Re: asking for the bathroom

On Wed, 30 May 2001 09:50:43 -0700 Sally Caves <scaves@...>
writes:
> > this time I can't even ask the way to the bathroom in my lang!
> LOL!  Let's see, Teonaht:  Kwa'r perva li ... bav memwot?
> I just asked for the water room.  I can't believe that I have no
> word for
> toilet in Teonaht.  And then all the politeness conventions.  You
> can't
> just baldly say "where's the shit stool?"  There have to be
> circumlocutions,
> idioms, metaphors.  Any suggestions or conlang examples?
> Sally
-

Rokbeigalmki would be:

"Pawa dashlekp-a (uz)?"

pawa = 'where'
dashlek = 'release'
_p = 'place'
-a = 'the'
uz = 'it'

So "bathroom/restroom" is _dashlekp_, "releasing place".  To 'release' is
the adult polite expression for going to the bathroom.  I haven't figured
out the impolite words, the medical words, or the child euphamism words
yet.  Although the kiddie words are various body positions, like
'sitting' (sic - NO "H"!) and 'standing'.  I just have to figure out
exactly what kinds of sitting, standing, squating, etc. they would use.
For instance, in Nicole's fairy translation relay i discovered that
Rokbeigalmki has different words for sitting 'indian-style' on a flat
surface as opposed to sitting on a surface with your legs dangling off
it.


-Stephen (Steg)
 "My Steg nesting tables."
     ~ _Fight Club_ by Chuck Palahniuk (chapter 5)