Theiling Online    Sitemap    Conlang Mailing List HQ   

Re: Original text: 'Sagerd relel'

From:FFlores <fflores@...>
Date:Wednesday, June 9, 1999, 22:10
Boudewijn Rempt <bsarempt@...> wrote:

> Please? This part was very nice - you're very prolific, > aren't you! I'm still taking sideways glances at the > bit of epos, but I find it hard going!
Good luck then! I'm prolific at times (writing eruptions, so to speak) and then I go down into the Uninspiration Pit for a while. BTW I said 'ask me privately' -- but I thought, what the heck, it's a good chance to show off the language. :) Sorry for the long notes, but every one of them is important.
>=20 > (As an aside, did you succeed in filching the zipfile from > our website?) >=20
It's taking time, it seems -- but I've gotten large files before, so I'll guess this will come in time. :) Here's the full text. (Tell me if you have trouble understanding anything.) ------------------------------------------------------------ Abbreviations: FUT future tense (imperative in 2nd person) ACC accusative case LOC locative case GEN genitive case REL relative pronoun SBJ subjunctive mood UNQ unique singular PRT 'partitive' particle (_i_ + noun phrase) NOM 'nominalizing' particle (_i_ + participle) QRY query particle NEG negative ('not') ABL abilitive ('can, be able to') CNT continual ('time after time') GRP group plural MV middle voice PRF perfective VOC vocative / imperative (after verb root) INF infinitive --------------------------------------------------- Sagerd relel r=F3amtel p=F9ng sot suek sar futur mebrat. K=FAsnusaktaks nanv=E0n k=FCll, qas=E1q h=E1ravil =E9nqgronthes matalthn hil=FCr n=EDftaksel n=E1ilerev sar? San neth=FCr bram m=FCl =E4lan. Qes san kaf=E1k san nertl dhuar, rin b=FCd na freth bin=E1v t=F6m=F6n s=E4n. Be sagerd reier nagu=E8nmal fonk fol ratsars bais =EDdhkos=E8n b=FCrr, qgalmil kedh=E1imavir faik arsen mi aldval besten i tegmal p=E4mthn! Qas=E1q =E1dhderer en gal enth=F3ntentan i thimait fartidhdel danteuvanst? Faik pe=E1r a rin laihar sr=F9k, faikt lif gal i kiandanqth farl=FCthek. Famp sagerd reiek san teuth vel kasal i f=ECrrthn qinquathtel b=FCrth. Qas=E1q dhr=E1nteraqeik arsm=FCr olman su g=E8n minik siakses =ECl =E4somn? Im=E1l ku=E8vis faik fombenth d=FAkkast=FCr tegek doik b=FCtth! Graistel b=E4kkek nian rrimadh mi rin niason imaltat on gaufongth! Sram i b=E1isbrames v=E9nessal mi sagerd reiat enaveivas mukunthn. Be los luam en niar harav qenth? Frar=F3rnassampek, h=E1rressampek vionaq taus =FCs b=FCrth sipe=E1r baises nif. =C9rendel naopf kith ailtel vars per nef arek, fremp mat=E9dhaqeik, per sagerd avim r=E1tsotasat sar! --------------------------------------------------- Interlinear translation: -----FIRST PART------------------------------------ 1-1. Sagerd relel r=F3amtel p=F9ng lazy look_at.1s yawning cow.ACC 1-2. sot suek sar futur mebrat. while over I rush.3s morning 1-3. K=FAsnusaktaks nanv=E0n k=FCll, cage-less singing cardinal 1-4. qas=E1q h=E1ravil =E9nqgronthes matalthn why seriously lords.GEN courts.ACC 1-5. hil=FCr n=EDftaksel n=E1ilerev sar? grass.LOC heat-less see.SBJ.1s I 1-6. San neth=FCr bram m=FCl =E4lan. my head.LOC fall.3s only dew 1-7. Qes san kaf=E1k san nertl dhuar, be.3s my flag my free hair 1-8. rin b=FCd na freth bin=E1v t=F6m=F6n s=E4n. with it.REL to no battle by_force go.1s NOTES: 1-1: _p=F9ng_ is ACC of _p=F9g_. This nasal infixion is not standard, but a dialectal feature of North Thaqulm (which is spreading). When you have adjective/participle + verb, it usually means the subject of the verb *or* the topic of the sentence is modified by the adjective. So _sagerd relel..._ means 'lazy-I look at...'. With no explicit subject, I guess it could also refer to the cow... 1-2: _Futur_, glossed as 'rush, rush in' is the term used for masses of water suddenly entering a place (as if a floodgate has been opened). 1-3: _K=FAsnusaktaks_ =3D kusnus 'lattice', -akt 'group; equipment', -tak '-less, without', -s (verb ending). _K=FAsnusakt_ itself means "cage". =20 Note: _k=FCll_ has a syllabic /l/, so /ky.l/. 1-4: The usual VSO is changed here to OVS for the sake of rhythm, but VOS is not that strange in spoken Drasel=E9q, especially for pronouns. _Matalthn_, glossed as 'courts.ACC', from _matal_ '(royal) court'. _Matal_ also (and originally) means 'sphere', generalized to 'environment' (cf. 'sphere of influence') 1-5: _N=EDf-tak-sel_ has nif 'heat', -tak '-less', so "fresh, not feeling hot", plus the participial ending -sel. The use of the subjunctive in an interrogative sentence is a new development. _Qas=E1q n=E1ilerev?_ 'Why would I see?'. The verb corresponds to the sentence beginning in line 1-4. Here it means 'see' =3D 'regard, consider'. 1-7: _Kaf=E1k_ means both "a flag" and "a sail". _Nertl_ 'free' could be better translated as 'loose' (in this context). 1-8: As usual, _t=F6m=F6n_ + conjugated verb can be taken as 'have to' + verb infinitive, except the action is actually performed. So _t=F6m=F6n s=E4n_ 'I have to go' or 'I'm going, having to do so'. _T=F6m=F6n_ + negated verb is ambiguous, but usually taken to mean 'not have to X (and not X)', not 'have not to X' ('mustn't X'). -----SECOND PART----------------------------------- 2-1. Be sagerd reier nagu=E8nmal fonk if lazy look_at.2s yoked ox.ACC 2-2. fol ratsars bais =EDdhkos=E8n b=FCrr, under high-staying sun ploughing it 2-3. qgalmil kedh=E1imavir faik arsen certainly QRY.prefer.2sFUT here stay.INF 2-4. mi aldval besten i tegmal p=E4mthn! and sleeping dream_of.INF PRT running maidens.ACC 2-5. Qas=E1q =E1dhderer en gal enth=F3ntentan why want.SBJ.2s by gold covered 2-6. i thimait fartidhdel danteuvanst? PRT pricey NEG.young princesses.ACC 2-7. Faik pe=E1r a rin laihar sr=F9k, here stay VOC with tiredness horse 2-8. faikt lif gal i kiandanqth farl=FCthek. here.REL from gold PRT knives.ACC NEG.make.3p NOTES: 2-1: _fonk_ =3D ACC of _fok_, nasal infixion again (see note on 1-1). 2-2: In the gloss, '(ploughing) it' refers to the ox. 2-4: 'Running maidens' can be sweet or erotic according to the context and the tone the speaker uses. In general they're an image of vitality and beauty. 2-6: _Thim-ait_ =3D 'value-ful, valuable, precious' is here supposed to be said in an ironic tone. 2-7: 'With tiredness horse' =3D 'a tired horse', an image of a young strong man after a lot of physical effort. 2-8: Note the OV order again: '[from gold] [knives they=20 don't make]'. Golden knives are a metaphor I'm sure you'll understand. Also note _faikt_, a rare occasion were the ancient relativization clitic _de_ appears (as /t/). Cf. 1-8 'with it.REL =3D with which'. _Faikt_ would translate as 'here, where...'. -----THIRD PART------------------------------------ 3-1. Famp sagerd reiek san teuth now lazy look.3p my children 3-2. vel kasal i f=ECrrthn qinquathtel b=FCrth. among wheat PRT grasshoppers.ACC CNT.jumping them 3-3. Qas=E1q i arsm=FCr olmar dhr=E1nteraqeik why PRT city.LOC house thank.SBJ.3pFUT 3-4. su g=E8n minik siakses =ECl =E4somn? or moreover beside eagle.GEN nest place.ACC 3-5. Im=E1l ku=E8vis faik fombenth eat.3p owl.UNQ here rats.ACC 3-6. d=FAkkast=FCr tegek doik b=FCtth! rings.LOC run.3p there them.REL 3-7. Graistel b=E4kkek nian rrimadh high grow.3p our- sprouts.GRP 3-8. mi rin niason imaltat on gaufongth! and with honey eat.1p- all locusts.ACC NOTES: 3-3: Here a complete English translation would be 'Why would they thank (me) (for) a house in the city'. Note the pattern _i_ + direct object + verb +=20 (dative object). 3-4: 'A place beside an eagle nest' refers to the powerful city people -- an eagle is considered noble, but distant and often merciless. 3-5: The owl is here an image of common sense and simple life -- smartly taking every chance. The rats, you can imagine. In 3-6 they are said to run over the rings (in rich people's hands). 3-8: Eating locusts with honey is not strange, but here there's probably a hidden meaning, since the locusts are an image of misfortune and poverty. -----FOURTH PART----------------------------------- 4-1. Sram i b=E1isbrames v=E9nessal advance.3p NOM sun-fall.GEN dark_blue 4-2. mi sagerd reiat enaveivas mukunthn. and lazy look_at.1p- going_asleep chickens.ACC 4-3. Be los luam en niar harav qenth? if cold.3s night for we- important.3s what 4-4. Frar=F3rnassamek, h=E1rressamek vionaq NEG.stone-made.3p mud_made.3p walls 4-5. taus =FCs b=FCrth sipe=E1r baises nif. and inside they PRF.stay.3s sun.GEN heat 4-6. =C9rendel naopf kith ailtel vars crying wolves instead smiling lie.1s 4-7. per nef arek, fremp mat=E9dhaqeik, cos far_away be.3p never ABL.get_in.3pFUT 4-8. per sagerd avim r=E1tsotasat sar! cos lazy tomorrow high.MV.1sFUT I NOTES: 4-1: Here we have an example of nominalizing _i_, used with a colour name, _v=E9nessal_ (which lit. means _ven(g)-essal_ 'black-blue'. 4-4: We find two verbs using the suffix -sam for materials, _ornas-sam-_ 'stone-made' and _harres-sam-_ 'mud-made'. I think _harres_ in this context is more like 'dry mud' or even 'adobe'. 4-6: The verb _vars_ means 'I lie (on my back)'. 4-8: Here _r=E1t-s-ot-asat_ 'high-VERB-MidVoice-1sFUT' is esentially the same as English 'I will get up' (if 'up' is considered a state). --Pablo Flores