Re: A new translation exercise (was: lexicons)

Irina Rempt wrote:

> Here's a translation exercise of my own: the first paragraph of the
> story about Grandpa and the Dragon (to be found in whole on my web
> page in Valdyan and English), that I originally wrote in Valdyan (no
> translation from the Dutch).

>       When my great-great-grandfather was a young man, he travelled
>       out into the world. First he went west; there was only sand
>       there. Then he went north; there was only snow there. Then he
>       went east; there the mountains were too high and
>       great-great-grandfather couldn't climb them. At last he decided
>       to travel south, on foot, on horseback, by cart and by boat. In
>       the south he saw the largest city in all the world.
In Ge'arthununs:

Shtano" chau chti'o"rs si'ter le' sau gadi'rs no"i sho, saur le' cho"
be'o"bso"v palenguf kfo" cho" o"belo"bso"v pi'math. Avi'a-u saur le'
chu" shuraksu"v kadiz, arkfo" va helkedi'psav va shi'reps le' nair
mic,nakh. Mente saur le' cho" to"mebso"v kadiz, arkfo" va helkedi'psav
va kno"ps le' nair mic,nakh. Mente saur le' orha che i'evethsev kadiz,
arkfo" cha helkedi'nsav cho"k aubso"p le' so"lubo"p rho"se-u no"i, kfo"
vau chti'o"ms si'tem le' rho"kho"ch ba rhkoviz kalokh. Vangkathe' saur
le' cho"i mne'fo"tso"iv chu"l savo"ksu"g, so"i skatso"in, si' rho"lsi'n,
zho" sa mvo"nsan ba pi'math gnaro"l. Cho"i mne'fo"tso"iv saur le' cha
shtu"lansat gateranat e'ho" cho" o"belo"bso"b ersfanebo"b e'ho" tel.

Shtano" chau chti'o"rs si'ter le' sau gadi'rs no"i
when  the great-great-grandfather/nom. my/nom. past a young-one/nom. be

sho, saur le' cho" be'o"bso"v palenguf kfo" cho"
end-of-clause-marker, he/nom. past the home/loc. leave and the

o"belo"bso"v pi'math. Avi'a-u saur le' chu" shuraksu"v kadiz,
world/loc. travel. first he/nom. past the west/loc. go

arkfo" va helkedi'psav va shi'reps le' nair mic,nakh.
but the-neg. there/loc.-neg. the-neg. sand/nom.-neg. past only exist.

Mente saur le' cho" to"mebso"v kadiz, arkfo" va helkedi'psav
then he/nom. past the north/loc. go, but the-neg. there/loc.-neg.

va kno"ps le' nair mic,nakh. Mente saur le' orha che i'evethsev
the-neg. snow/nom.-neg. past only exist. then he/nom. past the east/loc.

kadiz, arkfo" cha helkedi'nsav cho"k aubso"p le' so"lubo"p rho"se-u
go, but the there/nom. the-pl. mountain/nom.-pl. past high/nom.-pl. too

no"i, kfo" vau chti'o"ms si'tem le'
be, and the-neg. great-great-grandfather/nom.-neg. my/nom.-neg. past

rho"kho"ch ba rhkoviz kalokh. Vangkathe' saur le' cho"i
them/acc.-neg. verb-connector climb can. at-last he/nom. past the

mne'fo"tso"iv chu"l savo"ksu"g, so"i skatso"in, si' rho"lsi'n,
south/loc. the-dual foot/instr.-dual, a horse/instr., a cart/instr.,

zho" sa mvo"nsan ba pi'math gnaro"l. Cho"i mne'fo"tso"iv saur le' cha
and a boat/instr. vc. travel decide. the south/loc. he/nom. past the

shtu"lansat gateranat e'ho" cho" o"belo"bso"b ersfanebo"b e'ho" tel.
city/acc. large/acc. most the world/postpositional entire/post. of see.

Kou