Re: MeloChalaka

In a message dated 9/23/01 6:57:49 PM, florarroz@YAHOO.COM writes:

<< ri = rise (like to get up from a chair)
then logically
siri would be a sort of emphasis on the rising action
BUT would snyiri (cyclical) mean getting up and down?
What about niri (waning)?  Getting up slowly?
 >>

    This could just indicate the opposite in this position.  So, "niri" would
be to sit, or to lie down.  If you did this, then the prefix would be less
transparent, and make this particular aspect more rich and unpredictable.
Like take "in-" in English.

    1.) Indecisive (not able to make up one's mind)
    2.) Impractical (not practical), yet...
    3.) Inflammable (able to burst into flame), and...
    4.) Inflate (to blow air into), and...
    5.) Incite (to urge on, to stimulate)

Of course, this is still semi-transparent in English since we have the word
"in", which takes care of "inflate".  And studying Latin will give you the
others (opposite marker with (1) and (2), or intensifier with (3) and (5)).
However, with one like "ex", the meaning becomes less transparent, the
overall effect being that there are these affixes which seem to have some
sort of semantic and/or metaphoric connection, yet the current speakers can't
put their finger on it.  I've been working on doing something like this with
Gweydr.  It makes languages seem more like languages and less like Pidgins or
Creoles.
    So, "to sit down"; that's my suggestion.  :)

-David

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