Re: Thank you & Sabyuka (Was: Re: Knowledge-related roots in sabyuk)

[This should have gone to the list! Wesley, apparently you
had it set to reply to yourself, not the list.]

On Thu, 08 Aug 2002 21:58, Christophe Grandsire wrote:

> Actually it's a good subject of discussion on this list: how you all say
> "thank you" in your languages?
To thank properly in Phaleran requires knowing your social
status.  To perceived compatriots and members of the same
caste, one uses _sikâri_, which is simply "to thank".  To
those of somewhat higher castes, such as clerics or
upper-level bourgeoisie, one says _twailatþe th'eresswanti_,
lit. "your grace commands". (The plurality of the suffix -tþe,
makes reference to the class as a whole, i.e., "the grace
inherent in someone like you", as plurality is not normally
an indicator of honorifics; note also that the suffix -nt-
is singular, not plural -nn-.) To those of the novitiate nobility,
one says _tšhalenkabronti_, lit. "I am cleansed".  Although
very, very few people every come into regular contact with
the terrestrial nobility, there are special forms for them:
_rankaruo th'ereskwâlti_ "as at [my] ablution you would command".
(The verb _th'eresswa_ "command", in fact, is an all-purpose
politeness marker; just about anything can be made more polite
by its use.)

>And do you know of any "strange" or unusual
> ways of thanking, whether in conlangs or natlangs?
There is a special ablution ritual on Phalera during the periodic
eclipses by Gelenê, during which one ritually thanks one's family
and ancestors.  This takes the form of a blessing:

 eaniwo     twailal   eo  tyâs
 shadow.DAT grace.3Sg 3Sg 2SgBEN
 "The shadow's grace be upon you", lit. "In the shadow, his
   grace [be] for you."

Not to do so would bring on inauspicious events.

 =========================================================================
Thomas Wier
Dept. of Linguistics  "Nihil magis praestandum est quam ne pecorum ritu
University of Chicago sequamur antecedentium gregem, pergentes non qua
1010 E. 59th Street   eundum est, sed qua itur." -- Seneca
Chicago, IL 60637