txopu si

Started by Kì'eyawn, February 26, 2010, 03:11:50 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Kì'eyawn

Kaltxì, ma smuk,

So, we know that we have txopu si meaning "to be afraid" (or something of that flavor).  But, other than to say, "i'm afraid," how do we actually use this verb? 

For example, how would we say, "That ikran scares me" (or, relatedly, "I'm afraid of that ikran").  How about, "I'm afraid [that] a thanator will eat me"?

A little help, ma oeyä smuk?
eo Eywa oe 'ia

Fra'uri tìyawnur oe täpivìng nìwotx...

Unil Akawng

#1
Quote from: tigermind on February 26, 2010, 03:11:50 PM
For example, how would we say, "That ikran scares me" (or, relatedly, "I'm afraid of that ikran").  How about, "I'm afraid [that] a thanator will eat me"?

Kaltxì!

For "this ikran scares me" I'd try Fìyikranil txopu seyki oeruti ("causes fear to me" "makes me afraid").
For the second sentence, Txopu seyki oeruti fwa fìkemil a palulukan oet yayom.

I'm not so sure about the dative, though, because <eyk> is supposed to turn txopu si into a transitive verb. Still, to me txopu seyki ("to cause fear") feels like intransitive, somehow... Corrected, after wm.annis has set me straight.
Tukruhu ne ayoeng zola'u a fkori tukrufa tìyerkup! - Александр Невский
На'ви-русский словарь v.2.09 для jMemorize

wm.annis

Quote from: Unil Akawng on February 26, 2010, 03:28:19 PMI'm not so sure about the dative, though, because <eyk> is supposed to turn txopu si into a transitive verb. Still, to me txopu seyki ("to cause fear") feels like intransitive, somehow...

Your first impulse here is correct, I think.  The causative takes the original subject of an intransitive verb and makes it the accusative.

oe txopu sami I was afraid.
oeti txopu seykami ikranìl The ikran made me afraid.


Unil Akawng

Quote from: wm.annis on February 26, 2010, 03:33:33 PM
oeti txopu seykami ikranìl The ikran made me afraid.

Agreed. "Make afraid" is a much better translation for txopu seyki then "cause fear", and it's clearly transitive. Irayo!
Tukruhu ne ayoeng zola'u a fkori tukrufa tìyerkup! - Александр Невский
На'ви-русский словарь v.2.09 для jMemorize

Kì'eyawn

Awesome!  I was thinking some sort dative and/or accusative...thing would be in order for these.  Mengari irayo seiyi oe.  Eywa mengahu.
eo Eywa oe 'ia

Fra'uri tìyawnur oe täpivìng nìwotx...

omängum fra'uti

It seems to me txopu seyki would be more along the lines of "scare" or "fightened".  I'd almost want to use the adposition ta or the dative to express fear of something.

Yeah, the meaning is basically the same, but you can say "That Ikran scares me" and "I'm afraid of that Ikran" in English, so why not be able to say both in Na'vi as well?
Ftxey lu nga tokx ftxey lu nga tirea? Lu oe tìkeftxo.
Listen to my Na'vi Lessons podcast!

Unil Akawng

#6
Quote from: omängum fra'uti on February 26, 2010, 05:28:38 PM
It seems to me txopu seyki would be more along the lines of "scare" or "fightened".  I'd almost want to use the adposition ta or the dative to express fear of something.

Yeah, the meaning is basically the same, but you can say "That Ikran scares me" and "I'm afraid of that Ikran" in English, so why not be able to say both in Na'vi as well?
Perhaps we can rely on the tried-and true topical here: "Ikranìri oe txopu si"?
EDIT: Another thought: will something like "Ikran a txopu si oe" work? That is, can phrases be attributed to a noun component of a compound verb? Sorry, never mind. I've realised it won't.
Tukruhu ne ayoeng zola'u a fkori tukrufa tìyerkup! - Александр Невский
На'ви-русский словарь v.2.09 для jMemorize