Re: Amanda's sentences as translation exercise

Found a couple of mistakes here. Will bother to correct them:

>>  4. The baby cannot speak (yet).
>
> U: Arum da ni me ikte. (baby yet not can(-pres.3s) speak-inf)
> G: Ara omoke linia ra. (not baby-erg pot-speaking dur-it-has-it)
First, I don't think the durative on the auxiliary is the right way
to express this. Perhaps better an allative on the nominalised verb
and no negative. Omoke liniati a. "The child has towards the ability
of speaking." Hm, weird. But I think it is correct Gaajan. I hesitate
to introduce a 'yet' adverb. I don't think it's right there. But they
have 'now', which is 'wan,' so perhaps 'wanti' with another allative.

>> 10. Although he can take several steps in a row while I hold his
>> hands, I
>> carried him on our walk.
>
> U: Da me bil vazlet rybi sami ziram sa meret, si firem esan lidu.
> (although can-pres.3s several step-acc.pl row-inst.sg while hold-
> pres.1s 3s.gen hand-acc.pl, 3s.acc carry-pret.1s 1p.gen walk-loc.sg)
Although this is formally correct, Urianians would prefer a
participle instead of 'sami ziram': Da me bil vazlet rybi ma ziruni
sa meran... (although can-pres.3s several step-acc.pl row-inst.sg
1s.gen hold-act.part.inst 3s.gen hand-gen.pl...) that is: Although he
can take several steps in a row with/through my holding of his hands...

LEF