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polyglot
Joined: 11 Apr 2009 Posts: 22
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Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 4:07 pm Post subject: Fish |
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if wishes where fishes, we'd live in the sea. _________________ "If you see the light at the end of the tunnel, make sure its not the train coming." -me
"Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly upon our own point of view." - Obi-wan Kenobi |
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eldin raigmore Admin

Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 1621 Location: SouthEast Michigan
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Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 9:04 pm Post subject: |
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Is that specific to a particular natlang?
The English version, AFAIK, is, "If wishes were horses then beggars would ride." _________________ "We're the healthiest horse in the glue factory" - Erskine Bowles, Co-Chairman of the deficit reduction commission |
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achemel
Joined: 29 Mar 2009 Posts: 556 Location: up for debate
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Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 2:12 am Post subject: |
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If fishes were wishes we’d live in the sea
Ddamychal: dal biánnunan halani hoghenan, ho saaésut khal-khulyb.
/if fish-pl. be-PRES-3.pl. wish-pl. then live-FUT-1.pl. in-the-sea/
Nomah: Baívuvear norter guíldèlm ţusár se scoendéimhm séi aí shmahót
bav-uv-ear norte-r guíl-dèl-m ţusá-r se scoen-déimh-m séi aí s-mahót
/exist-HYP-PRES3pl. fish-pl. make-PP-(abstract marker) wish-pl. then dwell-FUT1pl.-HYP in the ACC-sea/
If wishes were horses then beggars would ride.
Ddamychal: dal hoghenan halani khaldin, ho ta al-lashe nar zeént.
/if wish-pl. be-PRES-3.pl. horse-pl. then even the-impoverished they-DOP ride-FUT-3.pl./
It sounds grammatically better without necessarily implying more than the original English to have “even” in there with ddamychal.
Ra cel: allia maẅdechn nör jalänin daë simia tuachtecn.
/SUBJ-be-PRES wish-pl. instead horse-pl. then ride-COND beggar-pl./
Both of these can’t be translated into Hemnälg without seriously changing the words. There is no word or loanword for “fish,” there are no seas, or horses, and “beggars” would end up being “slaves,” and it's not culturally unacceptable for them to ride anything. |
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polyglot
Joined: 11 Apr 2009 Posts: 22
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Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 1:36 pm Post subject: |
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eldin raigmore wrote: | Is that specific to a particular natlang?
The English version, AFAIK, is, "If wishes were horses then beggars would ride." |
i havent heard that one before. whenever any of my family says "I wish i had ____." she replys "if wishes were fishes we'd live in the sea". I meant too also ask if any of you had similar sayings in your conlangs, but i was extremely worn out (our backyard is in thee feet of water) and forgot. _________________ "If you see the light at the end of the tunnel, make sure its not the train coming." -me
"Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly upon our own point of view." - Obi-wan Kenobi |
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Kiri

Joined: 13 Jun 2009 Posts: 471 Location: Latvia/Italy
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Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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In Latvian we have two such sayings.
If you start your sentence with "I want", then the proper reply is "Gribēt nav kaitīgi" (want.INF be.N harmful.ADV)
If you start your sentence with something along the lines of "If only I had" then there is a saying that goes "Ja tantiņai būtu riteņi, būtu tramvajs" (if lady.DIM.DAT be.SUBJ wheel.NOM.PL, be.SUBJ tramcar.NOM)
It is somewhat implied that the lady is old and don't ask me how this all makes any sense – I honestly don't know
A lot of Latvian sayings make no sense, if you try to translate them, though  |
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