User:Soap/samples
This page is intended for samples of languages on the planet Teppala (created by me, User:Soap). I have attempted similar pages like this before and have always had slow progress; I typically work better with scratchpads.
As of 18:12, 24 January 2023 (PST) I will only add a sample sentence if it is funny.
Background
The Play language was famous for its difficult morphology, and from some points of view, also its succinctness. In many cases, a Play phrase would become much longer when translated into another language, even one with a larger syllable inventory. This was in large part due to Players' often including more information in their sentences than did the speakers of other languages, in particular, information that was grammaticalized in Play but required content words in most other languages. Yet, Play content words were often longer than those in other languages. Thus it was often the case, when translating between Play and another language such as Dreamlandic, the translation became longer going in both directions.
Note that fusional glosses below are given as though they were segmented. For example, pupa "book" does not contain /pup/ "book" + /ba/ "handheld object", but /pb/ > /p/ is an automatic sound rule that applies when that cluster would otherwise appear. This applies to more complex morphology as well; neither /pupa/ nor /pup/ appears in puku, the locative form of the stem of the word for book, but it is glossed as though it were /pup/ plus a locative morpheme even so. Likewise, /puku/ does not appear in the compounded form pukūaveepaes; rather the long vowel appears due to another sandhi process. And so on throughout the rest of each word. As Play's morphology is entirely fusional, it would be inconvenient to represent it in any other way.
Wine sentence
- Faliscan
Foied uino pipafo, cra carefo.
- Latin
Hodie vinum bibam, cras carebo.
- Spanish
Hoy bebo vino, mañana careceré.
- English
Today I drink wine; tomorrow I will have nothing.
- Play
Pippāafas maīpap tifu, pippābupuas pumepatup.
- Late Andanese
Pukana kayatuyama, puluyapuku puuluki. Pukana kayatuaku, pulumunuu pukuna.
Open questions
Why are you eating me?
- Play
Paminiipsetes?
- eat-PASS-REFL-goal-CQ
Why are you shaking the coconut tree?
- Play
Tatapaeikupupites?
Which of my books did you read to me?
- Play
Pukūaveepaes?
- book-LOC-read-OBL-PASS-REFL-handheld-CQ
- Proto-Dreamlandic
huppuŋuami ........ ya ppirialippi
- book-1P.GEN ........ INSTR DUR-read-2P
Where do you live, little spy?
- Play
Pītabis pisisaes?
- spy-child-OBL-EXT live.in-EXT-field-CQ
The typical Play practice was to place terms of address at the head of the sentence, even if in disrespect. In some instances, it would be ungrammatical to reverse the order of the words without changing the inflections. However, in this case, the sentence would work in either order, as both words contain the same -s- morpheme indicating the listener.
What country (are we in)?
- Play
Vatīs?
- country-CQ
The choice of whether to use tes or tīs is up to the pleasure of the speaker, as they both mean essentially the same thing, and both were in use for thousands of years leading up to the maturation date of classical Play. They were originally formed from distinct roots and a static suffix, but over time, Play came to reanalyze tīs as an inflected form of tes, specifically the essive case.
- Proto-Dreamlandic
nimpumpia ...
- LOC-country ...
Imperatives and basic needs
Stop eating me!
I have to use the bathroom.
- Play
Pukupana.
- empty-REFL-POLITE.DEMAND
- Late Andanese
Pukulugu.
- 1P.EMOTION-need-pollute
- Proto-Dreamlandic
Nia ya nkualiippimi ći nuŋi ya šantakaliamii.
- 1P INSTR need-1P.POSS GEN use INSTR bathroom-OBL
Due to the great length of the Dreamlandic phrase, some travelers' guides provide the tourist an alternate phrase: "Sorry, I've just wet myself".
Unsorted combinations
These are written in a different format and are mostly glossed in just one language.
Unsorted
Are these the unattractive pants you bought for me to show people that I no longer work for you?
This sentence has seven referents. It is unlikely that even Play could handle it in a single word. Note also that Lava Bed languages (but not Play) would additionally require person markings on the word that means "unattractive", as such adjectives in Lava Beds always require specification for their relation to the speaker, listener, and at least one third party.
