Linguistic Geekiness
So, in response to Nassira, who said
Neat! How would the glosses look? I can’t make there be enough words unless I assume that what-do is a single verb (which it is in ASL, which is one reason I’m intrigued). :c)
I have glossed (and corrected) the “What shall we do with a drunken sailor?” song.
sarhoş denizciye ne yapalım mı, sarhoş deniz ci ye ne yapalım mı, drunken sea person ACC what do-OPT3rdPL Q sabahın köründe? sabah ın kör ün de? morning-GEN blind-POSS-LOC
The part that is glossed “morning-GEN blind-POSS-LOC” is an idiomatic phrase: “in the blind time of the morning” or “in the morning’s blindness.” I like the word kör (blind) quite a lot, because it is distinguished only by voicing from gör, eye or the stem of the verb “to see.” Nifty, eh?
Also, I have glossed “ci” as “person,” but it can not stand alone that way. It is the suffix used to make nouns into proffessions. Therefore, the guy who sells sausages in the street would be the sausageci. Can anyone think of a better gloss?
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You’re currently reading “Linguistic Geekiness,” an entry on Margaret Maloney
- Published:
- 12.16.04 / 2pm
- Category:
- language









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