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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