Re: translation exercise

Ok, I thought I ought to do my own translation challenge. Unfortunately, I
haven't got a developed vocabulary, and I want to make sure that when I
create a word, it is the sound I want. So, [] will be used to mark uncreated
words.

lonta, xabex alala wer [light] aaliqe.

il wiba goya de le [city] yame. xwing du [strange] de. toki [night], xwing
[light] xwinder [city]. xwing [probably] [think] lama [star] yamewerqi.
xwing [fight] i [kill] qaqa. xwing [understand] nei nani [big] [danger].
twer yame anil xwinde [small] [world]. i xwing [hunt] nei qaqa kun [bow].
nei, xwing [have] [strange] xibola. i [take care] il xwender [strange]
[iron] [horse]. twer su-[use] [travel]. twer ma [fast] [travel] ming nani
[natural] [animal] mada [travel]. twer [ignore] [bow] le [strength].
[travel]-x nei ax xwender [city] aaliqe, kinde zonta.

lonta, xabex alala lama [city] aaliqe.



-=-interlinear-=-




>Father, what are those lights?

lonta, xabex alala wer [light] aaliqe.
father, speak about those lights please.

(aaliqe also translates as 'yes'. A better general gloss might be
kindly/nicely. Demuan doesnt seem to have a particular set of words intended
to fill the yes/no roles. Even 'no' is taken from the verb negator)


(he could say "zix du wer [light]?", but this is considered a bit blunt)

>That is the city of the Goyanim.
il wiba goya de le [city] yame.
at there goyanim people 's city exists.

(goyanim, I have interpreted it as a plural (seems reminiscent of hebrew),
so dropped the -nim)

>They are a strange people.
xwing du [strange] de.
they are a strange people.


>They light their cities at night,
toki [night], xwing [light] xwinder [city].
when night, they light their cities,

>as if the stars weren't sufficient for their needs.
xwing [probably] [think] lama [star] yamewerqi.
They must think the stars will_stop_exist.

>They fight and kill eachother,
xwing [fight] i [kill] qaqa.
they fight and kill eachother.

>not realising the greater danger beyond their small world.
xwing [understand] nei nani [big] [danger].
they understand not any big danger

(nani can mean either, any, or a few)

twer yame anil xwinde [small] [world].
said_thing exist beyond their small world.

(twer may be the first signs of a relative clause marker appearing in
demuan. They consider it to be a pronoun)

>And they do not hunt eachother with bows and arrows.
i xwing [hunt] nei qaqa kun [bow].
and they hunt not eachother with bow_and_arrow.

(Only 'bow' would be used. You wouldnt use 'gns and bullets' in a more
modern context, and neither do they)

>No, they have strange devices that kill from far away without arrows.
nei, xwing [have] [strange] xibola.
No, they have strange devices.

twer [kill] de il [big] [distance]
said devices kill people at a great distance.

>And take care near their strange iron horses they use to travel.
i [take care] il xwender [strange] [iron] [horse].
and take care at their strange iron horses.

twer su-[use] [travel].
said_thing is_used travel.

(su- is a passive marker)

>They travel faster than any natural beast ought to,
twer ma [fast] [travel] ming nani [natural] [animal] mada [travel]
said_thing travels more quickly than any natural animal should travel.

>and ignore the strength of the bow and arrow.
twer [ignore] [bow] le [strength].
said_thing ignore bow 's strength.

>Best if you avoid their cities, my son.

[travel]-x nei ax xwender [city] aaliqe, kinde zonta.
go not to their cities please, my son.

>Father, whats a city?

lonta, xabex alala lama [city] aaliqe.
father, speak about cities please.