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Re: Tricky translations

From:H. S. Teoh <hsteoh@...>
Date:Monday, January 17, 2005, 19:36
On Sat, Jan 15, 2005 at 02:21:03AM -0800, Sai Emrys wrote:
[...]
> So, some brainstorming please: what would be good example sets of > words and concepts like this - ones that would force you to pick apart > the assumptions of your native language(s)?
The Ebisédi live in the Ferochromon. The Ferochromon is a radically different universe from ours---different rules of physics, completely different structure, and completely different phenomena. The only familiar thing is that the Ebisédi themselves are (more or less) human manifestations in the Ferochromon, and that, at least where the Ebisédi live, there is a superficial resemblance to Earth. (But it is only superficial.) And the consequence of this? *Nothing* may be assumed about the Ferochromon without knowing it yourself. One of the most famous features of the Ferochromon is that there are no such things as stars. The closest phenomenon is the _Ka'l3ri_, which is more like a starburst or supernova than a star. However, the same phenomenon on a smaller scale also manifests itself as fountains or volcanoes. How _Ka'l3ri_ ought to be translated depends on the context. Another feature of the Ferochromon is that there is no such thing as water. There are liquids, for sure, but no equivalent of clear, translucent water. (Watch this one screw up a relay, it has a lot of potential. :-P) Also, there is no unique "Earth" on which the Ebisédi dwell. Instead, there is a plethora of "landmasses", floating continents of diverse shapes and sizes that fill the three realms (a "realm" in this context is 3D inhabitable space). Also, the concept of "food" is radically different from the Terran understanding... all matter can be eaten, provided it is in the right form and in the right energy level. The fiery hot matter ejected from a _Ka'l3ri_, once cooled down, can be enjoyed as a delicious meal. But you would not want to stand in the plasma rain with your mouth open as it descends upon the landmass, since you'd burn yourself VERY badly. It must be cooled down sufficiently to safe energy levels, and then collected and processed into forms suitable for consumption. However, it must not be left too long, as otherwise it degrades to energy levels too low to be of any use, and also crystallizes into rocky, indigestible forms. Oh, and there is no such thing as "air" in Ferochromon. Space *is* air... you breathe space in Ferochromon just as you breath air on Earth. Not many people will die of suffocation unless they drown in liquid (space occupied by matter is unbreathable) or get buried alive. However, there *are* equivalents of winds: transmittent fields of force which propel anything within range, thereby causing the equivalent of winds. Need I go on? Just about *anything* in language that describes the physical world cannot be assumed to have an equivalent in Ebisédian, because the universe it is spoken in is so different that almost none of these assumptions would hold. (And mind you, what I've described so far only covers the 3D inhabitable section of the Ferochromon... there are other sections where things behave in yet other radically different ways.)
> I'd like to make this a homework assignment - "translate these words > and justify the translations". Something along the lines of the "How > to create good glosses" paper - intentionally creating a new framework > (as in CogSci "frames") for your language.
[...] Just try creating a conlang in a universe like the Ferochromon. You won't even need CogSci "frames" (whatever that may be); the very nature of the con-world itself would be a very sufficient new framework that will leave its lasting mark on the resulting language. :-) Now, Tatari Faran is actually situated on Earth (whew!), yet it already has such fascinating (and AFAIK unprecedented) features as the "complements" of which I spoke in my other message. AFAIK, no natlang has an equivalent of TF's complements. Yet they are very "naturalistic" once you get into the "feel" of Tatari Faran. From the view of a san faran, how else do you terminate the sentence except by the emphatic downslide of pitch on the terminal complement? huu sa tapa buara na bata. 1sp CVY walk volcano RCP COMPL ["hu: sa . tapa "bwa4a na bata] "I walked to the volcano; I did!" (as per Arthaey's suggestion on how to transliterate the complement). Is that not a lot more forceful, a lot more convincing, with more impact, that a wimpy _huu sa tapa buara na_ with no resounding conclusion? tara' sei jui'in kakat. 3sp CVY beautiful COMPL ["ta4a? sej . dzuj"?in kakat] "She is beautiful; stunningly so!" Does that not convey the beauty of that person in its stunning glory much better than an unsure utterance left hanging without an end: _tara' sei jui'in_ ? kiran tara' sa kiapat koko. young_man that CVY crazy COMPL ["ki4an ta4a? sa . kja"pat kOkO] "That young man is crazy; senselessly so!" Is the sad mental state of the young man not better expressed by this graphic, almost onomapoeic statement, rather than the dull _kiran tara' sa kiapat_ ? huu sa bata' ai. 1sp CVY chief COMPL ["hu: sa ba"ta? ?aj] "I am the chief; yes indeed!" (_ai_ on its own means "yes") Surely the reaffirmation granted by the _ai_ confirms my confident claim to be the chief, rather than the wavering, unsure _huu sa bata'_ ? Therefore, the complement is as natural to the san faran as the definite article is to the English speaker. There is no way to capture the true import of the complement in English, just as Tatari Faran lacks a way to adequately capture the small yet strong and definite "the" in English. IMNSHO, it should not only be at the word level where such unique features may be introduced. Indeed, one ought to get a "feel" for the conlang as a whole, and have a "gut feeling" for the "sway" of the conlang, not just some randomly chosen words that are different just for the sake of having *something* that differs from natlangs. As one grammar puts it, hopefully the reader (conlanger in this case) would grasp the "genius" of the language and so think "in" it, swaying along with all of its idiosyncrasies, idioms, and way of expressing things. T -- Music critic: "That's an imitation fugue!"

Replies

Sai Emrys <saizai@...>
Simon Clarkstone <simon.clarkstone@...>