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Lesson 15: Vocabulary Interlude 3

Vocabulary


	boóbin		to braid
	dadem		picture
	delith		hair
	dith		voice
	doni (Doni)		earth, ground, soil (Earth, the planet)
	e... e		either... or
	el		to make
	esh		boat
	éthe		to be clean
	ham		to be present; there is/are
	híya		to be small
	mi		leaf
	naya		to care for
	oma		hand
	thi		to have
	thóo		guest
	úuya		to hurt; to feel pain
	zhe		to be like; to be similar
	zho		sound
	zhub		insect

Note the “there is/there are” aspect of the verb “ham.” When “ham” is used in this way, it is never pluralized; this means that if you need to specify that “there are” more than one thing, then you’ll need to find another mechanism for showing the plural.

Examples


	Bíi meliyen mi, i laya yu wa.		The leaves are green, and the fruit is red.
	Bíi meliyen mi, izh laya yu wa.		The leaves are green, but the fruit is red.
	Bíi meliyen mi e laya yu wa.		The leaves are green or the fruit is red.
	Bíi e meliyen mi e laya yu wa.		Either the leaves are green or the fruit is red.

Note, in the third and fourth examples above, that “e” used singly (between two things) simply means “or.” It also can be used before each of the things to mean “either” the first “or” the second.


	Bíi ham zho wa.		There is a sound.
	Bíi ham woháya wozho wa.		There is a beautiful sound.
	Bíi ham mewoháya wozho wa.		There are beautiful sounds.

Note, in the third example above, “zho” is plural. This is expressed by pluralizing the verb “áya” that is relativized with “zho.” As noted above, “Ham” used in the “there is/there are” sense is not pluralized.


	Bíi éthe wohíya wohesh wáa.		The little boat is clean.
	Bíi mehéthe mewohíya wohesh wáa.		The litte boats are clean.
	Bíi mehéthe ra mewohíya wohesh wáa.		The little boats are not clean.
	Báa mehéthe mewohíya wohesh?		Are the little boats clean?

	Báa menaya bebáa Donith?		Who (plural) care for the Earth?
	Bíi menaya len Donith wa.		We care for the Earth.

Exercises

Translate the following into English


1	Bíi eril thi with mewohíya wohomath wa.
2	Báa aril menaya thul áwitheth?
3	Báa mid wodo wohomid?
4	Ra, mid woshane worul wa.
5	Báa mewoháya wodal ana?
6	Em, bezh bal i yu wi.
7	Bíi ril meduhel ben esheth wa.
8	Bíi zhe áath demeth wáa.
9	Bíi wíi woliyen wohesh wi.
10	Bíi eril en wohada wodená Láadan wáa.

Note the lack of a Type-of-Sentence Word in #4 and #6. Because these are responses to #3 and #5, respectively, they will be statements by the nature of conversation—and they are signalled as such by starting with “ra” (no) and “em” (yes), respectively. As such, there is no need for the Type-of-Sentence Word; there is no danger of confusion.

In #5, if the “things” weren’t “beautiful”—or characterized by some other descriptor—we’d have no way (at least none we’ve seen yet) to indicate that there were more than one of them.

Translate the following into Láadan


11	The bird will eat either fruit or grain.
12	Margaret tried to help the old farmer.
13	May wisdom cause peace!
14	An aunt braids the hair.
15	The grandson broke the container.
16	The leaves are not fragrant, but the flower will be red and extremely fragrant.
17	There was a clean insect.
18	The busy worker will be present.
19	Is the baker working or sleeping?
20	Did the tired pigs feel pain?

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Answers


1	The woman had small hands.
2	Will the parents care for the baby?
3	Is the animal a strong horse?
4	No, the animal is a furry cat.
5	Are the beautiful things food?
6	Yes, they are bread and fruit.
7	They (many) are trying to make a boat.
8	The door is like a window.
9	The green grass is alive.
10	The laughing helper understood Láadan.

11	Bíi aril yod babí e yuth e edeth wa.
12	Bíi eril duden Mázhareth wobalin wohábedáth wa.
13	Wil nin woth shoneth!
14	Bíi boóbin berídan delitheth wáa.
15	Bíi eril then hóowithid dimeth wa.
16	Bíi mehaba ra mi, izh aril laya i abahul mahina wa.
17	Bíi eril ham wohéthe wozhub wa.
18	Bíi aril ham woshóod wohalá wáa.
19	Báa hal e áana ebalá?
20	Báa eril mehúuya mewohóoha womuda?

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