Re: Translation exercise: phrases from Jäschke

Where necessary, I'll make the assumption that one is speaking to a
woman, and that the speaker is female.  Also, I mark stressed syllables
with ' in front of the syllable.

Tim May wrote:
> Where are you from?
Assuming this is asking one's origin:
Klaffaki uadiitaniiua biibaa?
Klaf    -la-ki       ua-diitani-iua  biibaa?
Be.equat-it-NonPunct G6-home   -your where?

> Who are you?
Klaffinki tibaa?
Klaf    -fin     -ki      tibaa
Be.equat-you.sing-NonPunt female.who?
[kl_0Af'feJCi tSi'bA:]

> Whose (man, servant) are you?
There's no real word for "servant" in Uatakassi, only "slave", altho
that word may overlap somewhat with "servant"

Klaffinki tisista tibaaf?
Klaf-fin-ki ti-sista             tibaa     -f?
(see above) G1-female.slave/girl female.who-gen
(Same word is used for "girl" and "female slave"; likewise, "boy" and
"male slave" are identical)
[kl_0Af'feNCi tSi'SeSta tSi'bA:f]

> What is your name?
Pasagaatufinki plal pibaa?
Pa-    sagaatu-fin     -ki       plal                pibaa
DatObj-call   -you.sing-NonPunct Appositive.particle what?
Pa- is the "Dative Object" voice - it converts a dative argument into an
absolutive argument; sagaatu means "to call" in the sense of "name",
rather than "summon"; the caller is absolutive, the callee is dative,
and the name is an appositive phrase, headed by "plal".
[pAsagA:tu'feJCi pl_0al_0pi'bA:]

> Where is your house?
Launilki uadiitaniiua biibaav?
Launi -la-ki       ua-diitani-iua       biibaa-av?
Be.loc-it-NonPunct G6-home   -your.sing where -loc?
[lAw'nelCi wAdZi:ta'ni:wA]

> Why are you here?
Launifinki bliiv plassi pibaa?
Launi -fin     -ki       bli -av  plassi     pibaa?
Be.loc-you.sing-NonPunct here-loc because.of what?
[lAwni'feJCi ble:v 'pl_0ASSi pi'bA:]

> I sit here to watch.
Divauki plisslassi.
Diva-u-ki       plis-s -lassi
Sit -I-NonPunct Part-AP-look
[dZi'vAWC= pl_0eS'Sr\_0aSSi]

> What is the name of this village?
Klaffaki uaatuu uanakataf pibaa?
Klaf    -la-ki       ua-katuu ua-nakata -af  pibaa?
Be.equat-it-NonPunct G6-name  G6-village-gen what?
[kl_0Af'fAC= wA:'tu: wAna'kAtaf pi'bA:]

> I am ill (I have got, am befallen with, an illness).
Sagavlauki
Sa-gavla-u-ki
Be-sick -I-NonPunct
[sagA'vlAwC=]

> I feel pain.
Paskutiuki uaavali.
Pa-    takutti-u-ki       ua-gava-li
DatObj-feel   -I-NonPunct G6-pain-inst
Geminate stops can only occur between vowels, thus, the -tti at the end
of takutti must be simplified before -u (since the final i becomes the
glide /j/ before the vowel).  Also, takutti belongs to a class of verbs
that begin with Ca- in their stem forms wherein the /a/ is dropped after
a vowel-final prefix, with stops becoming fricatives (k and g completely
lost with compensatory lengthening of the previous vowel).  Likewise,
_gava_ is the same kind of phenomenon.
[pAsku'tSoC= wA:'vAli]

> Where?
Biibaav?
Biibaa-av?
Where -loc
[bi:'bA:v]

> In the stomach.
Ualaiv
Ua-alai   -av
G6-stomach-loc
['wAlajv]

> I have headache.
Gualiuki tivamisukual.
Guali-u    -ki       ti-vamisu-kua-al
Hurt -I.abs-NonPunct G2-head  -my -erg
"Head" is one of a small class of body-part nouns whose gender is
determined by their possessor.  This sentence translates literally as
"My head hurts me"
[gwA'ljoC= tSivAmi'sukwAl]

> Take this!
Manuu plii!
Manuu pi-li!
Take  G7-this
[mA'nu: 'pl_0i:]

> Take this with (you)!
Manuu tivaan plii!
Manuu tivaa       -nan         pi-li
Take  you.sing.fem-Commitative G7-this
[mA'nu: tSi'vA:n 'pl_0i:]

> Bring this!
Lufaissi plii!
Lufaissi pi-li!
Bring    G7-this
[lu'fajSSi pl_0i:]

> Clean this!
Mataz plii!
Mataz pi-li!
Wash  G7-this
['mAtaz 'pl_0i:]

> Wash it with sand!
Mataz pitakluli!
Mataz pi-taklu-li!
Wash  G7-sand -inst
['mAtaz pita'kl_0uli]

> Are (your) hands clean?
Sanvaunkibu titlunikiuai?
Sa-navau-na  -ki      =bu              ti*- tlunii-iua      -i
Be-clean-they-NonPunct=Question.clitic G2pl-hand  -your.sing-pl
tlunii becomes tlunik- before certain endings
[sam'vAwJCibu tSitr\_0uni'Ciwaj]

> What did you say, sir (did the gentleman say)?
Sagatas tikipita plal pibaa?
Saga-tas   -0     ti-ki- pita  plal                pibaa?
Say -he/she-Punct G2-aug-woman appositive.particle what?
Present punctual has the meaning of immediate past
[sa'gAtas tSiCi'pita pl_0al pi'bA:]

--
"There's no such thing as 'cool'.  Everyone's just a big dork or nerd,
you just have to find people who are dorky the same way you are." -
overheard
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