[Lexicog] small - big, cool - hot

[David Foris]

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)

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

big man (in politics)   yeh³ (i.e. a man with influence/status)

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

big deal (used sarcastically)   ?

 

small house              hñú³ pih²¹ (house small)

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

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

small change            cú¹dáɨn³ juoh¹ (red-money pieces)

small beer (a trivial matter)   hi³ pih²¹ hi³ siun¹ (thing small thing little)

 

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

cool reception           ?

cool idea                 ?

 

hot drink                 jmɨ́² chaú³ (water warm)

hot day                   jmáɨ¹ chéi³ hiú² (day sun hot)

hot pepper               hën² chéi³ (chilli hot)

hot reception            ?

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

 

 

-----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
--- 

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