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Re: TRANS: I Love You (was RE: Conference)

From:Boudewijn Rempt <bsarempt@...>
Date:Wednesday, April 18, 2001, 18:53
> From: Andreas Johansson > > If I may make a suggestion, make that sentence "I love you". For > some reason > it seems to be among very the first people learn in a new lang ... > > Tairezazh: "Ta tshei shas"
Denden has a special affective (AFF) mood or attitudinal suffix in its verbal system, as well as special pronouns for lover - the affective (amatory in older sources) pronominal system. In Denden, thus, a well-meant 'I love you' would be: ni avanrir.men te 1sAFF love.AFF 2sAFF I love, court you. The verb 'avanrir' mostly means 'to love, to court', but plain being fond of is a secondary meaning: but only between brothers and sisters. However, unless the brother and sister where the divine Brother and Sister of the Kirimanya, the affective pronouns would not be suitable: these are purely between lovers who combine physical attraction with emotional love. However, there's also the verb 'yavai', which, while still not necessarily including sexual love, is much less close to the meaning of Greek 'agape', and can be used between parents and children, or teacher and pupil, as well as lovers. In the former case, the affective pronouns are not suitable: depending on the relation between the first and the second person, more or less high grade honorific pronouns might be used. For instance, from pupil (1s) to teacher (2s, male): ye yavai.men shauldan 1sLGH love.AFF 2sVHGHm I love the master There's an irregular participle, 'yavain', 'in love, the state of loving someone', and the following colloquial expression is not unusual, especially if the relation is merely friendly and sexual: do ka tan dir yavain ga 1sMGH TOP RTV 2sMGHf in.love NOM As for me, there is the state of being in love with you. If the relation is purely sexual, as for instance when a whore talks nice to her client, the following is common: ye yavai.vai dir 1sLGH make.love.DEL 2sMGHf I make love to you a bit This is not an adequate translation of the delimitative (DEL) aspect, but there is an aspect of short temporal duration of the loving. It's not necessary to be actually engaged in the sexual act to say this; it also includes the small personal attentions and attention the professional gives her client. Boudewijn Rempt | http://www.valdyas.org