Re: Translation exercise: phrases from Jäschke

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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