Re: Do you speak english?
| From: | Cian Ross <cian@...> |
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| Date: | Saturday, April 1, 2006, 7:51 |
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On Mon, 2006-03-27 at 02:38 +0200, Remi Villatel wrote:
> An easy translation exercise:
> Do you speak [insert your conlang name]?
: = preceding vowel is long
` = preceding vowel has primary accent but is short
^ = preceding vowel is long and has primary accent
A:n lo:custe yn i Veldane:assu lingwassu?
A:n lo:cu.ste yn i Veldane:a.ssu lingwa.ssu?
QUEST talk.2ND-SG with[1] the Veldan.PREP-SG language.PREP-SG
[1] 'Yn' always denotes a means by which something is done.
This is something of a hard question to ask in Taroan...the speakers
don't have a separate name for their own language ('Taroan' derives from
a foreigner's misunderstanding). The closest to a name would be
"bahonga 'ta roa" (= what it takes to talk), so a naive translation
could come out meaning something like "Are you able to speak?" :) A
native speaker, if the matter came up, might ask:
No nui so roa ye nau no?
N.o nui so roa ye nau n.o
QUEST.FUT maybe you speak like we/us QUEST.FUT
Au kyete stxvha Kyet Kenawme?
QUEST speak.[1] you.ERG.[2] talk our
[x = schwa, vh = voiced bilabial fricative]
[1] The terminal -e is in harmony/agreement with the last vowel in the
head word of the patient (Kyet).
[2] -vh- is the ergative marker, obligatorily followed by a vowel in
harmony with the last vowel in the root.
Lokwandazelokwutan?
Lokwandaze lokwu t an
Lokwandaze speak 2ND-SG QUEST
Auchtayeisi Lichom Ainteroino`som?
Auchta.yei.si Licho.m Ainteroino.`som?
speak.OPT.2ND-SG tongue.ABS-SG Second-People.GEN-PL
A:n sprecast Anglysc?
A:n sprec.ast Anglysc?
QUEST speak.2ND-SG Anglysc
And, finally, from the lamentably defunct Arda project:
Te:lel O:radiendelsae^n?
Te:l.el O:radiendelsa.e^n
speak.2ND-SG O:radiendelsa.ACC
A polite/deferential/honorific form uses the optative:
Teislel O:radiendelsae^n?
Teisl.el O:radiendelsa.e^n
speak(OPT).2ND-SG O:radiendelsa.ACC
2ND = second person
ABS = absolutive
GEN = genetive
ERG = ergative
FUT = future tense
OPT = optative
PL = plural
PREP = prepositional
QUEST = question-marker
SG = singular
Cian Ross
cian@cox-internet.com
http://crlh.tzo.org/~cian/conlang/