> > Here's my translation:
> >
> > Nlannani'nal nabibita'l paflabi'tai wassagga'ili walli'sili
> > pipatisaggaglila'du
> >
> > Luslapa'lva wanafaki'l watu'fu
> > Patima'staski
> > Lukaswila'silva wanala'u wani'pal
> > Patima'stasva-naka pikapaffa'n ku faiszukula'stas
> > Patima'staski
> > Pla'ssi pli'ta saga'taiki "Nlannani'n, patima'sfinva ta'lmayi pibitta'n"
> >
> > Luska'palva pisani' wabizi'l
> > Plassi'taski
> > Kita'lva sukkista'iz pigasyu'
> > Plassi'taski
> > Plassi'taski nlannani'n nabibita' pli gadi'taiki
> > Pla'ssi pli'ta saga'taiki "Nlannani'n, plassi'finva ta'lmayi pibitta'n"
> >
> > Smooth translation first:
> > Our Great Father gave us these words about story-making
> >
> > He makes the small wind strong
> > He is hearing it
> > The water grows the food
> > He hears it in the distance and is about to be slightly sad
> > He is hearing it
> > Therefore we say "Father, you are hearing us well"
> >
> > The tree makes the house healthy
> > He is seeing it
> > Children are afraid of the night
> > He is seeing it
> > Our Great Father sees that we are mating
> > Therefore we say "Father, you are seeing us well"
Nik's notes are in the previous message ("From Patrick Dunn's
language to Watakassi"). Sorry!
> ============================================================
> SALLY CAVES
> scaves@frontiernet.net
>
http://www.frontiernet.net/~scaves (bragpage)
>
http://www.frontiernet.net/~scaves/teonaht.html (T. homepage)
>
http://www.frontiernet.net/~scaves/contents.html (all else)
> =====================================================================
> Niffodyr tweluenrem lis teuim an.
> "The gods have retractible claws."
> from _The Gospel of Bastet_
> ============================================================
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: From Patrick Dunn's lang to Watakassi'
> Date: Sun, 28 Nov 1999 14:45:05 -0500
> From: Nik Taylor <fortytwo@...>
> To: Paul.Bennett@xncorp.com
> CC: Fuschian@aol.com, jmpearson@FACSTAFF.WISC.EDU, bsarempt@rempt.xs4all.nl,
> rnierse@ANWB.NL, grandsir@NATLAB.RESEARCH.PHILIPS.COM,
> fflores@ARNET.COM.AR, dirk.elzinga@M.CC.UTAH.EDU, ira@rempt.xs4all.nl,
> dennis@himes.connix.com, nicole.perrin@snet.net, myth@INQUO.NET,
> john@DRUMMOND.DEMON.CO.UK, rhialto@easynet.co.uk, cowan@locke.ccil.org,
> pag000@MAIL.CONNECT.MORE.NET, tb0pwd1@corn.cso.niu.edu,
> hobbit@MAIL.EARTHLIGHT.CO.NZ, Jeffrey@Henning.com,
> draqonfayir@JUNO.COM, scaves@frontiernet.net, Spacey845@my-deja.com
> References: <80256835.003CEA06.00@...>
>
> Here's what I received from Patrick Dunn
>
> tobo-sabo senoomaka oakave pede semufazeono
>
> selogadetea kape tikie
> selopasua
> pazhue radumea sapoteapo
> selopasua
> selopasua kateatu oade senea pula.
> Opa moniova <<i tobo
> netapasu nehasatu>>
>
> Upe ralozotea tete
> selohivia
> enpuziono senlotevua beloe
> selohivia
> tobo-sabo senihivia motuguva dono
> Opa moniova <<i tobo
> netahivi nehasatu>>
>
> Here's my translation:
> (I discovered a few gramatical errors, mostly errors in forms, oh
> well)
>
> Nlannani'nal nabibita'l paflabi'tai wassagga'ili walli'sili
> pipatisaggaglila'du
>
> Luslapa'lva wanafaki'l watu'fu
> Patima'staski
> Lukaswila'silva wanala'u wani'pal
> Patima'stasva-naka pikapaffa'n ku faiszukula'stas
> Patima'staski
> Pla'ssi pli'ta saga'taiki "Nlannani'n, patima'sfinva ta'lmayi pibitta'n"
>
> Luska'palva pisani' wabizi'l
> Plassi'taski
> Kita'lva sukkista'iz pigasyu'
> Plassi'taski
> Plassi'taski nlannani'n nabibita' pli gadi'taiki
> Pla'ssi pli'ta saga'taiki "Nlannani'n, plassi'finva ta'lmayi pibitta'n"
>
> Smooth translation first:
> Our Great Father gave us these words about story-making
>
> He makes the small wind strong
> He is hearing it
> The water grows the food
> He hears it in the distance and is about to be slightly sad
> He is hearing it
> Therefore we say "Father, you are hearing us well"
>
> The tree makes the house healthy
> He is seeing it
> Children are afraid of the night
> He is seeing it
> Our Great Father sees that we are mating
> Therefore we say "Father, you are seeing us well"
>
> Notes:
> Verbal agreement is with the absolutive
> * Indicates gemination
>
> N-lannani'-n-al na-bibita'-l pa-f-labi'-tai
> wa*-sagga'-i-yi
> wa*-li's-i-yi pi-pati-sagga-gli-la'-du
>
> G2S-father-our(pauc)-ERG G2-great-ERG DatObj-Past-give-us(pauc)
> G6Pl-word-Pl-INST
> G6Pl-this-Pl-INST G7-collective-word-make-abstr-ELL
> wapatisagga', literally "collection of words" means "story", so
> _pipatisaggaglila'_ is "story-making"
> I don't know what "great father" means, I only translated it literally.
> lis- is the plural stem of li, "this" (it belongs to a class of nouns
> and adjectives with "hidden" letters, fricatives which appear only in
> the plural. In this case, instrumental is used because the dative has
> been promoted to absolutive, so the old absolutive becomes
> instrumental. Ellative is here used for "about". Pa- turns dative into
> absolutive, and absolutive into instrumental. It is required when the
> dative is a sentient being.
> Incidentally, the word "father" here is a scientific term, since fathers
> don't figure in everyday life. It literally means "co-mother"
>
> Lu-s-lapa'-l-va wa-nafaki'l wa-tu'fu
> Cause-be-strong-3IrrS-Hab G6-wind G6-small
> Incidentally, _nafaki'l_ (wind) is formed by _na-_ (that which) +
> _faki'l_ (go)
>
> Pa-tima's-tas-ki
> DatObj-hear-3SRat-INCH
> The 3rd Singular Irrational has two forms, -*a after a consonant, and -l
> after a vowel.
>
> Lu-kas-wila'si-l-va wa-nala'u wa-ni'pa-l
> Cause-become-adult-3IrrS-Hab G6-food G6-water-ERG
> Kaswila'si originally meant "grow up", as in from childhood to adult,
> but was extended to any form of growing/maturing, including plants
> growing larger.
>
> Pa-tima's-tas-va=naka pi-kapaffa'-n ku fai-s-zu-kula's-tas
> DatObj-hear-3SRat-Hab=he.nom G7-distance-COM and ImFut-be-dim-sad-3SRat
> s(a)zukula's means "be slightly sad". Ordinarily, the verb _tima's_ (as
> well as _lassi'_ later on) puts the one doing the seeing in dative, and
> the object in absolutive. Of course, if it's a sentient being doing the
> seeing, dative-object is required. The thing heard is "it" in this
> case, BTW, altho there was no way of telling with this sentence. Nouns
> in the commitative case are used for adverbs
>
> Pa-tima's-tas-ki
> DatObj-hear-3SRat-INCH
>
> Pla'ssi p-li'-ta saga'-tai-ki "N-lannani'-n, tima's-fin-va
> ta'lma-yi pi-bitta'-n"
> Because.of G7-this-ABL say-we(pauc)-INCH "G2-father-our, hear-you-HAB
> us.pauc-INST G7-goodness-COM
>
> Lu-s-ka'pa-l-va pi-sani' wa-bizi'-l
> Cause-be-healthy-3IrrSing-HAB G7-house G6-tree-ERG
>
> P-lassi'-tas-ki
> DatObj-see-3SRat-INCH
>
> Kita'-l-va su*-kista'-i-z pi-gasyu'
> Fear-3SIrr-HAB G3Pl-child-Pl-DAT G7-night
> I know what I said earlier about pa- being required with sentient
> datives, but it feels right here, probably because the children are
> being affected by the fear.
>
> P-lassi'-tas-ki
> DatObj-see-3SRat-INCH
>
> P-lassi'-tas-ki n-lannani'-n-al na-bibita'-l pli gadi'-tai-ki
> DatObj-see-3SRat-INCH G2-father-our-ERG G2-great-ERG that mate-we-INCH
>
> Pla'ssi p-li'-ta saga'-tai-ki "N-lannani'-n, p-lassi'-fin-va
> ta'lma-yi pi-bitta'-n"
> Because.of G7-this-ABL say-we-INCH "G2-father-our DatObj-see-you-HAB
> us-INST G7-goodness-COM
> --
> "Old linguists never die - they just come to voiceless stops." -
> anonymous
>
http://members.tripod.com/~Nik_Taylor/X-Files
>
http://members.tripod.com/~Nik_Taylor/Books.html
> ICQ: 18656696
> AIM Screen-Name: NikTailor