Conlanging, in plain English.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Occasional Word in Merechi: nípa

nípa  ['NIPA ] ['nipa] n. baby.

Today's word is nípa, a baby! A new one of which I will have in týat tèpsë-të-shóji, 30 days. The more psychologically significant number to the mërèchi would be a tèpsëty or twenty-day month. Let's hope I don't have this one quite that soon.

This baby will be my àrma; I already have a pèhla, who is my husband's àrma. The new baby will be his nína. (Click for the explanation!)

Now I just need a mërèchi word for "blog hiatus".


Examples:


['NIPAAE] ['MÈMACUM  ['AGE] ['DISO P N]

nípa'aë mèmacüm àgë dísöp'n: My baby is in my body.

nípa, baby; -aë, my; mèma, body; -cüm, in; àgë, my; dísö, to be located; -p, imperfective aspect; -n, 3rd person singular neuter/epicene.


['NIPA] [NI'PA LIP SO P R ] ['ÈSLÈT  ['TA X [TE'TEVR ]

"nípa nipàlipsöp'r", èslet tàch tëtév'r: "The baby is a girl", the seer said.

nípa, baby; nipàlip, girl; -sö, to be; -p, imperfective aspect; -r, 3rd person singular feminine; èslet, see-er (in this case ultrasound tech); tàch, thus; të-, past tense; , to say; -v, perfective aspect.


Lots of repeated consonants in those examples, and mostly not the kind their alphabet has shortcuts for.