Amiu - When hobbies collide.

[pauraque_bk]

I haven't done one of these in a while. For those of you who are new to the flist, Amiu is a fictional language I've been developing when I'm bored at work in my spare time.

This morning chresimos and I were talking about the "My hed iz pastede on yay!" business, and how the catchphrase was translated into various languages. She asked what it would be in Amiu. So:


mlengúnong jáu Róoj!
My head is pasted on, yay!

In the first word (reading right to left), each character represents one morpheme:

m- No actor. Represented in the written form by blank space.

-le- To use intentionally. Ideogram.

-ngú- Head (in the target or indirect-object position). Pictogram.

-nong First person possessive. Ideogram.

The second word is only one morpheme, but happens to be represented by two characters:

jáu Glue (in the direct-object position). The phonetic character is júu "pain", an ideogram. The determinative character is "rabbit", a pictogram. Why a rabbit? The Amiu-speakers make glue out of boiled rabbit skin.

The third word is tricky. Since Amiu writing is not alphabetic and was not designed to be used for casual purposes, the spoken word Róoj "yay; hurrah" has no standard written form. A modern writer, attempting realistic dialogue in literature, might use Róó "dog", as I did here, and hope to be understood.

So, the phrase might be rendered more literally as "Glue is used on my head, hurrah!"

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Also, I worked out how to write "fandom" a long time ago, but never shared it:


Náéem "fandom"

To explain:


mái "rat". A simple pictogram. (Hint: The rat is facing right.)



Here "rat" is used as a phonetic, solely for its sound. The determinative is "nose", telling us this is an emotion that sounds like mái. It must be máí "obsession; infatuation".



Adding the animate-bringer derivation, we come up with máée "infatuated person", or "fan".



The double bar indicates the plural, giving us Náéem "group of infatuated people", or "fandom".


I believe it was thatfangirl who asked why "nose" determines emotions. I'm afraid it isn't a very exciting reason: The Amiu-speakers aren't human. They can sense one another's emotional states by pheremones, which they consider part of the sense of smell.

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The discussion of Dumbledore and Peter has been fascinating. A summary of points made should be forthcoming.

Comments

[alchemia.livejournal.com]

heh, cool =) Invented languages are really interesting, seeing the ways same and different peopel come up with to say things. Especially too for fantasy creatures with different kinds of senses and things, like you are sayign yours smell pheremones, and how that affects the languge.

Ive a constructed language called Tay-Mlee, with its own alphabet also. Never transfered it over from my old mac, so many characters/symbols to re-draw, sigh. Have another one Ive no idea how to type the name of thats actually for rats :-P

How do you work on your language? Do you use a database or something to create a dictionary for storing everything?

Why did you start creating it? Are amiu characters in a story you are writing or some kind of RPG thing....? Mine are original fiction related.

[pauraque]

Ive a constructed language called Tay-Mlee, with its own alphabet also.

I'd really be interested to see what you've been working on. If you do post anything about it, I'd like it if you'd let me know.

How do you work on your language? Do you use a database or something to create a dictionary for storing everything?

It's somewhat tricky because of the logographic writing system. I have a physical card catalogue, with a card for each word, showing the written form, the pronunciation, the etymology, and the English meaning. I also have a dictionary file on the computer that duplicates most of that information, but of course is easier to search.

Why did you start creating it?

I'm working on it for original fiction, and also just for fun.

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

But you've left out the deliberate misspellings!

[pauraque]

I started to think about ways I could "misspell" in a logographic writing system, or how the Amiu-speakers would approximate n00b speak, but it just turned out to be too complicated. A project for another day!

[i-smile.livejournal.com]

This language is so cool. I love the pictograms, how they suggest the shape of the object without spelling it out. That must've been quite hard to get right.

(Also: I've friended you, because of this and because I remember being directed this way for quite a few interesting points of view.)

[pauraque]

Good to meet you. And thanks. :)

[chresimos.livejournal.com]

Glue is used on my head, hurrah! - that is a rockin' catchphrase. :D

Also, I think 'fandom' is my favorite of the amiu words so far. A group of infatuated people! and omg teh symbolism! emotional rats = infatuated fanatics? :D :D :D

[pauraque]

emotional rats = infatuated fanatics? :D :D :D

Hee, you noticed. Amiu has lots of things like that, which really just serve as mnemonics for me. dog + nose = recklessness. doe + nose = parental love, which is perhaps a bit circuitous, but it helps me remember it!

[thatfangirl]

Yes, I was the one who asked why "nose" determines emotions and I don't think your explanation is boring at all.

[sine-que-non767.livejournal.com]

Wow. This is fascinating, and intimidatingly difficult. But that's probably because the languages I speak don't have curly bits to them. ;) Pretty, too.

Been reading the absolutely great Dumbledore/Peter discussions...may I friend you?

[pauraque]

Sure, go for it. And thanks. :)