Lesson 6: Time Out 1

Time Out

From time to time, we'll take a moment "out" to try some free translation. We may add some vocabulary, but only what is necessary for the text at hand.

Between the text in Láadan and the English translation, we'll see a morpheme-by-morpheme analysis. If grammar-geekiness intimidates you, feel free to skip this part; however, those willing to take the "risk" will find that it sheds considerable light on how Láadan words and sentences are put together.

Vocabulary

Story

Hathal Sháal

Bíi hóya Halishóna wáa. Míi Meri i di, "Bíi háya sháal wi."

Bíi medathim Meri i Ána; laya bud, izh laya ra thom wáa. Di Meri, "Bíi óoha le wa." Izh óoha ra Ána; áana Meri.

Bíi u áath wáa. Wíi hesh. Mehéeya ra mid; di Ána, "Bíi meháya nezh wa."

Bíi yod Ána; methal bal i rana, izh thal ra thilhi wáa.

Bíi lith Ána, "Bíi hothal Halishóna wa," wáa.

Morpheme-by-Morpheme Analysis

Free Translation

The Day Is Good

California is beautiful. Mary is amazed and says, "The day is beautiful."

Mary and Anna needlework; the clothing is red but the pillow is not red. Mary says, "I am weary." But Anna is not tired; Mary sleeps.

The door is open. The grass is alive. The animals are not afraid; Anna says, "You are beautiful."

Anna eats; the bread and the beverage are good, but the fish has gone off and is not good.

Anna thinks, "California is good."

Comments

This story is rather cartoonish, but what more can be expected with a limited vocabulary and only a few grammatical features to work with?

Note that the Speech Act Morphemes need not be repeated in connected speech. Of course, the content of a new paragraph is not connected to that of the previous paragraph, so the Speech Act Morpheme would be required again. Also, the text within a quotation is not connected to that outside the quotation, so the speaker would include a Speech Act Morpheme. Similarly, the Evidence Morpheme need not be repeated within connected speech once it is established. The constraints regarding quotations and paragraph boundaries would also apply.

Did you note the word "thilhi" in the second-to-last paragraph? We know the word "thili" (fish). Láadan makes it easy to adapt a word to incorporate a "pejorative" (negative) meaning on-the-fly. The sound "lh" is used in Láadan for nothing else, and can be added to the beginning, middle or end of any word to lend a temporary deprecatory meaning--so long as the addition doesn't violate Láadan's requirement that vowel sounds and consonant sounds within a word occur in strict alternation. In addition, if the word contains the sound "l," that letter can be changed to "lh" (as was done to "thili" above). In either case, the change would not be included in any dictionary; it's strictly temporary and carries the sense of distaste or disapproval of a particular occurrence of the thing--the fish, in this case.

A somewhat different case involving "lh" is words whose meanings are inherently negative. These words will often include the sound "lh" as a core part of their makeup. This is not temporary and such words would be found in a dictionary.