Re: Vampire dialogue again

Matt Pearson wrote:

Very nice work.

(2)

>   Yachtu spuli litwa, ochach planika dura saazdo ...
>   "If we break the treaty, if we gather in numbers ..."
>
>   yachtu s-pul-i       litw-a,   ochach p-lani-ka         dura
>saazd-o
>   if     Nzn-agree-Nom break-Fut 1incl  Stat-together-Fut many
>number-Obl
So there is only one word for "if" in these clauses, rather than the two in
the translation?


(5)

>   Sika-lu pala tat kapro Blade?
>   "Don't we have enough trouble with Blade?"
>
>   sika-lu        p-ala        ta-t      kapro         Blade?
>   trouble-Qu.Neg Stat-suffice 1incl-Erg on.account.of Blade
>
>The particle _lu_, which attaches as a clitic after the first
>phrase in the clause, marks the sentence as a negative question.
I like this. Is there a comparable clitic for affirmative questions yet?




Marcus Smith

"Sit down before fact as a little child,
be prepared to give up every preconceived notion,
follow humbly wherever and to whatsoever abysses Nature leads,
or you shall learn nothing."
                -- Thomas Huxley