Re: Conlangea Multilingual Phrasebook, 2nd edition

Mia <lilami@...> wrote:
>
> Some of you have been around long enough to remember the Conlang
> Traveler's Phrasebook. Well, it has been a while, and I think it
> is time to create the second edition.
In Gladilatian:

> Hello!
    Fmu fetnapu vuhu.
    I [am] with-respect-to.you aware.(nominalizer)

and variations, such as:

    Fetnapu vu fmu.
    Vu fmu.

> Goodbye!
    Mnefmu napu nsawau.
    desired-by.I you [are] happy.(nominalizer)

Literally, "I want you to be happy."

> Yes
    Xou.
    true.(nominalizer)

or:

    Nrau xou.
    this.(nominalizer) [is] true.(nominalizer)

or:

    Mek xou.
    previous-sentence's-topic [is] true.(nominalizer)

> No
    Mrxou.
    not.true.(nominalizer)

with the same variations as with "Xou".

> Please
The equivalent would be to attach the prepositional

    Mnefmu
    desired-by.I

to one of the nouns in the sentence.

> Thank You
    Napu fetfmu hraxno.
    You [are] with-respect-to.I help.

> Do you speak English?
     Napu mehesnfeot hyaznamset nyu?
     you [are] associated-with.human.(abstractor) user-of.primary.language
(question).(nominalizer)

> I don't speak Gladilatian very well.
     Fmu mehyohot hyamset mrnryxunuhu.
     I [am] associated-with.gladifer.(abstractor) user-of.language
not.efficient.(nominalizer)

> My name is...
    Fetfmu hfena ....
    with-respect-to.I name [is] ....

> What is your name?
    Fetnapu hfena rzou?
    with-respect-to.you name [is] which.(nominalizer)

> How are you?
In the sense of "are you healthy":

    Napu nymzet?
    You [are] (question).healthy

> I am well.
    Fmu mzetu.
    I [am] healthy.(nominalizer)

> I am not well.
    Fmu mrmzetu.
    I [am] not.healthy.(nominalizer)

> I am the walrus, coo coo ca choo.
    Fmu ewalruseop.
    I [am] walrus.(proper noun)

or:

    Fmu hrakewalruse.
    I [am] unique.walrus

depending on just what you think "the walrus" means.

Ewalruse /'e wa lru se/ is, as you might expect, borrowed from English.  If
I were translating the song for a gladifer's benefit I think I would just
pretend I didn't hear "goo goo ga-joob".  OTOH, "I am the eggman" is "Fmu
mexnale esnfeop." or "Fmu mexnale hrakesnfe.

 ===========================================================================

             Dennis Paul Himes    <>    dennis@himes.connix.com
             homepage: http://www.connix.com/~dennis/dennis.htm
        Gladilatian page: http://www.connix.com/~dennis/glad/lang.htm

Disclaimer: "True, I talk of dreams; which are the children of an idle
brain, begot of nothing but vain fantasy; which is as thin of substance as
the air."                      - Romeo & Juliet, Act I Scene iv Verse 96-99