Re: "How are you", in different languages?

Eric Notagain wrote:
> A few things, first: who here creates dialects, contractions,
> and "uneducated speech" for their conlangs?
>
I've just recently begun thinking about another dialect of Kash, spoken in a
neighboring state, Kavatu, that is more class-ridden than Holunda (the
"dictionary dialect" and language reported on my website).

Principal feature of Kavatu:
1. /-a/ > [A] (high) vs. [@] (low) (Hol. [a] or [@] is OK)
2. Holundan /mb,nd,nj,ng/ > Kavatu /b,d,j,g/
more to come........

I've also begun working on "uneducated/substandard" speech in Hol. Kash, but
in describing who says what, I sometimes come off sounding like a terrible
snob.  More detailed report to follow someday.

Most of the "colloquial" forms mentioned in the syntax and dictionary are
those that might occur in the relaxed speech of "Good Speakers", hence are
not necessarily those that the average construction worker might use.

One contraction used by all is _tambelo_ '(I,you,he/she, we, y'all,they)
don't want to', originally < ta mamelo 'I don't want (to)'; so in
substandard speech, I think tamb(a)- can be extended to negate many verbs,
perhaps e.g. tambaçindi '(pron.) didn't/won't say a word!'.

> Second: What, in your language (conlang and natlang), is the closest
> translation to the English "How are you" (conversation starter and
> greeting)?
>
Natlang:  Indonesians can say _gimana, nih?_ sort of "so how's it going, how
are you?' (for _bagaimana_ 'how'-- nih is pretty much an untranslatable
particle). Also common, when you run into a friend on the street, _kemana? ~
mau kemana?_ lit. 'where are you going?

Kash has _kañale_ :  with the dative, actually asks about somone's medical
or other condition, so only used if you know someone's is/has been sick etc;
with nom., asks 'what's X like, what sort of person is X'.
Contracted/colloq. _kaña-kaña (+poss.)_ 'how's it going?, so how ya
doin'?'-- it might be the second thing one says after _manó:_ 'hi' (between
friends-- otherwise use full form _manomo_ 'hello' (I greet).

These days when asked 'how are you' I tend to reply, Well, still alive,
which seems to disconcert many.......

> I breathe and eat: Â rale èt lamenk. /ja ra.lei Et la.meink/
> Contraction: Â rale. or Rale et lamenk. /ja ra.la/ or /ra.lei eit la.mank/
A nice reply.  I would have thought it could go to /ra.lei't la mank/ but
perhaps elision like that isn't possible??  BTW is _mank_ a typo? shouldn't
it be /meink/?