Translation Exercises: Sturnan and Lashkos

Sturnan, then Lashkos.
A soki sol sekem aso sam kevid basomem gith suvei.
Firkhi (word-nom.sing) shi (that) disho (say-1s.pres) shisis (whatever)
solon (only) velno (want) moz (they-dat.sing) stilt (copula-3s.pres).
The words that I say are only what I want for them.

Notice some of the oddities of Lashkos. There is an adjective between a
relative noun and the connected phrase. Also, the third person plural
pronoun is treated like a singular noun, except for matters of verbs.
Also, the copula is (of course) irregular, though more regular than
Latin's copula. The infinitive is estir, and the normal 3s.pres ending is
-t. However, it turns into stilt because **stit is ugly.

(A direct translation didn't seem right.)

IMKEMHURITUN*
KHECHANDO**
ILOVEYOU

*Im (I) kem (love-1s.pres) huri (to, at) tun (you). These people are a
bit fanatical about using that preposition (huri).
**Khech (/xEtS/, the best I can tell; it's you-acc) and-o (love-1s.pres).

Kardem iru pelsi sol basomem tuk kersek gith-an*.
Kartikh (paper-acc.pl) alsh (some)  hafio (have-1s.pres)** shiav
(which-dat.sing) tes (your) konshech (advice-acc.sing) velno.
I have some papers that I want your advice for.

*This is a special particle that replaces a ...which... phrase.
Specifically, it indicates that the subject has already come in a
different case (though cases aren't marked in Sturnan).
**Irregular. It should be hafo.

Oneper (snake-fire) sevnet (sleeping) naita (neg.imp.) vanasuk
(tickle-2pl.pres.).
Nokh (not) dorni (sleep-pres.part) hrakikh (dragon-acc.sing)* tishlar
(tickle-inf.).
Never tickle a sleeping dragon (poetic form).

*There is no unvoiced r (how would that be in SAMPA? h^r?) in Lashkos.
Instead, it's /hr/.


Christopher Wright
http://tureklago.tripod.com/langs.html


"True. But I find that Thibult cancels capo ferro. Don't you?"
"Unless the enemy has a study of agrippa—which I have."