All-important phrases

Bama!

I guess the following aren't all-important phrases. They are, however,
useful for testing basic grammar and vocabulary. Here they are shown with
translations in Tallefkeul, my newest language project that stands a
chance of success.

Bears don't drink beer, do they?
Dyeshouremh laerhan zegakoun zhalei rafzin?
3p-NEG-be drink beer-pl.PAT bear-pl NEG.COP
/dje.Sr=.eF lej.r_0an ze.ga.kOn Zalej raSin/

I would like French fries with my painful death.
Ra'eni shaef sonhroun sad voc aeyoki baesis.
1s-COP-pres want French.fries-PAT he I painful death-OB
/rej.je.ni Sejf son.r_0On sad voc ejoki bejsIs/

Am I truly like such a fellow?
Ra'elleuni voc elki ourshyis rafzin?
1s-(doubt)-COP-pres I such fellow-ob NEG.COP
/rej.je.Ky.ni voc el.ki r=sh.jis raSin/

You see, I figure that some of the hardest parts of language are the
salutatory expressions, greetings and such. (I added that part because I
wasn't sure whether I was correct, not because I don't think you would
know the word salutatory, provided it's a real word.) The morphology is
exciting, the syntax like a blacksmith's puzzle, the bulk of the lexicon
like mowing a golf course while conversing with faeries (it's long and
somewhat tedious, but it's also magical)....

Salutatory phrases are much harder, though, because they change so much
and don't seem to be related to other words. I guess "hello" is related
to "health", but Spanish people don't say "salud" when they meet you.
Germans, I don't know about, even though I have a German language
textbook which is almost as old as my father. Both it and the German
dictionary (which is slightly older than the textbook) seem to agree that
there is no equivalent of "hello", and phrases like "Guten Tag" are used.

Well, at least that was somewhat on-topic. How did all of you handle your
salutatory expressions? I'd say how I did for Sturnan, but I don't
remember the etymologies much of the time. It's too bad I don't write
more and save what I write, because then I'd have a basis for tracking
the source.

I'll shut up before I sound too stupid.

Laimes,
Wright.

____
"Do you know what happened to the boy who asked too many questions?"
"No, what?"
"Sodomy non sapiens. Probably got answered."

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