Topical Teri

Eltu Lefngap Makto · February 25, 2011, 05:53:10 PM

What the difference between using teri and using the topical? I admit, the topical is very foreign to me, but they seem equivalent.

Poru lu tìsti teri oe
Oeri poru tìsti lu

Kemaweyan · February 25, 2011, 06:02:13 PM

For me the first sentence seems quite odd

But I'm not sure that it's wrong $:-\$ I think teri is just "about", for example: plltxe teri po - talk about him. And probably I would say your sentence as Oeri po sti.

Eltu Lefngap Makto · February 25, 2011, 06:08:53 PM

So ... there are only certain verbs we this ~~pre~~adpositional phrase would feel right? $:-\$

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä · February 25, 2011, 08:22:08 PM

I will differ with Kemaweyan, and say the first example seems more clear in its meaning. And I don't find it at all strange.

Kemaweyan · February 25, 2011, 08:53:49 PM

Maybe a teri?

Poru lu tìsti a teri oe

wm.annis · February 25, 2011, 08:58:05 PM

Quote from: Eltu Lefngap Makto on February 25, 2011, 05:53:10 PM
What the difference between using teri and using the topical? I admit, the topical is very foreign to me, but they seem equivalent.

The topical is a particular construction — it marks the "point of orientation" for a sentence. It isn't really like teri at all, though our clunky English translations of the topical might make it seem that way sometimes. If the natural way to express something in English is with "about" or "concerning," you should use the adposition.

Eltu Lefngap Makto · February 25, 2011, 10:06:29 PM

Ma Wìlyum Anìsì, is there a good article (albeit about something other than Na'vi) you can recommend on topical? (and if you have these in reserve, aspect too).

Tswusayona Tsamsiyu · March 07, 2011, 01:06:49 PM

hi there ma Eltu
I know it's been a while from the last post but I want to share my thoughts in case it helps.
teri is about in the sense of talking about a certain subject. like in "let's talk about global warming" for instance.
topical as far as I understand makes the sentence kinda talk about the thing in the topical.
so your first sentence is wrong in my opinion because you're actually saying he has anger/is angry about/in the subject of me.

Eltu Lefngap Makto · March 07, 2011, 05:07:34 PM

Irayo, ma Tswusayona Tsamsiyu.

I think, since this is such a foreign pathway of thought for me, more exposure is the key. Hopefully, I can find lots of examples in other Earth languages.

'Oma Tirea · March 08, 2011, 10:42:05 PM

I have doubts that the Indo-European languages are going to be of much help here

Eltu Lefngap Makto · March 09, 2011, 12:08:49 AM

I went to high school in Korea, so I find myself wanting to set the topical and then also use it as the subject of the sentence (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topic_marker)

MIPP · March 09, 2011, 02:14:03 PM

Quote from: Eltu Lefngap Makto on March 09, 2011, 12:08:49 AM
I went to high school in Korea, so I find myself wanting to set the topical and then also use it as the subject of the sentence (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topic_marker)

The topical in Na'vi is slightly different from the topical in japanese or korean.

It might help you, but please remember this, always.

Eywa'eveng-tìranyu · March 12, 2011, 07:03:16 AM

Quote from: Kemaweyan on February 25, 2011, 08:53:49 PM
Maybe a teri?

Poru lu tìsti a teri oe

If there should be an extra word, I'd rather suggest alu:

Poru lu tìsti alu teri oe.

Tswusayona Tsamsiyu · March 12, 2011, 07:15:15 AM

it should not be alu but a lu.
poru lu tìsti a lu oeteri. she has anger which is about me.
poru lu tìsti alu oeteri. she has anger which is about me.
I hope you can see the difference.

but anyway that is wrong because we need the topical here and not "teri".

MIPP · March 12, 2011, 07:25:58 AM

Quote from: Tswusayona Tsamsiyu on March 12, 2011, 07:15:15 AM
it should not be alu but a lu.
poru lu tìsti a lu oeteri. she has anger which is about me.
poru lu tìsti alu oeteri. she has anger which is about me.
I hope you can see the difference.

but anyway that is wrong because we need the topical here and not "teri".

First, I think that to say that one is angry with another, we use the verb (sti) and not the noun (tìsti).

So:

Oeri, po sti - As for me, she is angry.

or maybe (I'm not sure)

Po sti oehu - She's angry with me.

or even...

Lu oe oeyk a po sti - I am the reason why she's angry.

I don't know if we can use 'efu, like:

Oeri, pol 'efu tìstit - As for me, she feels anger.

or

Lu oe oeyk a pol 'efu tìstit - I am the cause why she feels anger.

Tswusayona Tsamsiyu · March 12, 2011, 07:37:11 AM

about the po sti oehu you are wrong. it means "she's angry with me" in the sense of "we are both angry together".
about everything elsa you're absolutely right.
the shortest and simplest form is oeri, po sti and all the others are just more formal and at a higher level of language.
and we can say "oeri, poru lu tìsti". it's grammaticaly correct.

MIPP · March 12, 2011, 07:39:30 AM

Quote from: Tswusayona Tsamsiyu on March 12, 2011, 07:37:11 AM
about the po sti oehu you are wrong. it means "she's angry with me" in the sense of "we are both angry together".
(...)

Hum... it can be said in English and Portuguese, but maybe in Na'vi it can't.

Tswusayona Tsamsiyu · March 12, 2011, 07:46:56 AM

I know. in our languages it is kind of an idiomatic way to say it.