Author Archives: jonafras

yars- (transitive verb), imperfective yarsacam: to admit, say something in spite (of something else). sendá yars-upam russú nget rupanducám urcendalut EMPH.NEG admit-PERF.TRANS never COMPL murder.POT.TRANS sister.ACC.DEF “I [will] never admit to killing [my] sister”

túnum (noun): crime, offense. ta már hendassángac túnumb-ettár NEG he be.ashamed.ITER crime-ILL “he is not one to be ashamed of [his] crimes” Listen to the example sentence here: W_HE_110_tuunum_example

velá- (transitive verb), imperfective veláram: to ignite, burn, set fire to (something). yattáyer máca velá-m mbírandúninut eyes.SOC they ignite.PERF-TRANS hill.SUPERESS.DEF “they seem to have started a fire up on the hill” Although the verb veláram is transitive, it can also … Continue reading →

narc (noun): hunter, a person who hunts. crunga narc-á lersá círcasur-urcatan today hunter-PL come.PERF stag.GEN-seven.ANTESS “the hunters brought back seven stags today”

mbúrac (noun): clover. pámá lavarendám mbúrac-al úcandec goat.PL eat.COMPL.TRANS clover-ACC meadow.BEN “the goats ate [all the] clover in the field”

sársava- (transitive verb), imperfective sársavavam or sársavam: to cross, go across (something). len sársava-m yambaralut tá-lendamusettár we cross.PERF-TRANS street.ACC.DEF all-we.mud.ILL “we crossed the street [only to be] covered in mud”

hessín (noun): flour. pulláng hessínd-ur hásandur-partul nivandanartángut steal.MID flour-GEN bag.GEN-six.ACC warehouse.EL.DEF “six bags of flour were stolen from the warehouse”

punga (noun): poor, impoverished. punga mbe varna yurtingá poor and power-hungry judge.REFL “the poor and power-hungry [alike] are responsible for their own fortunes” (= ‘judge themselves’) Listen to the example sentence here: W_HE_104_punga_example

camá (noun): language. ta yanárá tiná sangáyisam camá-yeválut NEG weak.PL here speak.IMPERF.NON1.TRANS language-cloud.ACC.DEF “[these] weaklings do not speak the language of the Cloud”

ticir- (transitive verb), imperfective ticiravam: to set up, adjust, arrange. ticir-am nget már mbessásím yándalut essa-sárnemec arrange.PERF-TRANS that he meet.POT.TRANS bride.ACC.DEF next-moon.INESS “I arranged for him to meet [his] bride next month”