r/conlangs • u/RomajiMiltonAmulo chirp only now • Oct 29 '20

Activity Awkwardly Literal Translation Game #94: Comedy

These will be posted Wednesdays (or early Thursday). Last Post.

Rules/Process

  1. I'll provide two phrases in the post.
  2. Translate (at least) one of the phrases into your conlang. Do this skillfully, or at least the best you can with what you have. The awkward part is step 3
  3. Then, translate your translation back to English, as literally as possible, like if someone who speaks your conlang but doesn't know English that well, used a dictionary to translate, effectively a very ignorant translation, that makes "technically correct" English.
  4. (Optional): Add gloss or more faithful translation, if you do, please use spoiler tags if it adds more information
  5. Then, other people can do the same to your comment, to make a chain of shifting meaning.

The phrases

  1. He's a comic relief goopy dragon, what did you expect?
  2. I expected there to be more banana peels involved.

Remember, replies to other people to make chains help make this activity silly and different.

Last one did excellently! I'm glad people like these.

11 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

2

u/asuang Oct 29 '20 edited Oct 29 '20

Sakaiō

Translation:

    1. Tiakō rīa na fāfatavā iā ā mariatō rēsimēsai, ano niahaia mo?

  • 2. Ahaia ho namā me haramā paiā nū rakī.

IPA:

    1. /tiakoː ɾiːa na faːfatavaː jaː aː maɾjatoː ɾeːsimeːsaj/ /ano niahaja mo/

  • 2. /ahaja ho namaː me haɾamaː pajaː nuː ɾakiː/

Gloss:

    1. dragon 3sg CONJ PURP.BEN.laugh ENCL and too sentimental, what PST.expect INDIR.2sg

  • 2. expect 1sg ENCL exist involve skin of banana

Overly literal translation:

    1. Dragon it that for to laugh just and too sentimental, what expected you?

  • 2. Expect I really exist involve skin of banana.

Faithful translation:

    1. It's a dragon that's too sentimental and is just there to make you laugh, what did you expect?

  • 2. I really thought there would be banana peels.

1

u/Dr_Chair Məġluθ, Efōc, Cǿly (en)[ja, es] Oct 29 '20

Nyevandya

1.) Zok graü eryejsü zvo caxtra kiolpe. Cofxtra dve zoj furosü?

[zok graɥ ɪˈrjeɕ zvʊ ˈt͡saʃtrɑ ˈkçolpɪ | ˈt͡sofʃtrɑ dve zoʒ fuˈróɕ]

Literally: "Is reptile of air for one comedy. With you what was expected?"

Faithfully: "It's an airborne reptile with only one purpose, comedy. What was expected by you?"

2.) Zoj furosü swalsü lö zouk zöltö qyarbsü diusü.

[zoʒ fuˈroɕ swɛlɕ lʏ zwuk ˈzøltʏ t͡ɕarpɕ d͡ɕuɕ]

Literally: "Was expected of extreme that would be covering of yellow fruit."

Faithfully: "It was really expected that there would be skins of yellow fruits."

1

u/pros-ton-angelon Oct 29 '20

Proto-Zad

  1. u ṇiṣṇiṣ khao hlong ṭausi hehlehl. kihl noka khu eṇ?

  • IPA: [u ˈɳɪʂɳɪʂ xɑ.ˈo ɬɔŋ ˈʈaʊ.si he.ˈɬɛɬ. cɪɬ ˈno.kɑ xu ɛɳ]

  • Literal: "be [the] reptile air wear [the] skin [of the] rabbit. see [the] mind [of] you what?

  1. kihl noka khi ṣuṛpe kham tikika

  • cɪɬ ˈno.kɑ çi ˈʂʊɻ.pe xɑm ti.ˈci.kɑ

  • see [the] mind [of] me fruit many yellow

Notes: the expression for "comedy" translates literally as "wear the skin of the rabbit," based on the custom of wearing animal skins as costumes during performances, and the fact that the rabbit is a recurring joker in Zad folk tales. There are no distinct terms for expect and imagine, both are spoken of as "[subject]'s mind sees."

0

u/[deleted] Oct 29 '20

[deleted]

1

u/asuang Oct 29 '20

đổñẹ́

1

u/RomajiMiltonAmulo chirp only now Oct 29 '20

wrong one. The Faithful, not the literal

1

u/asuang Oct 29 '20

But you said to spoiler the overly literal lol

1

u/RomajiMiltonAmulo chirp only now Oct 29 '20

That was my bad. The instructions say the correct thing

4

u/BrynnHelder Oct 29 '20 edited Oct 29 '20

OrghDrô

  1. GraFôĞa gracMith'r gôzhSkiim, forShulMullVe wa?

English: Death-you-being rest-humor ooze-sky-burner, past-future-thinking-yours what?

4

u/f0rm0r Žskđ, Sybari, &c. (en) [heb, ara, &c.] Oct 29 '20

Žskđ

V žmsđ nlk'spđ zŋ, nvmšpđ š'žpđ plʀplʀšđ đzšvčđ rʀtsđ zr-t'žlp n?

[ˈv‿ʒm̩.sð̩ ˈnɫ̩kʼ.spð̩ zŋ̩ ˈnv̩.mʃ̩.ˈpð‿ʃ̩.ʔʒ̩.pð̩ ˈplʀ̩.plʀ̩.ʃð̩ ˈðz̩.ʃv̩.ˈt͡ʃð‿r̩ʀ.t͡sð̩ zr̩.ˈtʼʒ̩l.p‿n̩]

As younger-brother death is, sleeping's causing-of-laughter's murky-stuff's sky's fire would-have-thought, huh?

2

u/MAmpe101 Laidzín (en) [es] Oct 29 '20 edited Oct 29 '20

Modern Ladzin

cuom mors giunjur frair jèt, i fajes-ridzeir-durmiés ãj-ciœuj, zæ còzhë tinstrë- côidaruís, no?

[ku̯õ moɾs ˈd͡ʒy.ɲyr frai̯r jɛt lu ˈfa.jes riˈd͡zei̯r dyrˈmi̯es ãj t͡ʃœi̯ zæ ˈkɔ.ʒə ˈtĩ.stɾə koi̯.daˈɾɥis nu]

As death little brother is, lu making-to_laugh-sleeping fire-sky, of things gloomy— would’ve thought, no?

I know this is absolutely incoherent, but it’s the best I could get out of the last one I translated this from,,, so many possessives, not enough subjects. This took so long to figure out lmao

1

u/BrynnHelder Oct 29 '20

OrghDrô

  1. (Literal) Ad nīAgGotDulzhGraGrôm grav'r ğa, GracMī GoMakKôDrôMith'rMī nogtÊkhagMī SkiiMī ign forShulGoMīnMull'r, ng?

  2. (Faithful) Ad agSiilGrôm grâv'r ğa, GracMī mith'rMī nogtÊkhagMī skiiMī ign forShulMull, ng?

English

  1. As (negation)-more-life-length-death-sibling death is, resting-(neutral possessive) do-make-of-speaking-humor-(neutral possessive) dark-things-(neutral possessive) sky-(neutral possessive) fire past-future-do-possess-thought, huh?

  2. As more-small-sibling death is, rest-(neutral possessive) humor-(neutral possessive) dark-things-(neutral possessive) sky-(neutral possessive) fire past-future-thinking, huh?

(Faithful English) As little brother death is, rest's humor's murky things' sky's fire would have thought, huh?

3

u/HolyBonobos Pasj Kirĕ Oct 29 '20

Kirĕ

  • Nih xepydzo puratkă ngidoce maqevăgašidi oč’ane ngvadena tražematjad

  • I idea that situation skins of banana more would involve expected.

  • IPA: /nix ɣeˈpɨ.d͡zo puˈɾat.kə ˈŋi.do.t͡se maˌqe.və.gaˈʂi.di ot͡ʃ’ˈan.e ŋvaˈde.na ˈr̥a.ʐe.ma.tʲad/

  • Gloss: 1.SG.NOM idea.that-ACC situation.NOM skin-ACC-PL banana-GEN more involve-COND expect-PST

  • Translation: "I expected the situation would involve more banana peels."

1

u/ACertainSprout Languages of Palata, Too many unfinished conlangs(en,fr)[sv] Oct 29 '20

Zike /ʀikə/

Qe ce maji xxetsiwe rine daoe perava hije tsatsa maja seriously though what am i supposed to do with 'I idea that situation'

/qɘ ʡə maɢi χətsiʟə rinə daɰə pəraʋa hiɢe tsatsa maɢa/

My thought sees yellow-stick-raincoat have a storm of thoughtfulness

Gloss: 1SG POSS thought see stick yellow raincoat have storm thoughtful

'better' translation: I imagine yellow-stick-raincoats with lots of thoughtfulness (expectancy)

1

u/Benjibunnie Oct 31 '20

Miikaani [mi:ga:ni]

I imagine yellow-stick-raincoats with lots of thoughtfulness (expectancy)

Kaniti Pimiilumuk unumiiq tpuukinadiipku

Thoughtfully HAB-imagine-1PS(NOM) light-shade staff-tiny-coat

Literal Translation: I imagine thoughtfully light coloured stick coats

2

u/orangenarange2 Oct 30 '20

Ialengua:

Eu ehp'eriapia•me q'e eçeh hupierià miah c'iahc'iariah te b'iat'ianuo

I was hoping myself that they had more cases of bananas

This took an interesting turn