Re: Translation challenge: Would you go out with me?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Herman Miller" <hmiller@...>
>
> Very interesting. Sad to say, as much as I've thought about the Zireen, 
> and as important as sexual relationships (of various kinds) are to them, I 
> haven't given much thought to the whole subject. I'll have to see if I can 
> find an informant who's familiar with the subject to explain it to me. :-) 
> I'm sure they must be starting to wonder why I have such an interest in 
> their music when there are other important things in life.
Now the music, Herman, that you have transmitted for us is absolutely 
beautiful.  I wish I could have lavished that much creativity and tonal 
alterity on my Teonim; my hat is off to you! Sex is not to be dismissed, by 
no means, but music is the language of heaven!  Thank you for gifting us 
with your people's music.

I wonder of Alexarchus created music for his imaginary city and its 
imaginary language?  It seems, that being rich and inventive, and I think 
Tarn actually called him "schizophrenic"! (back to the Lunatic Survey I 
wasn't slow to notice), I so hope he could have been musical and 
artistic--like you.  Once I told the Conlang Community about the dream I had 
(maybe you recall it?): my obscenely rich aunt (I have no such 
relative) gave me a community that I was to live in: she had spent time 
coaching actors and linguists in Teonaht, building Teonaht houses, dressing people up
in Teonaht clothes, playing Teonaht instruments and and and... I found I
couldn't communicate with a single one of them.

> Even beyond that, there's so many combinations to consider. I haven't even 
> begun to speculate how, e.g. a Zireen would signify an interest in having 
> a relationship with a Neyasai, or a Mizarian with a Nelya ... The 
> possibilities are limited only by geography or extreme mismatches in 
> size... Less common than same-species relationships, but they do happen...
Yes, I've observed!

> In any case, the Mizarians have a culture very much centered on tradition 
> and ritual, so they probably have phrases of their own a bit similar to 
> these. I was convinced there was a Mizarian expression having to do with 
> "catching on fire" -- very similar to your "Fyl lembarem ryddihs",
Yikes!

but as far as the Chispa vocabulary is concerned, fire seems
> to be connected with anger. Now I'm not sure what language I was thinking 
> of...
See, you have so many of them.  That's another admirable trait.  
Sally

Reply