Re: ghosts, flames, and fox fire; was: a bit of...

On 16 Nov, Sally Caves wrote:

> Let's put flames to good use here:  how many of you in your conlangs and
> concultures have a word for electricity?  Is it related to fire in any
> way?
    In  my conlang, rtemmu, it isn't.
The process of being an electron is "kelgek". Adding the suffix "-tisis"
( = developing into another place; ie movement) gives
"kelgektisis" = the process of moving electron(s), or electricity.

> or lightning?
  The process of being "over or above something" is "faipuhpuh".
Adding the suffix "-kik" ( = that, far away) gives
"faipuhpuhkik" ( = sky). Lightning is then:
kelgektisiso`gfaipuhpuhkik ( kelgek-tisis-o`g-faipuhpuh-kik )
where "-o`g-" is the compounding particle  (o` = [O] ).
Lightning is thus "sky-electricity".
    The process of being fire, in rtemmu, is "sdihs"; no connection.


>What about fox fire?
    No expression for that in rtemmu.

>methane gas?
    "fsihf" = the process of being methane gas.

 > are ghosts a kind of cold fire?

    Ghosts present an interesting problem for rtemmu.
How does a living being continue to develop after death?
    It seems to me that the problem could be addressed
by use of the suffix "-gbax". In contrast to the suffix
"-sax" which signifies a complete cessation of the process,
"-gbax" signifies what appears to be a complete cessation
of the process, followed by continued development in
a restricted form (_not_  a restart of the process).
    Thus: "rtun" = the process of being a person;
"rtungbax" would be a ghost. (It could also be a zombie,
or some other type of  "undead". One would need the context to
pin it down.)



 >What about dynamite?  Anybody have language for firecrackers?
> fireworks?
    The process of explosion is "dzats".
There is also an affix "xasax". If it is suffixed, it means "before".
If it is prefixed, it means "potential". Thus:

        dzatsxasax = before (the) explosion
        xasaxdzats = potentially explosive process

"dynamite" is  "g~go'oko`gxasaxdzats"
    (g~go'ok = the process of being a mountain;
     o`g = compounding particle
    g~ = [N];  o` = [O]
ie dynamite = "mountain-explosive"

"firecracker" is "fsihso`gxasaxdzats"
    (fsihs-o`g-xasax-dzats)
    ("fsihs = the process of being air)
ie firecracker = "air-explosive"

"fireworks" are "fsihso`gxasaxdyaizats"
    (fsihs-o`g-xasax-d-yai-zats)
    The infix "-yai-" refers to an emphasis on vision.
ie  "fireworks" = "visually-exciting air-explosion"


Dan Sulani
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likehsna rtem zuv tikuhnuh auag inuvuz vaka'a.

A word is an awesome thing.