From: | Markus Miekk-oja <torpet@...> |
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Date: | Thursday, September 19, 2002, 12:43 |
I stumbled across this word in a finnish Bible which seemed very, very out of place. I wonder if anyone does have similar irregular derivations for animals in their natlangs or conlangs? There's a very wierd twist to this. The explanation: "Jalopeuras". I even checked with a few unilingual finns if they had the slightes idea what it could be... no one got it right. Everyone guessed something in the line of "some kind of deer". My first guess was: "some kind of domesticated deer". So, let's break it down: jalo- "noble" Can also be used with stones: "jalokivi" - gem, jewel; metals: "jalometalli" - gold, silver, etc. Metals that don't generally rust; trees : "jalopuu" - certain trees like oak, gases : . that aren't very common in the northernmore parts of Finland. Swedes will realise this's the same as the Swedish "ädel-", Germans will similarly notice "edel-". I don't think English has anything like it. Peuras - "wild reindeer", used in compounds for many kinds of different deers, almost exclusevily for different kinds of deers. One exception: Put together, this "noble wild reindeer" is a LION! (I suspect the Sapmi are very good at breeding different animals and have now suggested a new theory of the origin of species: the Sapmi have by carefully selecting different qualities among the reindeer managed to generate them into every kind of animal on earth.) - Markus
Padraic Brown <elemtilas@...> |