Re: Some sentences.

I wrote:
>
> The first one was tough:
>
> 1.I did my best to talk Derek into coming.
> Urianian: Ziem ma medi fed fizid Derka cumun. (do-pret-1s my
> ability-inst best persuade-inf Derek-acc come-stat-part-acc) -
On second thought, I believe my Urianians rather would phrase it like
this: Ziem ma mala fed fizid Derka cumun. (do/make-pret-1s my effort-
acc best persuade-inf Derek-acc come-stat-part-acc)
The Uriqnians are pretty keen on using participles, so maybe they
would use an active participle like fizmin instead of the infinitive
fizid. But since the do/making is done for the specific purpose of
the persuasion, I think an infinitive is suitable.

The sentence becomes quite interesting in Gaajan as well, I think:
Akumaik lana isin jatai Derek ini atlai anala jula. (good-my-supl
effort make/do I-did-to-it-for-it Derek(abs) talk I-do-to-him-subj-
for-it come he-do-subj) Notice how the datives on the first two
auxiliaries (jatai and atlai) both refer to the action in the next
clause. The sentence says literally: I made my best effort in order
to talk (to) Derek for him to come.

Good fun on a Monday evening, I think.

LEF