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Re: Conlang Travellers' Guide (was Re: I have a dream)

From:H. S. Teoh <hsteoh@...>
Date:Friday, July 19, 2002, 17:26
On Fri, Jul 19, 2002 at 11:16:31AM -0400, Roger Mills wrote:
[snip]
> A TRAVELER'S PHRASEBOOK > > >Section 1: Pleasantries > > >Hello!
Hmm. Ebisedian has quite a variety of ways to greet, depending on the particular situation. A few common ones are: 1) Greeting a male stranger: 0so' Ta'l3n chi'du. [?A"so "t_hal@\n "Sidu] "May happiness be to you (masc. dist. pronoun)" 2) Greeting a female stranger: 0so' Ta'l3n jhitu'. [?A"so "t_hal@\n Zi"tu] "May happiness be to you (fem. dist. pronoun)" 3) Greeting a male relative or close friend: 0so' Ta'l3n co'mu. [?A"so "t_hal@\n "tSomu] "May happiness be to you (masc. intim. pronoun)" 4) Greeting a female relative or close friend: 0so' Ta'l3n jobu'. [?A"so "t_hal@\n dZo"bu]
> >Goodbye!
Again, depends on whom you are speaking to: 0so' Ta'l3n chi'du isu'. [?A"so "t_hal@\n "Sidu ?i"su] "May happiness be to you (masc. dist. pronoun) to the future." As with the previous greetings, the _chi'du_ may be replaced with _jhitu'_ (female stranger/distant acquiantance), _co'mu_ (male relative/close friend), or _jobu'_ (female relative/close friend).
> >Yes
ji'e. ["dZi?&]
> >No
my'e. ["my?&]
> >Please
uso' ... [?u"so] "I prefer to ..." uso' kele. [?u"so k&l&] "Let it be as you said."
> >Thank You
If you are male: 0so' eb0' bach3'. [?A"so ?&"bA ba"S@\] "I(masc) am obliged to be grateful." If you are female: 0so' `ybo' bach3'. [?A"so Hy"bA ba"S@\] "I(fem) am obliged to be grateful." You may add a pronoun (_chi'du_, _jhitu'_, _co'mu_, _jobu') "to you" as appropriate for the situation. A shorter form (although not recommended if you want to be maximally polite): 0so' beshi'. [?A"so b&"Si] "May [there be] gratefulness."
> >Do you speak (English/Spanish/French/Dutch/<whatever>)?
a'ne chi'di hing3li'chot3m3? ["?an& "Sidi hiN@\"liSot@\%m@\] "Are English-words in you?" (I.e., "Do you know the English language?") OR, uso' chi'd0 ta'ma ing3li'chot3m3? [?u"so "SidA "tama ?iN@\"liSot@\m@\] "Can you please speak English?" As before, _chi'di_/_chi'd0_ should be replaced with the appropriate pronoun for the person you are speaking with.
> >I don't speak (conlang) very well.
If you are male: eb0' my'l3r3a tww'ma n3 3bis33'di d3 3t3m3'. "I(masc) not-flowingly speak the language of the people." I.e., "I don't speak the language of the people fluently." If you are female: `yb0' my'l3r3a tww'ma n3 3bis33'di d3 3t3m3'. "I(fem) don't speak the language of the people fluently."
> >My name is...
If you are male: ni ebu' d3 g3mi' ... [ni ?&"bu d@\ g@\"mi] "The name unto me [is] ..." Note that you will want to prefix your name with _e-_ [?&], since all proper names in Ebisedian must carry a proper name prefix. You will also probably want to suffix your name with _-i_ [i], or change the last vowel to _i_ [i]. For multi-word names, each word should bear the prefix and preferably with the [i] ending. If you are female: ni `ybu' d3 g3mi' ... [ni Hy"bu d@\ g@\"mi] Note that females should prefix their name with _`y-_ [Hy]. Do not use the wrong prefix, or you'll get very strange looks... :-) (If you want to be a perfectionist, you should note that masculine names ought to stress the initial syllable after the _e_ prefix, and feminine names ought to stress the final syllable.)
> >What is your name?
ghi' ni chi'du d3 g3mi'? ["Gi ni "Sidu d@\ g@\"mi] "What is the to-you name?" Again, _chi'du_ should be replaced with the pronoun appropriate for the person you are speaking to.
> >How are you?
ghe' chi'di? ["G& "Sidi] "What is happening with you?", or, "what about you?" Obviously, _chi'du_ should be replaced with the appropriate pronoun.
> >I am well.
Male: Ta'l3n ebi'. ["t_hal@\n ?&"bi] "Happiness is in me." Female: Ta'l3n `ybi'. ["t_hal@\n Hy"bi] Or, you may also say: Ta'l3n ebu'. ["t_hal@\n ?&"bu] "Happiness is unto me." Ta'l3n `ybu. ["t_hal@\n Hy"bu]
> >I am not well.
Depends on whether you are just unhappy, or feeling ill, or deathly sick, or in trauma: 1) Unhappy: my'Tal3n ebu'. ["myt_hal@\n ?&"bu] "No happiness is unto me." my'Tal3n `ybu'. ["myt_hal@\n Hy"bu] 2) Feeling quite ill: (male) vww3' ni ebi' d3 Ka'ji. [Bu":"?@\ ni ?&"bi d@\ "k_hadZi] "I have a bad headache". Literally, "there is a vortex in my head." (female) vww3' ni `ybi' d3 kacii'. [Bu":?@\ ni Hy"bi d@\ ka"tSi:] [*NOTE: for females, be sure to pronounce the final _i_ *long*, otherwise you might be misunderstood to be saying something about red flowers in garbage dumps...] 3) Feeling deathly sick: (male) eb3' chasi'd! [?&"b@\ Sa"sid] "I am deathly ill!" (female) `yb3' chasi'd! [Hy"b@\ Sa"sid] 4) In trauma, or in emotional anguish: (male) f3K3' ebu'. [F@\"k_h@\ ?&"bu] (female) f3K3' `ybu'. [F@\"k_h@\ Hy"bu] Or, you could simply shake your head, Ebisedi-style, and sigh: fiKi' [Fi"k_hi:::] (Warning: this will make you look like a Romeo/Juliet impersonator.)
> >I am the walrus, coo coo ca choo.
(male) ebi' eki'gi. gigigigi... [?&"bi ?&"kigi. gigigigi] (female) `ybi' `yki'gi. gigigigi... [Hy"bi Hy"kigi. gigigigi] "I am Mr./Ms./Mrs. Clown, hehehehe (mad cackling laughter)." :-P T -- Life would be easier if I had the source code. -- YHL