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Re: Translation exercise: phrases from Jäschke

From:H. S. Teoh <hsteoh@...>
Date:Monday, September 23, 2002, 16:44
On Sun, Sep 22, 2002 at 05:50:34PM -0700, Sylvia Sotomayor wrote:
> OK. Here's a bunch of them. Not quite all. This list was a bit long & > I didn't want to bend the culture too much... > > On Sunday 22 September 2002 07:40, Tim May wrote:
[snip] *Note: for the following phrases, I will make the simplifying assumption that the person spoken to is a male stranger.
> > Where do you come from?
gh0' ch3'd3? ["GA "S@\d@\] "From-where [are] you?"
> > Who are you?
eghi' chi'di? [?&"Gi "Sidi] [snip]
> > What is your name?
[snip] Technically correct, but culturally odd, literal translation: ghi' ni chi'du d3 g3mi? ["Gi ni "Sidu d@\ g@\"mi] "What is the to-you name?" Idiomatic, culturally-accepted norm: gh3' ga'maa chi'du? "What is being called to you?" (The verb "to call" is cognate with _g3mi'_, "name".)
> > Where is your house?
ghi' n3 chi'du d3 jwl3'r? ["Gi n@\ "Sidu d@\ dZ8"l@\r`] "Wherein [is] the to-you house?"
> > Why do you come?
ghu' lyy's ch3'd3 oo'ru? ["Gu "ly:s "S@\d@\ "?o:r`u] "Unto-what came you here?"
> (What do you want?)
Idiomatic: ghu' chi'd0 za'taa? ["Gu "SidA "zata:] "What are you (mentally) looking at?" I.e., "what are you fixating/focusing on?" _za'taa_ is from the introvertive verb _za'ti_, which is cognate with the physical verb _zota'_, "to look". The introvertive domain indicates a (usually) psychological equivalent of the physical action. [snip]
> > I sit here to watch.
(Assuming here the speaker is male) j0'paa eb3' uu'ri tu zotaa' tumu. ["dZApa: ?&"b@\ "?u:r`i tu zo"ta: tumu] "I sit here to be looking."
> > What is the name of this village?
[snip] Technically-correct, culturally odd, literal translation: ghi' ni uro moo'ju d3 g3mi'? ["Gi ni ?uro "mo:dZu d@\ g@\"mi] "What is the to-this-town name?" Culturally-accepted idiom: ighi' uro moo'ji? [?i"Gi ?uro "mo:dZi] "What is this town? (the i- prefix on the interrogative _ighi'_ indicates that a name is being asked for, as opposed to a mere _ghi'_, which would be closer to the English "what is this town?!".) [snip]
> > Then go home to eat (drink) your soup.
[snip] Depends on how strong the speaker intends his statement to be: (weak/polite) uso' ch3'd3 le's jolu'r Ke, chi'du lu'gare ve. [?u"so "S@\d@\ "l&s dZo"lur` k_h&, "Sidu "lugar& B&] "Perhaps you should go to (your) house and drink." (stronger request) 0so' ch3'd3 le's jolu'r Ke, chi'du lu'gare ve. "I think you should go to (your) house and drink." (imperative/command) le's ch3'd3 jolu'r Ke, lu'gare chi'du ve. "Go, you, to (your) house, and drink!" [snip]
> > I am ill (I have got, am befallen with, an illness).
eb3' chasi'd. [?&"b@\ Sa"sid] "I am in sickness." [snip]
> > I feel pain.
[snip] s3'f3 ebu'. ["s@\F@\ ?&"bu.] "Pain is unto me." OR, vww3' ebi'. [B8:"?@\ ?&bi] (Lit.) "Headache is in me." The word _vww3'_ is highly idiomatic, and is used here to describe feelings of ill-health. Ordinarily, it refers to a whirlpool-like phenomenon in the Ferochromon; the ill-health meaning derives from the imagery of spiralling or spinning, as one feels during a bad headache or fainting spell.
> > Where?
[snip] ghi'? ["Gi] "What?" or "where?". To be more precise: ghi' s3'f3? ["Gi "s@\F@\] "Wherein [is] the pain?"
> > In the stomach.
[snip] (Assuming again the speaker is male.) cunui'. [dZunu"?i] "Stomach", "belly" (masc). Strictly speaking, it refers to the belly on the outside, but I haven't a word for "stomach" or "intestines" yet. (The feminine is _judui'_ [dZudu"?i].)
> > I have headache.
[snip] 3vww3' ni ebi' d3 Ka'ji. [?@\B8:"?@\ ni ?&"bi d@\ "k_hadZi] "Many whirlpools are in my head!" (This may sound funny, but it really isn't in Ebisedian. In fact, it is quite morbid, since _vyy'i_ is used as a means of garbage disposal. It is NOT fun to have spinning garbage cans whirling around in your head.... :-P)
> > We should have taken a walk, but it is too hot.
0so' ch3'd3 eb3' lay's isu'i Ke. miKa' isu'i 3l3r3Ka'rwm3 ve. [?A"so "S@\d@\ ?&b@\ la"?ys ?i"su?i k_h&. mi"k_ha ?i"su?i ?@\l@r`@"k_har`8m@\ B&] "(I think it should have been that) you and I went around, before. But before, there was much hot rain." (_l3r3K0'rumi_ is a hot, liquid form of matter, that rains upon the landmasses where the Ebisedi dwell. Usually, bad weather is caused by this "hot rain".) [snip]
> > Take this!
[snip] ta'ge m3c3'. ["tag& m@\"tS@\] "Take it." Here, _m3c3'_ is the *intimate* neuter pronoun. The intimate neuter pronoun is often used to refer to things that one possesses.
> > Take this with (you)!
ta'ge m3c3' chi'du. ["tag& m@\"tS@\ "Sidu] "Take it to yourself." [snip]
> > Bring this!
je're m3c3'. ["dZ&r`& m@\"tS@\] "Hold it up!" or, "Show it (to me)!" [snip]
> > I want some more milk.
[snip] (Assuming speaker is a child speaking to her mother) oso' jwjw3' `ybu'. [?o"so dZ8dZ8?@\ Hy"bu] "I wish milk to-me(fem)." *NOTE: _jwjw3'_, from _jujui'_, refers to the breasts; derivatively, to breast milk. It is considered somewhat lewd for adults to use the word with other adults; is it usually only used between small children and their mothers. Adult Ebisedi do not drink milk. [snip]
> > Give me some water, please!
uso' byy'jh cwgr3' ebu'. [?u"so "by:Z tS8"gr@\ ?&"bu] "(I would like it if) food/drink were given to me." *NOTE: the Ebisedi regard both solid food and drink as _cugri'_. [snip]
> > Put the pot (_degc`i_) down on the ground!
[snip] jh0'se h33'r3 jhosu'. ["ZAs& "h@\:r`@\ Zo"su] "Put-down the pot to-the-ground!" (Usually, one would omit _jhosu'_, since _jh0'se_ already conveys the meaning of "putting down (to the floor/ground); here, it adds extra emphasis.)
> > Put the pot near the fire!
[snip] jh0'se h33'r3 ili'ro K0'ni. ["ZAs& "h@\:r`@\ ?i"lir`o "k_hAni] "Put-down the pot near (around) the fire."
> > Take it off!
[snip] uKi'ra ta'ge nac3'. [?u"k_hir`a "tag& na"tS@\] "Take-up it!" i.e., "pick it up!" [snip]
> > Sit down!
j0'pi. ["dZApi] "Sit!" OR, j0'pi ch3'd3. "You sit!" [snip]
> > Please sit down, sir!
[snip] uso' juu'pi cw'm3. [?u"so "dZu:pi "tS8m@\] "Please may you be seated." Note here the use of an intimate pronoun, _co'mi_, for extra politeness, instead of the usual _chi'di_ used of strangers. _uso_ marks a preference or a polite suggestion; so this may be translated as "I would be very obliged if you would seat yourself." T -- Try to keep an open mind, but not so open your brain falls out. -- theboz

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Jan van Steenbergen <ijzeren_jan@...>Translation exercise: phrases_from_Jäschke