers. Before the invention of the telegraph, semaphore signaling with lights on high tow¬ ers was used to transmit messages between distant points; messages were read by telescope. Modern semaphores have included movable arms or rows of light simulating arms, displayed from towers and used to signal railroad trains.
Semarang \s3-'mar-,aq\ City (pop., 1995 est.: 1,104,405), Java, Indo¬ nesia. It is located on Java’s northern coast on the banks of the Semarang River, which is canalized for traffic to and from the sea. Despite being one of the largest ports in Java, its harbour is unprotected against mon¬ soons, which can cause suspension of port operations. Semarang is the seat of a university.
Sembene \sem-'ben\, Ousmane (b. Jan. 1, 1923, Ziguinchor- Casamance, Seneg.) Senegalese writer and film director. He fought with the Free French in World War II. After the war he worked as a docker in Marseille and taught himself French. His writings, often on historical- political themes, include The Black Docker (1956), God’s Bits of Wood (1960), and Niiwam and Taaw (1987). About 1960 he became interested in film; after studying in Moscow, he made films reflecting a strong social commitment, including Black Girl (1966), the first feature produced in sub-Saharan Africa. With Mandabi (1968), he began to film in the Wolof language; his later films have included Xala (1974), Ceddo (1977), Camp de Thiaroye (1987), and Guelwaar (1994).
Semele Vse-mo-.leV In Greek mythology, a daughter of Cadmus and Har- monia, and the mother of Dionysus. When Semele became the lover of Zeus, Hera was enraged, and she coaxed Semele into asking to see the god in all his splendour. Having promised to grant Semele’s every wish, Zeus was forced to comply. The thunderbolts emanating from him destroyed Semele, but Zeus rescued the unborn Dionysus from the ashes. Some sto¬ ries hold that Dionysus later descended into Hades and brought Semele back to take her place among the immortals.
semen \'se-mon\ or seminal fluid Whitish viscous fluid emitted from the male reproductive tract that contains sperm and liquids (seminal plasma) that help keep them viable. Sperm cells, produced by the testes in humans, represent 2-5% of semen volume; fluids from tubules, glands, and storage areas of the reproductive system bathe them as they travel down, nourishing them, keeping them motile, or participating in certain chemi¬ cal reactions. During ejaculation, liquids from the prostate gland and semi¬ nal vesicles dilute the sperm and provide a suitable, slightly alkaline environment. An average ejaculation of a human male expels 0.1-0.3 cu inches (2-5 ml), containing 200-300 million sperm.