Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
A lively language needs more than just rules and conventions—it needs stock phrases, euphemisms, and sayings that capture how its speakers view and interpret the world. The most well-worn adages can be powerful indicators of a culture's core values, and the phrasing and metaphors used to describe them strongly reflective of what activities are central to their daily lives.
So let's make some up! The rules: translate the previous idiom/adage into your conlang and culture, explain the translation, and then post another idiom. Feel free to translate more than one past saying, as long as you cover the most recently-posted one as well.
For clarity's sake, an idiom is a metaphor or euphemism used to describe something common, whereas an adage is a whole saying that uses a metaphor to offer advice. More generally, an aphorism is any saying that offers advice (but direct aphorisms are not as interesting to translate!) Salmoneus has given some solid advice on constructing them here.
Feel free to provide challenges that are only found in obscure languages or that have been invented for a conlang—just explain what they mean in brackets.
(Apparently this has been done before. Well, let's do it again!)
Example: to kick the bucket (to die) (see Wikipedia's list of translations for this example)
Lilitika: a stíara empreshé (to drop the pen/brush)
The Lilitai are very productive artists and writers, and maintain that one's life is guided in part by the motions of a mythical pen writing a story. To drop the quill involved thus means to end writing this story. (They're not very big on direct discussions of death; the normal word for it is 'neptarleshé', 'to be recovered' by the goddess of the afterlife.)
Next: don't burn your bridges (don't break ties with or offend people who might be useful later)
So let's make some up! The rules: translate the previous idiom/adage into your conlang and culture, explain the translation, and then post another idiom. Feel free to translate more than one past saying, as long as you cover the most recently-posted one as well.
For clarity's sake, an idiom is a metaphor or euphemism used to describe something common, whereas an adage is a whole saying that uses a metaphor to offer advice. More generally, an aphorism is any saying that offers advice (but direct aphorisms are not as interesting to translate!) Salmoneus has given some solid advice on constructing them here.
Feel free to provide challenges that are only found in obscure languages or that have been invented for a conlang—just explain what they mean in brackets.
(Apparently this has been done before. Well, let's do it again!)
Example: to kick the bucket (to die) (see Wikipedia's list of translations for this example)
Lilitika: a stíara empreshé (to drop the pen/brush)
The Lilitai are very productive artists and writers, and maintain that one's life is guided in part by the motions of a mythical pen writing a story. To drop the quill involved thus means to end writing this story. (They're not very big on direct discussions of death; the normal word for it is 'neptarleshé', 'to be recovered' by the goddess of the afterlife.)
Next: don't burn your bridges (don't break ties with or offend people who might be useful later)
Last edited by Rhetorica on Sun Dec 08, 2013 3:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
Deye ēfs lĕrehóšah eimahtēroš flísvaš íčir, óhoš mahtášos ňúnzvaš daríyaiǧ eimóhtov. "Don't pillage the trade wagons on the road now if you want to buy merchants' grain later."
The Tzuman nations have been at each other's throats for millenia, but the trade routes cris-crossing the Kanašu Peninsula are remarkably free of banditry. They're modeled on the Classical Phoenicians (and to a lesser extent Greeks), traders first and foremost, even in remote rural areas.
next up: check what you're buying carefully, it's what you'll end up with. (an oldey-time version of WYSIWYG.)
The Tzuman nations have been at each other's throats for millenia, but the trade routes cris-crossing the Kanašu Peninsula are remarkably free of banditry. They're modeled on the Classical Phoenicians (and to a lesser extent Greeks), traders first and foremost, even in remote rural areas.
next up: check what you're buying carefully, it's what you'll end up with. (an oldey-time version of WYSIWYG.)
Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
Maja:
Ki jazmok falutar ki jazmok kaitsiet da.
[ki ˈd͡ʒazmok ˈfalutaːɹɾ ki ˈd͡ʒazmok ˈkai̯tsiɛt da]
the exciting competitor the exciting fight hold
A good opponent is a good fight.
Fighting is one of the Two Arms Which Hold Up the World, in Maja culture.
Speaking of that, how about the next thing is whatever your conculture calls the things in life it holds most important?
Ki jazmok falutar ki jazmok kaitsiet da.
[ki ˈd͡ʒazmok ˈfalutaːɹɾ ki ˈd͡ʒazmok ˈkai̯tsiɛt da]
the exciting competitor the exciting fight hold
A good opponent is a good fight.
Fighting is one of the Two Arms Which Hold Up the World, in Maja culture.
Speaking of that, how about the next thing is whatever your conculture calls the things in life it holds most important?
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Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
rônomunāmmôje nôrimrāmnavêgmmemôje nōmōmôje ("the tallest tree")Matrix wrote:Speaking of that, how about the next thing is whatever your conculture calls the things in life it holds most important?
Next: no rest for the wicked
퇎
Ο ορανς τα ανα̨ριθομον ϝερρον εͱεν ανθροποτροφον.
Το̨ ανθροπς αυ̨τ εκψον επ αθο̨ οραναμο̨ϝον.
Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν.
Ο ορανς τα ανα̨ριθομον ϝερρον εͱεν ανθροποτροφον.
Το̨ ανθροπς αυ̨τ εκψον επ αθο̨ οραναμο̨ϝον.
Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν.
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Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
Kti: <danækǣ zārikināk nǣd asratæi denudǣk danænædem>ObsequiousNewt wrote:Next: no rest for the wicked
It translates to: "you sinned since time immemorial and now your sins chase after you"
Next: to exact revenge
sano wrote:To my dearest Darkgamma,
http://www.dazzlejunction.com/greetings/thanks/thank-you-bear.gif
Sincerely,
sano
Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
Su:
sóndo yu'ŋí
[ˈson˦doə˩ jʊ˩ˈŋi˦]
to tip the teacup
Telling fortunes with or divining solutions from tea dregs is very popular in Su; to tip someone's cup over is a physical way of saying "Fuck you!", and to tip it metaphorically is to cause them problems and screw up their future.
Next: birds of a feather flock together (like attracts like; people tend to associate with similar people)
sóndo yu'ŋí
[ˈson˦doə˩ jʊ˩ˈŋi˦]
to tip the teacup
Telling fortunes with or divining solutions from tea dregs is very popular in Su; to tip someone's cup over is a physical way of saying "Fuck you!", and to tip it metaphorically is to cause them problems and screw up their future.
Next: birds of a feather flock together (like attracts like; people tend to associate with similar people)
Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
As' atshai uvínai turanlizé kai: the stars scatter themselves. (Implying that constellations and star clusters are formed by choice.)
Next: a nod's as good as a wink (to a blind horse) (subtle cues may be equivalent when expected—but when unexpected, they are worthless.)
Next: a nod's as good as a wink (to a blind horse) (subtle cues may be equivalent when expected—but when unexpected, they are worthless.)
Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
Maja:
Nalderuz van ki kemorado ker ki sar han gasc.
alone in the select-NMLZ of the dragon go ATTEMPTIVE
[ˈnaldɛːɹɾuz van ki kɛmoːɹɾˈado kɛːɹɾ ki saːɹɾ han gaʃ]
Trying to grab the dragon's attention by yourself.
Next: up shit creek without a paddle (in a bad situation with no way to get out of it)
Nalderuz van ki kemorado ker ki sar han gasc.
alone in the select-NMLZ of the dragon go ATTEMPTIVE
[ˈnaldɛːɹɾuz van ki kɛmoːɹɾˈado kɛːɹɾ ki saːɹɾ han gaʃ]
Trying to grab the dragon's attention by yourself.
Next: up shit creek without a paddle (in a bad situation with no way to get out of it)
Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
apas a mokalvai, yolí genarenú íré: to not have a path in the dunes. (Implying also toxic levels of UV radiation.)
Next: the higher the stand, the harder they fall (the more power you have, the more catastrophic it is to lose it.)
Next: the higher the stand, the harder they fall (the more power you have, the more catastrophic it is to lose it.)
Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
Ma Ngòòyi cùnacùn uusòpíɽaʔà!
Ma Ngòò=i cùnacùn u-ʁ-t=píɽ=ʔà!
Ma Ngòò=TOP public_disembowelment PASS-do-PERF.REAL=disgustingly=it_is_known
They disembowelled (even) Ma Ngòò!
Ma Ngòò was a very powerful minister in the Tsi Empire often referred to proverbially because of his grisly demise (public disembowelment or cùnacùn) after he had fallen from favour. This actually is probably more often said to chide arrogant people than it is to express that the most powerful have the furthest to fall but it probs overlaps reasonably well with 'the bigger they are the harder they fall' in usage
next: to agree with someone just because you're sick of arguing
Ma Ngòò=i cùnacùn u-ʁ-t=píɽ=ʔà!
Ma Ngòò=TOP public_disembowelment PASS-do-PERF.REAL=disgustingly=it_is_known
They disembowelled (even) Ma Ngòò!
Ma Ngòò was a very powerful minister in the Tsi Empire often referred to proverbially because of his grisly demise (public disembowelment or cùnacùn) after he had fallen from favour. This actually is probably more often said to chide arrogant people than it is to express that the most powerful have the furthest to fall but it probs overlaps reasonably well with 'the bigger they are the harder they fall' in usage
next: to agree with someone just because you're sick of arguing
كان يا ما كان / يا صمت العشية / قمري هاجر في الصبح بعيدا / في العيون العسلية
tà yi póbo tsùtsùr ciivà dè!
short texts in Cuhbi
Risha Cuhbi grammar
tà yi póbo tsùtsùr ciivà dè!
short texts in Cuhbi
Risha Cuhbi grammar
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Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
English: to get off the InternetYng wrote:Ma Ngòòyi cùnacùn uusòpíɽaʔà!
Ma Ngòò=i cùnacùn u-ʁ-t=píɽ=ʔà!
Ma Ngòò=TOP public_disembowelment PASS-do-PERF.REAL=disgustingly=it_is_known
They disembowelled (even) Ma Ngòò!
Ma Ngòò was a very powerful minister in the Tsi Empire often referred to proverbially because of his grisly demise (public disembowelment or cùnacùn) after he had fallen from favour. This actually is probably more often said to chide arrogant people than it is to express that the most powerful have the furthest to fall but it probs overlaps reasonably well with 'the bigger they are the harder they fall' in usage
next: to agree with someone just because you're sick of arguing
퇎
Ο ορανς τα ανα̨ριθομον ϝερρον εͱεν ανθροποτροφον.
Το̨ ανθροπς αυ̨τ εκψον επ αθο̨ οραναμο̨ϝον.
Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν.
Ο ορανς τα ανα̨ριθομον ϝερρον εͱεν ανθροποτροφον.
Το̨ ανθροπς αυ̨τ εκψον επ αθο̨ οραναμο̨ϝον.
Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν. Θαιν.
Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
Why?Rhetorica wrote:apas a mokalvai, yolí genarenú íré: to not have a path in the dunes. (Implying also toxic levels of UV radiation.)
Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
It's mentioned briefly in the introduction; the Lilitai lived on a very harsh world for many thousands of years as slaves before discovering their heritage. If they stayed out in the sun for too long, it would burn them seriously. The environment was also completely contaminated with heavy metals, which the native organisms used extensively in their biology.
(haponí) dazénú thedúré: to bite the (dirty) cloth (in preparation for receiving corporal punishment for disagreeing)
Next: the early bird gets the worm (punctuality brings rewards)
(haponí) dazénú thedúré: to bite the (dirty) cloth (in preparation for receiving corporal punishment for disagreeing)
Next: the early bird gets the worm (punctuality brings rewards)
Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
Thósn fósa meólni bente co tólni.
God.PR.SG.GEN favor.PL.NOM good.SUPL-ADV earn.PRES.MDP C early-ADV
God's favor is best earned early.
next: Horace's pitchfork (attempts to undo or disregard Nature)
God.PR.SG.GEN favor.PL.NOM good.SUPL-ADV earn.PRES.MDP C early-ADV
God's favor is best earned early.
next: Horace's pitchfork (attempts to undo or disregard Nature)
Ascima mresa óscsma sáca psta numar cemea.
Cemea tae neasc ctá ms co ísbas Ascima.
Carho. Carho. Carho. Carho. Carho. Carho. Carho.
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Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
The Arkheans are very naturalistic and death-obsessed, so most of their saying are death related-even if it’s meaning is not.
Гашєл Некроняциз.
Gašel Nékroňacýz.
Pot of Immortals.
(Immortals try to defy nature and undo nature's progress of the death of life by cheating death.)
next: hit the road (to move on, journey)
Гашєл Некроняциз.
Gašel Nékroňacýz.
Pot of Immortals.
(Immortals try to defy nature and undo nature's progress of the death of life by cheating death.)
next: hit the road (to move on, journey)
ʾAšol ḵavad pulqam ʾifbižen lav ʾifšimeḻ lit maseḡrad lav lit n͛ubad. ʾUpulasim ṗal sa-panžun lav sa-ḥadṇ lav ṗal šarmaḵeš lit ʾaẏṭ waẏyadanun wižqanam.
- Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
Rísarindré, asa shúthímanai (osha vanshúizúin).
Permit the winds [of fate] (so they may blow).
(The Lilitai take the winds of fate and the story of one's life very literally.)
In regular use Lilitika is predominantly SOV with no change in word order to indicate mood. However, the inflection is significantly thorough that argument word order is unnecessary, and aphorisms often make use of this by putting the verb at the head (with a comma, which was independently re-invented to indicate rearrangement.)
Next: if you give a mouse a cookie... (charity or humouring may result in unwanted obligations)
Permit the winds [of fate] (so they may blow).
(The Lilitai take the winds of fate and the story of one's life very literally.)
In regular use Lilitika is predominantly SOV with no change in word order to indicate mood. However, the inflection is significantly thorough that argument word order is unnecessary, and aphorisms often make use of this by putting the verb at the head (with a comma, which was independently re-invented to indicate rearrangement.)
Next: if you give a mouse a cookie... (charity or humouring may result in unwanted obligations)
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Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
Ngade n Tim Ar ségü r mazngúd "don't make peace with Westerners"Rhetorica wrote:Next: if you give a mouse a cookie... (charity or humouring may result in unwanted obligations)
This expression ultimately dates to even before the time when the Jädäwan Empire existed. Generally speaking, cultural trends on the Tim Ar side of the river Sovadegh tend to feature patrilinial societies, while those on the other side (the west/southwest) feature matrilineal ones. The Tim Ar viewed such societies (and still do to a large degree) as troublesome at best and vastly inferior at worst.
Next: to be in a group of slackers who expect you to do all the work for them, only to deliberately fail to ensure that they don't get the good grade/accolades/praise
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Index Diachronica PDF v.10.2
Conworld megathread
AVDIO · VIDEO · DISCO
Index Diachronica PDF v.10.2
Conworld megathread
AVDIO · VIDEO · DISCO
Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
(Sarasí) Lilitika: (Suréú ibedikara alya híñkidré, des) alambedakal glatindré.
(If you cannot fight the current, then) swim toward the waterfall.
This is a general aphorism about fear, suggesting that there's no point in enduring anticipation of the inevitable.
next: heart of gold (a trustworthy, honest, or morally upstanding person)
(If you cannot fight the current, then) swim toward the waterfall.
This is a general aphorism about fear, suggesting that there's no point in enduring anticipation of the inevitable.
next: heart of gold (a trustworthy, honest, or morally upstanding person)
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Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
Кизыкица Іяһрасю
Kýzykýca Iyahraśů
Crows of Iyahra’s
or
Кизыкица Азосю
Kýzykýca Åzośů
Crows of Ahzoh's
These two idioms denote a moral person.
Next:
needle in a haystack (a really hard object to find, nearly impossible to find)
Kýzykýca Iyahraśů
Crows of Iyahra’s
or
Кизыкица Азосю
Kýzykýca Åzośů
Crows of Ahzoh's
These two idioms denote a moral person.
Next:
needle in a haystack (a really hard object to find, nearly impossible to find)
ʾAšol ḵavad pulqam ʾifbižen lav ʾifšimeḻ lit maseḡrad lav lit n͛ubad. ʾUpulasim ṗal sa-panžun lav sa-ḥadṇ lav ṗal šarmaḵeš lit ʾaẏṭ waẏyadanun wižqanam.
- Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
Kti: <kaksīk dadrahākatai> "a citizen most generic" - for personsAhzoh wrote: needle in a haystack (a really hard object to find, nearly impossible to find)
Kti: <ūrkame dai'ēkke> "alike copper inside clocks" - in general
Next: "et tu Brute?"
sano wrote:To my dearest Darkgamma,
http://www.dazzlejunction.com/greetings/thanks/thank-you-bear.gif
Sincerely,
sano
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Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
Not quite. An idiom is any expression common in the language that must be treated as a lexical unit in its own right - sometimes because the meaning is different from what would be imagined from its parts (which includes metaphors but isn't limited to them - eg the way americans say "I could care less" is idiomatic, as it has the opposite meaning from what those words would ordinarily mean), sometimes because it employs morphology or syntax different from those that appear in the rest of the language, and sometimes because it uses lexical items that are not found outside idioms. Commonly-used metaphors can be idioms, but they're not the only sort of idiom.Rhetorica wrote: For clarity's sake, an idiom is a metaphor or euphemism used to describe something common, whereas an adage is a whole saying that uses a metaphor to offer advice. More generally, an aphorism is any saying that offers advice (but direct aphorisms are not as interesting to translate!)
The essence of being an aphorism is brevity - and originality. That's the big difference between an aphorism and an adage (which, no, does not need to be metaphorical, though they often are) - an adage is old and worn to the point of becoming meaningless, whereas an aphorism is (or at least was) a novelty. But in any case, an aphorism doesn't have to offer advice - it just has to say something true or believed to be true, so observations and opinions can be as aphoristic as advice.
For instance, some non-advisory aphorisms by Wilde:
"Religions die when they are proved to be true. Science is the record of dead religions."
"A truth ceases to be true when more than one person believes in it."
"The ages live in history through their anachronisms."
Or Nietzsche (picking some at random):
"He who despises himself, nevertheless esteems himself thereby, as a despiser. "
"By means of music the very passions enjoy themselves."
"The belly is the reason why man does not so readily take himself for a God."
"When a woman has scholarly inclinations there is generally something wrong with her sexual nature."
"Even concubinage has been corrupted--by marriage."
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But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!
But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!
Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
I did actually define an idiom as being a metaphor or euphemism, not just a metaphor, but close enough. I'll put a link to your post in the OP.
Íomanezinení Lilitika: Ra hemai dí, Zéa? "Even you, sweetheart?"
(Notably this uses NOM instead of VOC for "Zéa," suggesting baby-talk bad grammar, and is fossilized even in later dialects to use the old -ai adverbial suffix.)
This is one I'll probably change into Oksirapho (Lilitika's parent language) when possible, since military and betrayal were much more natural conversation topics in it.
Fun trivia—Suetonius claims Caesar actually said "Καὶ σὺ τέκνον;" (And you, child?)
Next—continuing with Caesar, "The die is cast."
Íomanezinení Lilitika: Ra hemai dí, Zéa? "Even you, sweetheart?"
(Notably this uses NOM instead of VOC for "Zéa," suggesting baby-talk bad grammar, and is fossilized even in later dialects to use the old -ai adverbial suffix.)
This is one I'll probably change into Oksirapho (Lilitika's parent language) when possible, since military and betrayal were much more natural conversation topics in it.
Fun trivia—Suetonius claims Caesar actually said "Καὶ σὺ τέκνον;" (And you, child?)
Next—continuing with Caesar, "The die is cast."
Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
So the old idiom thread kicked the bucket? I thought we turned pruning off, but I guess searching for it now would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Oh well, I guess the die is cast and we might as well use the new thread now for convenience. But I gotta hit the road because my shift starts in 30 minutes and I;ll be up shit creek without a paddle if I show up late again so Ill contribute to this thread later. No rest for the wicked, I guess.
Sunàqʷa the Sea Lamprey says:
Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
The die is cast:
ere ta äšin
The liver has been read.
The will of the gods, which has been seen through divination, is immutable.
"Any problem solved is a new problem made." - Karl Pilkington
ere ta äšin
The liver has been read.
The will of the gods, which has been seen through divination, is immutable.
"Any problem solved is a new problem made." - Karl Pilkington
In every U.S. presidential election between 1976 and 2004, the Republican nominee for president or for vice president was either a Dole or a Bush.
Re: Idioms, Adages, and Aphorisms
táékúwoká tháló7í tsá oe7ellállé phatótsá7é"Any problem solved is a new problem made." - Karl Pilkington
He eats meat, and the whole village arrives.
Next: To shoot the breeze
A New Yorker wrote:Isn't it sort of a relief to talk about the English Premier League instead of the sad state of publishing?
Shtåså, Empotle7á, Neire WippwoAbi wrote:At this point it seems pretty apparent that PIE was simply an ancient esperanto gone awry.