Re: White Wolf Language-Butchery (was: Chinese/japanese Pronounciation)

 >From: Philip Newton <Philip.Newton@...>
 >
 >On 1 May 02, at 11:34, Steg Belsky wrote:
 >
 >> And when it comes to the Ahl-i-Batin from Mage, i have no idea what that
 >> medial |-i-| could be...
 >
 >Looks a bit to me like what happens in Persian or some Afghan
 >languages.

        Dari is the name of the Afghani dialect of Persian.

 >             I'm not sure of the function of that particle, but there are
 >words (such as place names e.g. Mazar-i-Sharif) which have -i- or -e-
 >in the middle.

        It's called 'ezafe' and has about a zillion uses.  It turns
out it several wee particles reduced into this single form, so the
wild uses to which it is put hides historical differences.  It's used
to connect elements in a noun phrase, and to many learners'
irritation, it isn't written, except after certain vowels. :)  Ezafe
is also used after a bunch of prepositions, IIRC.

        Translating ezafe as "of" will cover many cases.

--
wm