Re: ANADEWISM: Natlangs that do comparison with true verbs?
From: | Rene Uittenbogaard <ruittenb@...> |
Date: | Sunday, November 7, 2004, 21:42 |
Philippe Caquant wrote:
> --- Carsten Becker skrev:
>
> > Hello!
> >
> > I have a problem with Ayeri in that it uses true
> > verbs for the comparison of adjectives: "to be as
> > ... as", "to be more ... as", "to be less ... as" etc.
> > Are there any natlangs that do comparison the same
> > way, where I can ste... get ideas from?
> >
>
> L'homme égale le loup en férocité (Man equals wolf as
> far is ferocity is concerned)
>
> L'homme l'emporte sur le loup en férocité (Man is
> superior to wolf as far as ferocity is concerned).
> L'homme dépasse (surpasse) le loup en férocité (id)
>
> Le loup n'arrive pas à la cheville de l'homme pour la
> férocité (Wolf doesn't get to the level of man's
> ankles for ferocity). Le loup n'atteint pas le niveau
> de l'homme... etc.
It seems there are more languages with verbs like these.
To stick with the same examples, here are the same
comparisons in Dutch:
De mens evenaart de wolf in wildheid.
Man equals wolf in ferocity. (evenaren = to equal)
De wolf overtreft de mens in wildheid.
Wolf surpasses man in ferocity. (overtreffen = to surpass)
(Deu. übertreffen)
De mens doet onder voor de wolf in wildheid.
Man is inferior to wolf in ferocity. (onderdoen voor = to be
inferior to)
(I'm not sure about the choice of the preposition "in" in that
last English sentence; is that correct?)
And even though it's not a natlang, I really like the way in
which Lojban handles this (but I don't know it well enough to
translate "wolf" and "ferocity"):
ti barda zmadu do
this big-exceeds you
This is bigger than you.
ti barda mleca do
this big-is_less you
This is less big than you.
This is one of a few types of tanru that I find especially
appealing. :)
Éylo,
René
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