Re: "Bird in Tree" translation (was: Re: milimpulaktasin)

daniel andreasson wrote:
>
> Robert Hailman wrote:
>
> > Well, I translated this into Ajuk, for fun. When I get the chance, I'll
> > record it and put it up on... uh... something. I don't have a website
> > yet, but this is one more excuse to get one.
> >
> > A: Odap visenapoke ukhoto elpisoto abrano.
> > B: Nomap visenapa!
> > A: Duz najaj upoti uzot khinvisenot dorot felden!
> > B: O! Khinvisenot upoti, nan?
> >
> > Interlinear:
> > Od -ap    visen-ap   -ok -i ukh-ot -o   elpis-ot-o    abran-o.
> > 2  -masc. look -masc.-IMP-3 the-in.-ACC small-in.-ACC tree -ACC.
> > Look at the small tree!
>
> So the verb agrees in gender with the subject and in number
> with the object? That's odd. Or perhaps 3p doesn't distinguish
> gender, which would explain the "3". [ Though I'm fairly certain
> there is a universal saying that if 1p and 2p shows gender, then
> 3p does too. ] Or does it have to do with the tree being inanimate?
No, it has to do with me being incompetent. ;-) There's a mistake in
there, it should be "visenapoke", where -e marks the second person. I
originally accidentaly put the subject and the verb in the third person,
and then when I corrected it I forgot to correct the verb or the IPA.
Silly me. I've corrected it above. "3" is third person.

> > Nom-ap   visen-ap   -a!
> > 1 -masc. look -masc.-1
> > I see (it)!
>
> Here the agreement is with the subject both in person and gender.
Yeah. Like I mentioned above, that's how it should be, agreement by
person, number, and gender, although there is no affix for singular.

> > Just a few things to note: When no case or number is mentioned, assume
> > nominative and singular. I originally put place holders ("0") in, and
> > while was less ambiguious I suppose, it looked too messy.
>
> Aha! Does this explain my question above?
Not particularly. There were placeholders for singular forms and for the
nominative. You can have more than that in the verb (for the verb not
being reflexive, not being imperative, yadda yadda yadda) but that was
just *too* messy even by messy standards.

> > Well, that's all for now. Like I said, I'll get it recorded and put it
> > up. I can pronounce the last sentance correctly - it seems to be the
> > easiest one for me.
>
> I'm waiting... :)
I'm practicing it. Hopefully I'll get it up today.

--
Robert