Re: They Have a Word for It!

On Fri, 3 Aug 2001, Roger Mills wrote:

> While I think of it, here's one that has puzzled me for a long time, mainly
> because the def. is in Dutch, and I'm not sure I've got it right:
>
> Language:  Yamdena, Tanimbar Is., Eastern Indonesia
> "mburi": iets van iemand afnemen om sich schadeloos te stellen voor
> hetgeen een ander will niet betalen, en den bestolene naar den
> schuldenaar verwijzen.
>
> To me, this sounds like robbing Peter to collect what Paul owes you, then
> telling Peter that Paul is the thief.  But I could be wrong.  Perhaps our
> Dutch colleagues will enlighten me.
You've got it spot on. Literally: "to take something from someone to
reimburse oneself for what someone else doesn't want to pay, and
refer the person stolen from to the person who owes".

I don't think you tell Peter that Paul is the thief, but you tell
Peter to go to Paul to collect because Paul still owes the money,
only to Peter and not to you.

   Irina

--
           Varsinen an laynynay, saraz no arlet rastynay.
irina@valdyas.org (myself)     http://www.valdyas.org/irina/valdyas