Re: Semantic content of 'thank you'

James W. wrote:

> In my current project, āseka`eni, I need to come up with a
> way to express thanks. I'm interested in what you all have
> done in your own languages, or any natlangs you know of. I
	[---CUT---]

In Shaquelingua, there are no word for "thanks". I found it was an
overused word and I thought about what we really mean when we use it,
what feeling we want to express. That's gratitude: /kiitök/ [ki"itOk].

So, to say "Thanks", a Shaquean says:

/rjë, xe tule kiitök teo'kja./
[Xje] [Ze: tu4e ki"itOk te"o:'kja]
= I'm expressing gratitude to thee. (Literally)

Or in short:

/xe tule kiitök./
= (some) Expressed gratitude.

Or else shorter:

/xe kiitök./
= (some) Gratitude.

In a way, that's boringly close from French but "Merci" would rather be
translated as *one* gratitude instead of *some* of it.

Nothing new under the sun...  ;-)

--
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Remi Villatel
maxilys_@_tele2.fr
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