Re: First text in sla-stlszfu -- an introduction to an Advena

On Wed, 8 Dec 1999, Grandsire, C.A. wrote:

> > R< is a uvular ingessive -- a snore, in other words.
> > P is a labial trill (a raspberry)
>
>         Can you really pronounce those sounds in words? Well, I guess so, but I
> don't know if I ever will :( (However hard I try, I absolutely can't
> pronounce any non-pulmonic consonnant in a word, even the ones I manage
> to pronounce separately. How do you do that you all?).
To some extent.  They're easier at the ends of words than the beginning.
There are also clicks in sla-stlszfu -- it just so happened none of them
appeared in the translation.

>         I like very much the (t)sa "last clause" and nn "next clause" pronouns.
> The whole structure is very interesting, with bits of polysynthetism I
> like very much. I just don't understand exactly the use of R "Topic" in
> this language. Another question: is the order between full words free?
> For instance, can I say:
Well, R is just one topic: it indicates the beginning of an indicative
utterance.  Also, topics can be refered to anywhere in an utterance, not
just following or proceding a clause, with a special "topic pronoun".

> psh-qa-xa-nn slt-xa.
>
> command-I-you-next.clause continue-you
>
> Instead of "slt-xa psh-qa-xa-tsa"?
Yes, absolutely.  This puts the emphasis on the command rather than on the
continuing.

R px-qa-xa-nn slt-xa = I command that you continue
R slt-xa px-qa-xa-tsa = please, continue (although not *quite* that
polite)