We don't got no souls!! (was: RE: Give us this day our daily translation)

> From: Rik Roots
>
> > English:   Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.
>
> I am fairly certain that this cannot be translated into Gevey, mainly
> because the language does not have a word for "soul" [this is
> deliberate on my part, if only to make the poetry more tolerable than
> Hallmark. For similar reasons, uhne (ye uhn) "heart" is used for the
> organ, and has nothing to do with emotions. Emotions, in Gevey, reside
> alongside the senses]
Rik,

I think you are perhaps assuming the wrong semantics here.  I don't think
the original was meant to imply the supernatural meaning of the word 'soul'.
Certainly the amman iar and nathya translations wouldn't imply any such
concepts.  Perhaps you are attempting a too literal translation.  Try for
the spirit rather than the letter of the phrase.  I can't imagine a language
(con- or nat-) that could not express this sentiment.

David

David E. Bell
The Gray Wizard
    dbell@graywizard.net
    www.graywizard.net

"Wisdom begins in wonder." - Socrates