Some sentences.

Hello,
I set myself some sentences to translate today. Maybe they will be
useful exercise for you too?

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) - Relevant to
all those verbal noun discussions lately.

The others easier, but maybe yet of some interest:

2.They did nothing to help out - zien niga gekte. (do-pret-3p nothing-
acc help-inf)

3.We had a good dinner last night - egent mista fet istunia zabi.
(eat-pret-1p dinner-acc good yesterday-gen evening-inst) -
Instrumental is generally used for marking time, as well as many
other adverbials.

4.They had a lot of money from their father - isan milli bili san
badrat isan. (3p-gen money-nom-pl much-pl was-3p father-abl 3p-gen)

5.They were let in for free - sivazen inuna nigai. (allow-pass-
pret-3p inside-acc nothing-dat)

6.I was allowed to go home early - sivazem brami tama vezid. (allow-
pass-pret-1s early-inst house-acc go-inf)

Hm, looks like Urianian tends to be verb-initial. But in a simple
sentence with explicit subject and object the order is SVO. Ged jeti
gona - the cat chased the dog.

Hope it is of any use.

LEF

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