[Lexicog] small - big, cool - hot

[Fritz Goerling]

Thank you, David,

What I am interested in is in which domain these expressions function and how they can be translated into
another language in which probably another semantic domain is activated. I see from your Chinantec examples that
what can be expressed in English by the opposition "big" vs. "small" is sometimes expressed by the opposition
"important" vs. "unimportant". That would be the same in German (see my added translations in caps) in the
opposition "wichtig" vs. "unwichtig". The adjective "wichtig" in German is derived from Gewicht (= weight).

Fritz Goerling


  Hi Fritz,

  I worked with a native speaker of Sochiapan Chinantec (Mexico) on these phrases.  Some would have only transferred over by means of an explanatory paragraph, so I omitted those.  I used the Doulos SIL (Unicode) font, so hope it is readable.

  David Foris



  In brackets are the literal and semi-literal translations of Chinantec phrases into English.



  big baby                 dáɨn² pan¹ (baby big)  GROSSES BABY (= big)

  big boy (a grown-up man who behaves like a big boy)      ?  GROSSER JUNGE (= big)

  big man (in politics)   yeh³ (i.e. a man with influence/status)  WICHTIGER MANN (= important)

  big idea                  hi³ quien² hi³ cháunh² chi¹ tsú² (thing important that arrives head people)  WICHTIGE IDEE (= important)

  big deal (used sarcastically)   ?  TOLLE SACHE (= great/special/outstanding/extraordinary)



  small house              hñú³ pih²¹ (house small)  KLEINES HAUS (= small)

  small business           hñú³ pih²¹ ñí¹ hna² tsú² (house small where sell people)  KLEINHANDEL (= small)

  small minded            tiá² hliáun³ cháunh² chi¹ tsú² (not many-things arrives head people)  KLEINGEIST (= small)

  small change            cú¹dáɨn³ juoh¹ (red-money pieces)  KLEINGELD (= small)

  small beer (a trivial matter)   hi³ pih²¹ hi³ siun¹ (thing small thing little)  UNWICHTIGE SACHE (= unimportant)



  cool drink                jmɨ́² cuóuh³ (water cold, i.e. no simple adjective for ‘cool’)  KALTES GETRÄNK (= cold)

  cool reception           ?  KÜHLER EMPFANG (= cool)

  cool idea                 ?    TOLLE/GROSSARTIGE/COOLE IDEE ("cool" has entered the German language in that sense)



  hot drink                 jmɨ́² chaú³ (water warm)  HEISSES GETRÄNK (= hot)

  hot day                   jmáɨ¹ chéi³ hiú² (day sun hot)  HEISSER TAG  (= hot)

  hot pepper               hën² chéi³ (chilli hot)  SCHARFER PFEFFER (= sharp ) 

  hot reception            ?   HERZLICHER EMPFANG (= cordial)

  hot favourite             hi³ jlánh¹ zaɨn³² tsú² (thing much likes s/he)  HEISSER FAVORIT (= hot)





  -----Original Message-----
  From: Fritz Goerling [mailto:Fritz_Goerling at sil.org] 
  Sent: Friday, 9 July 2004 8:59 a.m.
  To: lexicographylist yahoogroups
  Subject: [Lexicog] small - big, cool - hot



  I'd be interested in knowing how the following are translated
  into other languages:

  big baby
  big boy (a grown-up man who behaves like a big boy)
  big man (in politics)
  big idea
  big deal (used sarcastically)

  small house
  small business
  small minded
  small change
  small beer (a trivial matter)

  cool drink
  cool reception
  cool idea

  hot drink
  hot day
  hot pepper
  hot reception
  hot favourite

  Fritz Goerling
  --- 



    a..  


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