Sunday, December 16, 2018

Lexember 16th: talma "knee"


Another unexpected gap, talma /ˈtal.ma/ knee. Sometimes I try to translate things I hear at random into Kílta. Hearing a version of O Holy Night I realized I had no way to say "fall on your knees." First I needed knees.

Nihwa në talmur kwailo.
1SG TOP knee.PL hurt.PFV
My knees hurt!

The first singular pronoun here, nihwa /ˈni.xʷa/, is used when the speaker feels they are in a low control situation.

For kneel I'm using the expression talma li rino, knee ABL sit.

Talma li rinësti!
talma li rin-ëst-i
knee ABL sit-INCH-IMP
Fall to your knees!

Not so sure if I need to develop a more exalted idiom for this action.
at

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