Re: Arthropoda

James Campbell <james@...> wrote:

>What terms exist in your nat- or conlangs as a generic for arthropod
>creatures? Please specify whether the word is considered childish, or
>colloquial or whatever, and please provide a literal translation in English
>if possible.

Spanish:
'bicho' [m]: a bug, a small animal of any kind; something alive
             and despisable or ugly; an ugly person (esp. when
             considered as a sexual mate). Rather colloquial, but
             neither rude nor childish.

Draseléq:
'ithü' /'iTy/: an insect, a bug, a small animal esp. with more than
               four legs and/or a noticeably hard exoskeleton (i. e.
               a slug doesn't qualify, but a snail might, and a little
               spider surely does).

Cognates: (the ancient root is /'iSuj/)
  - Biyuron _ishi_ /'iSi/
  - `Ngwei-koo`lei _^i^shy_ /i2Sy2/ or (in compounds) _^iwj_ /ij<rnd>2/.
  - Curco _isy_ /'isy/ (Dras. /T/ > C. /s/)

`Ngwei-koo`lei rarely uses this word except in compounds à la Mandarin
(to disambiguate). For example, _'bja^niwj_ /b_ja12 nij<rnd>2/ from
/b_ja~1/, /bj_an12/ 'ant'.


--Pablo Flores
  http://www.geocities.com/pablo-david/indice.html
  "... Cuando todos los hombres de la tierra piensen, día y
   noche, en el Zahir, ¿cuál será un sueño y cuál una realidad?"
                                   Jorge Luis Borges, _El Zahir_