Every Coin

Тιδιε xрεcмιнтε ἱ δακрεн.

Every coin have.3sg back.acc.

Every coin has a backside.

I've come up with my first Lurion proverb. It implies that every fortunate event can (but not necessarily must) be accompanied by a catch. When said to someone who is about to buy something or make some sort of deal, it is a warning that he or she must also look at the consequences and make sure it is not a scam; when someone notices that you or your deeds are not perfect, it can be used as a "that's life" apology.

Because the common people do not often use money, a more 'fitting' and of course more vulgar expression has come into existence: 

Тιδιι zωιc ἱ δακрεн. 

It literally means "Every animal has a backside," but "every animal has a behind / an arse" is obviously implied. In this context, the fortunate event is represented by a productive animal, whereas the catch is the feces and indirectly its food consumption.

However, it can also be used to state that everyone is but a human and therefore has his own flaws. It can be chanted whilst rebelling against an arrogant king; it can be exclamated when one is being punished for a mistake.

Busy

Єυтιε Καтαᴧυ!

And, ευтιε αнιδαᴧυ!, as I will turn 17 tomorrow. (Yay!) I am not planning on doing anything spectacular; we'll go out for dinner sunday and I've invited some of my friends for some movies and games on monday the 25th (busy schedules, I guess).

Cαφтυ ἁπтιφου ειοрι Cтрeπαн ευмοнει πрοрωнтιαн.

Softness pillow.gen cause.3sg Strepa.acc happiness.dat purr.prt.f.acc.

The softness of the pillow made Streepje purr with happiness.

It was Animal Day last week, and I thought my cats needed and deserved a new scratching post. It goes without saying, they were thrilled to bits. While one was sitting on it, the other thought it was an opportune moment to sharpen her nails and set her claws into her sister's behind; an act that was not much appreciated.

Πрοрοιн is of course an onomatopoeia, as well as мαυαιн ('to meow'). Also, the two Faias in cαφтυ ἁπтιφου have some onomatopoeiic value, I guess.

In spite of all the festivities, I think this might be one of the last Katalus. At least for a while. My other hobbies, gaming and gamemaking, are demanding too much time. I'm really getting a feel for online StarCraft 2, I've got one game to finish, one immense project to continue work on, and another to start. Not to mention the new Call of Duty coming out next month. Posting something weekly has appeared to be too much of a hassle. I might be posting irregularly just the same, but I can not make any promises.

Hail cats!

Διυ εнтрα Λυрιοнαιc (part 5)

I've added yet another paragraph to Pavsanio's Super Awesome journal. He's currently travelling from Blyposcia to Naupila by boat.

In my previous post I said something about a "hot summer sun". The irony. It has been so damn hot these last few days! Well, compared to the Netherlands general weather, that is.

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Πрοтeрιει καᴧει εнιω нαцιнтει ποcκαнтαрοц, εцzαрιοц ὑцнο δeκεπтει гнοнтιοцκε, διcοнтιο Βᴧυποcκια ᴧecα Aнтιυттαрιαι Нαцπιᴧαн. Cυнδιοнтαι κεκαcтрωнтιαι ᴧeгω διн нεцмεнκε мου ἁιαнοнтιο нε нυгαι мυтοц αυт πeтрιοц δοрοц ἁ. Aнαᴧeгι Aннα αнαιнοнтιαн αнιδιοц αнтαгοц Aнтιυттαрια. Нαцιοнтυc ᴧeнιει ὑттαрει нοκтεc нιтοмα.

The next day I enter the little boat of a fisherman, a handsome youngman and being seventeen, to travel from Blyposcia via Antiuttaria to Naupila. My fellow traveller having asked, I talk about my trip and journal, smiling not [because] of the humour of the story but of her gigantic beauty. Anna answers that she is returning from a yearly herdleading from Antiuttaria. Sailing the smooth sea the two of us enjoy the nights.

---

This part is not that long, but it features some interesting words.

First of all, there is some insane alliteration in the third sentence, where the occurence of the Alfa and Nea is downright silly.

Furthermore, the word ευzαрιι (or the Karvokan εцzαрιι) comes from ευ+ιzαр+ιι, thus literally "goodfronted" or "goodfaced", and means as much as "goodlooking" or "handsome", although from a more objective point of view. It can be used in almost any occasion, whereas the later used δοрιι implies physical attraction.

Speaking of which, the use of the words 'πeтрιε δοрυ' could be considered quite ironic; although he insinuates that they slept together, the word πeтрιι is derived from the Πeтрec (in its turn from πeтεр, "rock"), a race of mythological titans or giants. It has made a semantical shift from "rocky" to "gigantic", to "massive" and finally to "enormous"; therefore the most likely translation of πeтрιε δοрυ would be "great beauty", saying that the woman is extremely beautiful. It could, however, also be a hint regarding her physical size, implying that she is both beautiful and huge.

Aᴧδαιн (to stop, to end)

Єυтιε Καтαᴧυ!

Here's a picture of Streepje looking at me because I actually interrupted her afternoon cleaning session just so I could take a picture. The weather is great, lately, around 28 degrees at some point. Funny how both the cats and I are sleeping all morning. Then again, my cats do little but sleep, I don't think the weather changes much more than the place they sleep.

Cтрeπα ἱφтοрειнεн eεнαᴧδι e eιδι мε нοιмωнтιοн.

Strepa clean.inf.acc pause.pst and look.pst I.acc all.prt.m.acc.

Streepje stopped cleaning and looked at me, after I called her name.

The sentence shows the 600th Lurion dictionary entry, which is a simple combination of the adjective ἱφтιι (clean) and the causal infix -οр-, turned into a verb. Also it features the word нοιмαιн (to call), obviously derived from нοιмυ (name) - which, strangely, wasn't even in the list yet.

Furthermore, the word εнαᴧδειн (to pause) comes from εн (in) + αᴧδαιн (to end). Other derived verbs from αᴧδαιн are αᴧδοрειн (to stop (transitive)), εнαᴧδοрειн (to interrupt) and εнαᴧδιδειн (to break up, to stammer, to lag). I can't quite find the word for the latter, which is formed by adding the repetitional infix -ιδ-, thus meaning "to pause repeatedly".

And the cat sleeping in last weeks third καтαᴧυ picture was in fact Streepje.

Mαнπαнυ (Breakfast)

Єн цοιδιцει οφт нε мαнπαнεн παнxω.

In vacation.dat often not breakfast.acc eat.1sg.
In my vacation, I often do not have breakfast.

This sentence does not only show both an interesting word and a special construction, it is also true. Not that I starve myself until lunch, it's just that I don't wake up until around noon. It's also true in weekends. My biological clock must hate me for that, 'cause I have to wake up at 7:00 to go to school every day. Am I glad I'm done with that for some weeks.

Oh, right, мαнπαнυ. Well, first of all, you might have noticed that the literal translation should actually be "I often do not eat breakfast". In English you 'have a meal' or 'have a dinner', whereas in ᴧυрιοнεcκι you "eat a meal".

Me waking up at noon is quite normal in higher social classes in Lurionas, where they wake up at around ten o'clock, and have ἑᴧπαнυ (< ἑᴧecε 'sun' + παнxυ 'meal'; "lunch") within an hour or two. Then at around eight in the evening, families regroup to enjoy some dinner, цεcтπαнυ (< цεcтεр 'evening'). Labourers, or мαнοιрec, on the other hand, have to wake up early to go to work. Therefore breakfast is called мαнπαнυ, which is shortened from мαнοιрιε παнxυ ("labours meal").

That may sound demeaning, but in Lurion it hardly is, as мαнοιрυ is much more approbative than ποιεрυ "work". Where ποιεрιc can mean anything from slave to teacher, from baker to soldier, мαнοιрιc, which has obviously something to do with мαнυ (hand), is used to show that someone works really hard, makes a decent living, puts his back into it.

Λυрιοнιεc тecειc (Lurion temples)

The Luriones use тecειc (temples) as a place to pray, praise and meditate, as well as to meet for various reasons.

There are several types of temples, in most of them the seven main Gods, i.e. Δрαгο, Xωтαнο, Aκтοр, Ἱδοр, Ἁcмο, Cιцο and Mαο, are worshipped. Here I will discuss some of the most common.

Basic layout
Lurion temples housing multiple gods all have a similar layout, regardless of their shape.

The light blue area is the main room, which is available to everybody all during the day and night. The coloured areas are the actual rooms where each god is worshipped, praised and sacrificed to. These can only be entered by ᴧυрιοнιεc οικεнтec (Lurion citizens), thus not by βαрβαрec (barbarians, i.e. Fartes, Gerimes etc), δαмκαтec (slaves) or criminals, and only under the supervision or with the approval of тecec, priests.

Finally, the dark blue area is used as a back entrence for priests, a storage room and for other religious activities, e.g. removing animal sacrifices.

The front (shown at the bottom of the sketch) can be either a wall with one or multiple gates in it, or a мακουрυ (a row of pillars or columns). The whole temple can also be surrounded by a continuous мακουрυ, called an αмφιмακουрυ.

Тεтрειυ (Tetrium)
The Tetreiu or Tetrium is the most basic temple, it is rectangular but, unlike most Greek temples and modern churches etc, its main entrance is located on its longest side. It can be used to worship any combination of gods.

῾Єκтειυ (Hectium)
The Hekteiu has the shape of a hectagon, which is a holy shape in Lurion religion. Often with a dot in the middle, it resembles the seven main gods, with Δрαгο in the middle. However, for practical reasons, the rooms are position against the back three walls and are accessible via the main room in front. It is only used in the worship of these seven gods.

Κυκᴧειυ (Cyclium)
The Cyclium is a round temple, where most often only one deity is sacrificed to. It is often accompanied by a κυκᴧιмακουрυ (a circular αмφιмακουрυ), or sometimes by some other round formation of e.g. trees (like the Cyclarbrium), flames or stones.

Δουκᴧειυ (Duclium)
The Doukleiu, which is shortened from Δουικυκᴧειυ, has the shape of half a circle. It usually has a straight wall with only one door in it. When entering this, one can turn his head from left to right, eyeing the wide variaty of gods that is worshipped there. The rendezvous generally take place around the back side of the temple.

That's basically it, although villages and cities further away from the central Lurionas may have other types of temples.

Καтαᴧυ

Following in the footsteps of David J. Peterson, whom I deeply respect, I will post cat related words, sentences and photos of my two cute cats (Noortje and Streepje) every tuesday! This will help increase my vocab, as well as allow me to keep posting on a consistent basis.

Єυтιε Καтαᴧυ!

Καтαᴧυ is a combination of καтιc ("cat") and -αᴧυ, the suffix meaning "-day" (from καᴧυ). Coincidentally, it is also a slight anagram of ακтαᴧυ, the word for the second day of a week, or "tuesday", named after the God of War, Aκтοр. Furthermore, he is the god of felines.

And now, for some introduction:

My cats are named Noortje and Streepje, or Нοртα Cтрeπακε, they are around 10 years old, enjoy being petted, love being fed and spend whole days sleeping on beds, in gardens or in baskets of freshly washed clothing.

On here you see Streepje, named after his many stripes (I guess), relaxing in a small sunlit part of our back garden.

And here is her sister, Noortje (supposedly named when Sweden was playing football, but I was 5 or 6 at the time, so I can not verify that). Isn't she cute? She's just about to sprint to the kitchen, having smelled my father opening a package of minced meat. I think they are secretly spoiled by my mother when she's cooking.

Oh, and if you're thinking that they look so much a like, I can tell them apart perfectly well. Not only by the little stripe/speck next to the nose that Noortje has and Streepje hasn't (ironic, eh?). I can tell by looking only at their tail, their hair, their meowing, the way they move etc. On top of that, one can ofcourse tell by their completely different characters. Noortje is quite shy, whereas Streepje will just pounce your lap and demands you to sit still, being utterly surprised when you actually move for something as trivial as sipping your tea. How rude some guests can be.

And know, a test! Which one is sleeping (or pretending to sleep, as another photograph taken moments later reveals) contentfully in this picture?

Рοιειн - to be remembered

Having reached the 550th Lurion word, one of the latest is a quite interesting one, as it is used in a different construction than most natural languages use.

Рοιειн would mean something like "to be remembered", but it is most often used in the construction рοιι + dative, which means "to remember". For instance, καᴧυ мει рοιι means the same as "I remember the day", but literally "the day is remembered by me".

It originates from the word рιειн, "to return"; thus that sentence could be interpreted as "the day returns to me".

Ὁυ ποιтαc αια рοιcεc.
His deeds will always be remembered.

Lurion's 500th word: ποιεтαυ (poem)

Yay! Λυрιοнεcκι now has over 500 items in my dictionary!

The 500th word (although adding and/or removing words might change its location) is ποιεтαυ meaning 'poem'. It is derived from the verb ποιειн (to do, to make, to rhyme, to write poetry), as are the words ποιειнυ (poetry) and ποιιc (poet), numbers 501 and 502 respectively. Ποιεтαυ is a pretty straight forward word, created by adding the passive infix -εтα- and a neutral suffix -υ, although there is no -οнт- marking the substantivation.
The word for poetry is simply its infinitive with a neutral suffix, and ποιιc has a general (animate) suffix, again without a participle-marker.

I should be translating more than I am at the moment. Maybe I should be doing a 'Word of the Day'-thing as well, or at least post W.o.I.'s more often.

I like the diphthong -αυ (from -α- + -υ) as a suffix, it also occurs in нαυ (boat), тυрαυ (government) and мαυ (game). The latter is one of my favorite words. Maybe that's because it's related to my favorite god, Mαο. And ofcourse it's the sound my cats make all the time.

Mèèèau. Mau! Mau? Prrrr...

Hello & Goodbye

Being words that are used a lot in daily conversation, the words for hello and goodbye are shortened a lot.

Originally, exclamations like

Ἁeιc καᴧεн ευтιεн - May you (sg) have a good day

or

Cου καᴧυ мεнeι ευтιε - May your day be good

could be used either to begin or end a conversation.
The latter would be shortened to

Καᴧυ ευтιε - good day

or with less emphasis on good:

Єυтιε καᴧυ - good day

Which is interchangeable with adding the prefix ευ- to καᴧυ:

Єυκαᴧυ - goodday

And finally, children and young adults often just say:

Καᴧυ - day; hi, hey, hello, bye

The same happens with

Ιeιc ἁοнтιι тυxεн ευтιεн - May you go having good fate/fortune/luck

Ιeιc (cυн) тυxει ευтιει - May you go (with) good luck

Both meaning "bye".
This would lead to

Ιeιc ευтυxει - May you go goodfortuned

Deformalised to

Ιтι ευтυxει - Go goodfortuned

Finally

Єυтυxει - goodfortune; goodbye

And ofcourse

Тυxει - with fate; bye

Obviously, there are many more ways of expressing greetings or good luck, but these are all formed in a similar way.

Διυ εнтрα Λυрιοнαιc (part 4)

Yay, my first Lurion myth! It's about Seufno. The name has become a noun in lurioneski:

cευφнο means 'drunk' or "binge drinker" or any other pejorative description of someone who drinks too much water or more commonly alcohol.

The water near the Lurion coast is generally clear and blue, by the way, and good for swimming in the hot summer sun.

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Mεтα δευ καᴧειc πрοcπωн ᴧιмαι гεрιмιαι ααcπιω ὑтᴧιмιει δεмει Βᴧυποcκιαι οιδαтιαι υδοιрοц. Aмφιтωнтιε ὑδрει cтι βαᴧтр Ἱδοрοц φαрοнтιοц ἁмαн δακрει e мαнει рeδιει φεррοрн δeα. Єн cιнιтει δeι καδцε Cεцφнοц, εκ ἁтοц οποцc cοнδοцκε рεπcοцκε εгxc δeαцδc. Cεцφнο eαцδрι ποιᴧωн e ὁц нυδрαιυ eгεгнι мeгιεгε ὡн ὁн eαцδрοнтιοн πрοтωн ὑδрεгxc e мεтωн παнтιεc ὑттαрc. Ἁтιοц ὑβрιzοц Ἱδοр eтαxтι ὁн, ecнιᴧтι καδцн δυнeοнтιι ὑδрεгxc мαрcκε ὑттαрcκε.

After two days near the geriman border I have reached the coastal village Bluposkia (Blyposcia), famous for its fountain. Surrounded by water stands the statue of Hidor carrying his shield on his back and in his right hand his iron (sword) downward. In his left [hand] hangs the head of Seufno, from whose eyes, mouth and neck flow waterfalls. Seufno drank a lot and his thirst grew so big that he first drank rivers and later all the seas. For this hybris did Hidor punish him, he cut off his head, releasing the rivers and lakes and seas.

Onomatopoeias

Onomatopoeias (i.e. words imitating the sound they describe) are quite usual in Lurion, not only in words that represent sounds, but also in words that have some sort of representative ring to it.

Some examples:

αᴧαᴧειн - 'to sing' ("ahlalalaala")
κрαнxειн - 'to break' ("krrraaahnx") (with [x] mind you, not [ks])
цοφειн - 'to blow' ("vohff")
ᴧοрδιι - 'heavy' ("lohr lohr lohr")
ἱεнιι - 'thin' ("híëní")

Ofcourse the representations are pretty off (and silly), but it might give you a good impression.

Ουрα

Today I would like to look at the word ουрα. It generally means "sky" or "air", but as air is vital (without breathing you'd die), it also has a touch of "life" in it.

Ουрιδεр, for instance, means "breath", but also "mind" and "soul".
More importantly, ουрειн - "to live" has derived directly from ουрα. From there, ουрυ - "life" is formed.

Both ουрα and ουрυ are neuter. The first shows the suffix -α (which is normally a feminine suffix), but is conjugated as any other neuter word, dropping the α in any other case or number. This special neuter form is used for astrological phenomena, e.g. ᴧυнα (moon) or ceцα (wind), but not all, e.g. ἑᴧecε (sun) or ἱcтεр (star).

Please note that geological names (e.g. Βрιтαннια (Britain), Mοcκцα (Moscow) or Mιccιccιππια (Mississippi)) are in fact feminine, and are declined as such (e.g. Mοcκцαα - "of/from Moscow").

Нιтιι, мαтιι, ευтιι and εтαрιι.

Although sometimes these words are interchangeable, there are differences in meaning between нιтιι, мαтιι, ευтιι and εтαрιι.

Нιтιι is very general, it can mean anything from good or nice to enjoyable or friendly. It can be said of people, animals, books, edibles etc.

Mαтιι, however, is more intimate and is said of things that are nice, cute, cudly, soft etc, e.g. cats, children, clouds and members of the other (or same, for that matter) sex.

Єυтιι is quite straight forward. It just means good or just. It could be said of people, for instance judges or kings, laws or actions.

Єтαрιι means 'friendly', also as in 'host-guest', 'comrade', 'brother in arms' etc. Saying your husband or wife and you are εтαрec to eachother shows a complete lack of intimacy.

E and -κε

I would like to explain the difference in meaning and use between the conjunction e and the conjunctional suffix -κε, both meaning "and".

First of all, let's look at the way the two words are used to connect two words:

Cαнδεр e Δαн.
Cαнδεр Δαнκε.

Here, both sentences mean the same (although they do not make any sense): "Sander and Daan". The only difference is that -κε is semantically closer.
Only when we put them in a sentence, can we see some significant differences.

Verbs

When used with verbs, both options mean practically the same. The difference between 'ειδω e ᴧeгω' and 'ειδω ᴧeгοκε' is minimal, although the first is translated "I see and I say", and the second could be translated as "I see and say", emphasising that it is done at the same time. Accordingly, Δαн ειδιc ᴧeгοκε ("Daan sees and-I-say") would make no sense.

Nouns

Between nouns, -κε is used to indicate some sort of bond between the two, for instance when describing a well-known or logical pair (e.g. παтрο мεтακε - "father and mother").

List

More clear is the difference when they are both used within a list of nouns or verbs. Here, -κε would indicate a subgroup. E.g.: παтрο мεтακε e δαмκιc - "father and mother, and the servant", thus (Father && Mother) && Servant.

Some example sentences:

Παтрο мεтακε ειδεc e ᴧeгεc. - Father and mother see and say.
Δαн e παтрο мεтακε ᴧeгεc αυтeεc. - Daan and (father and mother) say other things. Thus: Daan and his parents do not agree.