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beróo
Conjunction: because
bithim
to meet
boóbin
to braid
dalel
object; made-thing [dal (thing) + el (make)]
ed
tool
el
to make
lam
health
lámála
to caress; to stroke
losh
money, credit
ri
to record
shal
courtesy; manners
shim
to sexual-act (completely neutral & abstract term)
shub
to do
une
to wear
waálh
Evidence Word: assumed false by X because X distrusts source; evil intent also assumed
we
Evidence Word: perceived by X in a dream
wili
creek, river
wóo
Evidence Word: used to indicate that X states a total lack of knowledge as to the validity of the matter
wóoban
to give birth
zhe
to be like; to be similar; to be the same
The word “beróo” (because) was originally formed as “bróo” utilizing a forbidden consonant cluster, “br.” This was considered an historical accident (occasioned by the fact that, linguistically, “r” is a different class of consonant from “b”) and corrected by the second generation developing Láadan. We won’t use the “bróo” form, but you should recognize it if you should happen upon it.
The word “dalel” (object) was originally formed as “dale” with the only feature that distinguished it from “dal” (thing) being an “e” that looks and sounds just like the “e” that is inserted to separate consonants. The result was that, any time either of them received a suffix that began with a consonant (and almost all of them do), it was impossible to determine whether a “thing” or an “object/made-thing” was being discussed. The second generation changed it to “dalel” to solve this problem—and made its etymology transparent at the same time!
Láadan uses the word “zhe” to express similarity. However, it’s used very differently than its English equivalents. In English, we say that “X is like/similar to/the same as Y;” “X” is understood to be the Subject, and “Y” is the Object. Contrarily, in Láadan the verb “zhe” (be similar) takes two (or more) Subjects: “…mezhe X i Y (i Z)…” (…X and Y (and Z) are similar/alike…). For the purposes of translation to English, we may take either (any) of these Subjects as the English Subject; the other(s) can be translated as the English Object(s).
Bíi laya mahina wa.
The flower is red (according to my perceptions).<
Bíi laya mahina wáa.
The flower is red (I’m told, and I trust the source).
Bíi laya mahina waá.
The flower is red (I’m told, but I mistrust the source).
Bíi laya mahina waálh.
The flower is red (I’m told, but I mistrust the source—and I believe the source is misleading me on purpose with ill intent).
Bíi laya mahina we.
The flower is red (in my dream).
Bíi laya mahina wi.
The flower is red (as anyone can plainly see).
Bíi laya mahina wo.
The flower is red (in the story I’m making up; hypothetically).
Bíi laya mahina wóo.
The flower is red (as a guess, with no convincing evidence).
“Waálh” is simply “waá” (I mistrust the source of the report) with the pejorative affix,
Now that we’ve been introduced to “waálh,” “we” and “wóo,” we are now acquainted with the complete set of Evidence Words as provided by Suzette Haden Elgin.
Báa shub ro bebáath?
What is the weather?
Note, above, the idiom for asking what the weather is like. Literally, the question means, “What does the weather do?”
1
Bíi eril néde thi ábedá mewoléli wobabí boó wáa.
2
Bíi wil nosháad wodóhada wodadem nayaháthu wa.
3
Báa mehaba i melirihul mahina woháya wodalatha?
4
Em, i medazhehal mi betha íi wa.
5
Báa aril doth Mázhareth worabalin wohedin bethath?
6
Ra, ranime bithim be wolawida wosherídan bethath wa.
7
Bóo mebel nizh mewotháa wohemeneth.
8
Bíi ril menime meralóolo déelahá; wóoban berídan bezhetha wa.
9
Báa owa ili wilithu beróo ham rosh?
10
Bíi ril mezhe dalel beye i ed hi wa.
Notice the word “nayaháthu” in #2. Stripping off the Partitive ending, we are left with “nayahá” (caregiver) [naya (care for) +
11
The assistant promised to braid the traveler’s great-grandmother’s hair.
12
What did you (few beloved) eat? Was it good?
13
I swear our (few) food was fruit, bread, and milk.
14
The baker’ offspring couldn’t help (honored) Michael (I dreamed).
15
Will some four large containers of grain be heavy?
16
The bankers don’t need to get trousers or skirts.
17
A linguist created Láadan; it comforts us (many).
18
The courteous scientist counted our money and recorded a number.
19
Carol and Marsha will caress each other; afterward, they-honored may have sex.
20
Clearly it’s bitterly cold, but Matthew protects his health; he wears the correct clothing.
In #12, because we’ve already established the interrogative mode and the past tense in the first sentence, we don’t need to include either “Báa” or “eril” at the beginning of the second sentence (though we could, for emphasis or to remove any possibility of ambiguity).
In #16, were you able to form the word for “banker?” A banker is one who deals in (or “does”) money and credit: “loshá.”
Also in #17, did you notice the ambiguity? The Subject of the second clause is “be” (she/he/it/X). It is impossible to tell, from the Láadan, whether it is the language or the linguist that comforts us. More discourse would be required to clarify.
In #18, did you have any trouble forming a word for “scientist?” We have the prefix
Did you notice, also in #18, that “shal” introduced as a noun (courtesy) was immediately used as a verb (to be courteous).
And, again in #18, also note that “lamith” (to count) is indistinguishable from “lamith” [lami (number) +
1
A farmer wanted to have three yellow birds.
2
Would that the comic picture of the caregiver arrive.
3
Are the flowers of the beautiful plant fragrant and extremely colorful?
4
Yes, and its leaves are also unusually soft.
5
Will Margaret follow her young cousin?
6
No, she’s unwiling to meet her pregnant niece.
7
Prithee bring (you, several, honored) the thriving bushes.
8
The gardeners are willing to be quick; their aunt is giving birth.
9
Is the river’s water warm because it’s sunny?
10
Some made-thing is similar to this tool.
11
Bíi eril dibé boóbin dená delith shinehothuletha imátha wa.
12
Báa eril meyod nazh bebáath? Thal be?
13
Bé eril ana lezhetho yum, balem, i lalem wa.
14
Bíi rathad den shem ebalátha Máyel bith we.
15
Báa aril mesho meworahíya wodim edethuth bim beyezh?
16
Bíi methem methel ra loshá inadeth e áayoth wáa.
17
Bíi eril el edaná Láadan wi; ril she be leneth wa.
18
Bíi eril lamith woshal wohehá losh lezhethoth i ri be lamith.
19
Bíi aril melámála Hérel i Másha hizh hizheth wa; rilrili meshim bizh aril.
20
Bíi ril ham rahowaháalish wi, izh dóyom Máthu lam bethoth wáa; une be wodóon wobudeth.