Words for love (was: Re: Trans: 'I love you')

David Peterson wrote:

> In a message dated 4/18/01 6:43:10 PM, tb0pwd1@CORN.CSO.NIU.EDU writes:
>
> << Yup.  The "mer" sound seems absolutely perfectly iconic, to me, for
love.
> It sounds cozy and warm. >>
>
>     I've always believed that the word for "love" should never have a
nasal
> in it.  It's dishonest, as if you're masking the real sound, giving an
> impression of what it should be, closing off part of your jet stream.
Also,
> I don't like approximants or stops in the word for "love".  That's
probably
> why I like the English version best of the natural languages I've heard.
Hmm. I've always felt that the most appropriate way of saying "I love you"
is Spanish: "te quiero". The vowels are nice and silky and the palatal glide
after /k/ is beautiful. I also like the semantic range, "te quiero" can mean
"I love you", "I need you" and "I want you"- which is exactly how I feel
about my boyfriend. I never liked the sound of "I love you", but then I
pronounce the <u>, it's a very short /V/ sound- most unattractive.

ObConlang (sorry David ;o) ): the Dweinasen word for "love" is "kedarin",
just so Rhendrin could have the verb to love "ceadhrio", /'kjaDri:o/. I
tweaked an entire set of sound changes so the Cuole word could be "cyedri"
/'kjedri/. I really am enamoured of the /kj/ sequence for "love".

Dan

-----------------------------------------------
Ka yokonáu iti báyan: "cas'alyá abhiyo".

Ka tso iti mantabayan: "yama zaláyá
alánekayam la s'alika, cas'alika; ka yama
yavarryekayan arannáam la vácika, labekayam
vácika, ka ali cas'alyeko vanotira."
-----------------------------------------------
Dan Jones