Re: Translation Exercise: Like a ...
From: | bnathyuw <bnathyuw@...> |
Date: | Thursday, October 17, 2002, 10:29 |
--- Christian Thalmann <cinga@...> wrote: > ---
In conlang@y..., bnathyuw <bnathyuw@Y...> wrote:
>
> > > 3) I prefer grandma-style bread.
> >
> > sot Rak toltn Bar lehkap golekhic
> >
> > i like (greater bigness) eat bread
> > (grandmother)-her/his
> >
> > |lehkap|, bread, isn't the object of |Bar|, eat;
> it's
> > an adverb (!)
>
> Was it your language that didn't allow verbs to have
> objects? So is
> a noun following a verb automatically considered an
> "adverb"? Cool
> stuff. =)
>
<snip>
>
> Serial verbs, cool. Very creative implementation.
>
don't know if it's my language you're remembering, but
it's certainly true. english objects can generally be
translated in one of three ways ( i use the term
'topic' to refer to what appears to be the subject of
the verb ; this is to avoid the illusion that an
object is possible ) :
1. making the object one of the topics. this gives a
reciprocal meaning
sot wer Gaj
I you see
I see you and you see me/we see each other
sot wer Rap
I you (come together)
we meet
2. weakening the verb and placing the object after the
verb ( where its force is that of an adverb ). this is
perhaps the closest you get to a classic object, but
the force is really that of commenting that what
should be reciprocal has only occurred in one
direction
sot Gajh wer
I see-[topic depleted] you
I see you-ly>I can see you (but you can't see me)
sot Raph wer
I (come together)-[topic depleted] you
I join you
3. using sequential verbs
sot Gaj wer Galj
I see you (are visible)
I see you
( a bit artificial this one )
sot Pok wer Yaw
I hit you hurt
I hit you
sot Bac wer Lob
I speak you laugh
I tell you a joke
sot Dar bar Rap wer
I place food (go to) you
I give you food/I feed you
bn
note: i mentioned that i'm now on version 3.0. the
fundamental change is that nouns which come after and
define verbs are now not in the oblique case. this
case is now reserved for nouns which come after and
define other nouns
=====
bnathyuw | landan | arR
stamp the sunshine out | angelfish
your tears came like anaesthesia | phèdre
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Everything you'll ever need on one web page
from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts
http://uk.my.yahoo.com