Re: CHAT: TRANS: something slightly more deep (was: TRANS: flutes)

On Fri, 4 Feb 2000, yl-ruil wrote:

This is one of the few portions of what is *here* known as the
Bible that exists as part of the Book of the Holyman used by
the Tallarian speakers.

aretemas-he   ffachhamemet: "Harciessomt!"; ffachhahit-cus
High Ones-and speaking       do them shine  spake-thus

Here we see the usual state of affairs: SOV order for sentences not at
the head of a section; no subject/verb agreement. Aretemas is the
generally used word for the chief God of this universe - hhachhasas is
the other, and is borrowed from the local Germanic language, (though
that may not be entirely obvious). The middle particip. is used for
"speaking" rather than the active for theological reasons: the High
Ones are speaking amongst themselves and for their own benefit.

Harciessomt is the most interesting word here. There's no way of
rendering it easily in English, but comes out something like "it is
ordained that whatever is "light" now shine forth".  The verb is
harcam, which means "it shines"; and is used of things that shine with
their own light (Sun, stars, etc.) in the sing.  In the plural, the
sense is extended to everything that shines with its own light all at
once. Morphologically, it is a 3rd pl.  present active of the
injunctive mood. The injunctive is rare and always meaty in its
meanings. It's not a direct order, it's not hortatory nor pleading
(that would be precative mood anyway);  but it states that in no
uncertain terms the Order is given and It Had Better Get Done. In this
case, the order is carried out by the Powers, who actually sing the
world into existence.

Padraic.

>Since I seem to have kicked off a couple of translation
>relay-thingys, here's another one. I'm not a Christian, but I thought
>a bit of the bible would be a bit deeper than "I learned Swedish in
>Uppsala" ;).  Here we have God's first commandment in (archaic)
>Aredos
>
>euecuet-cue Deivos: estu luctom.
>he_says-aorist and God-nom: be-3p_imperative light-nom
>And God said "Let there be light"
>
>Dan
>