Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

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KaiTheHomoSapien
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Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by KaiTheHomoSapien »

Idioms may be the hardest aspect of translation. And I admit I have given almost no thought to conlang idioms. I was reminded of this in the midst of conworlding today, by writing about the city of Thannicort, whose name (thánnis kórtom) means "ivory tower" in a Mantian dialect and is not connected to the English idiom but refers literally to the ivory encrusted towers of the city's ancient palace.

Have you created any idioms in your conlang? Care to provide some examples? How did you go about creating them? Many natlang idioms have opaque meanings and obscure origins. It's difficult to fabricate that.
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holbuzvala
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by holbuzvala »

One idiom in Zulai has the literal translation of “He/she can’t even breathe in my forest.” The person this is said of is someone who is stupid, insofar as they refuse or are unable to understand something ostensibly easy explained to them.

It derives from the deep-rooted idiom that ideas are conceived of as environments, and communication is conceived as interacting with that environment (watching, eating, drinking, hunting, etc.). Breathing is an activity that requires minimum effort (and for most people is automatic), and so if you can’t even breathe an idea someone’s explained to you - and forest air is easier to breathe than arid desert or brinewater - then it means you’re dumber than a bag if hammers.

Along similar lines, saying “Arid places are scarce in the sun” has the implication that someone is taciturn and difficult to interact with, but only when first meeting then, or when they’re in public.

Another idiom is to say someone “is notched on a tree”. This means you’re suspicious of them, and comes from the ancient practice of notching signs onto trees to warn others of dangerous animals or areas.

Were these the sorts of idioms you were looking for?
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by Reyzadren »

There are no idioms in my conlang. It is a direct and straight-to-the-point language. Furthermore, the native speakers believe that if one wants to obfuscate words and speech, there are already many ways to do it via reroutes and deceptive talking.

However, there are folk sayings, which are just messages or philosophies that describe a facet of the world.
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by WeepingElf »

I have several ideas for idioms in Old Albic, though I so far only know their literal translations, as the Old Albic lexicon is in an utter mess that needs to be cleared up. Here are two examples:

"To celebrate the wedding without the bridepeople" - to neglect the most important point
"As X as the Sun is cold and dark" - not X at all (X=adjective)
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by Pabappa »

Poswa is entirely without idioms as well, since the grammar depends on having only one word in each role in a sentence. That is, a phrase cannot substitute for a word. There are a few compounds whose meanings are slightly more than sum-of-parts, and some derived forms of certain words likewise, but that's pretty much it. Still, there may be a type of expression that exists in Poswa that could be considered like an idiom, .... Poswa has no pronouns so it's possible to write a sentence like popo bappio "my heart says no" where the word /popo/ "my heart" is the subject. bappio by itself just means "i say no".
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by Tuyono »

Źilaa Ruńu definitely needs more idioms! Right now I can only think of two:

zematme źiihi heji!
find-IMP.2SG wind-ACC good-ACC
Find the good wind!

This means both "goodbye" and "good luck!"

kee mi ruvieh ńa alu lesiis? maz aspaavme.
Q be.3SG viper.NOM 3SG.ANI.NOM or water.snake.NOM | NEG discover-2SG.IMP
Is it a viper or a water snake? Don't find out.

Water snakes are harmless to people, but you should still stay away from them just in case. This is a general advice to avoid unnecessary risks, and also a reminder that some questions are best left unanswered. Now that I think about it, this is exactly the kind of idiom that could change its meaning a few centuries later - maybe people will start saying "we need to check if he's a viper or a water snake!" ignoring the original advice.
holbuzvala wrote: 21 Jun 2019 17:29 One idiom in Zulai has the literal translation of “He/she can’t even breathe in my forest.” The person this is said of is someone who is stupid, insofar as they refuse or are unable to understand something ostensibly easy explained to them.

It derives from the deep-rooted idiom that ideas are conceived of as environments, and communication is conceived as interacting with that environment (watching, eating, drinking, hunting, etc.). Breathing is an activity that requires minimum effort (and for most people is automatic), and so if you can’t even breathe an idea someone’s explained to you - and forest air is easier to breathe than arid desert or brinewater - then it means you’re dumber than a bag if hammers.
This is very cool! Would hunting in someone's forest mean something like challenging their ideas?
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by Mándinrùh »

Atili has a pervasive cognative metaphor that life is a journey, derived from a set of literary metaphors from one of the most important of the Atili religious texts, the book of Quotations of Ketasóli. For example, Q.K. 105, which is:

Image Kwánë dóvnyete sénzul ivahvasavidástu zíu-zíu, ítä e sálva kosódakta tínus.
'kɔ̯ɑ.ne 'dov.ɲe.tʰe 'sen.zul ɪ.vaχ.və.sa.vɪ'das.tʰu 'zi.u 'zi.u | 'i.tʰa e 'sal.va kɔ'so.dakʰ.tʰa 'ti.nus
kwane dovnye-t sen-zu-l i-vah-vasa-vi-das-t-u zi-u~zi-u ita e salva ko-so-da-k-t tinus
if road-DIM good-IRR;INF-ADJ 1-make-see-them-it-IRR-PL person-PL~DISTR my that walk stand-it-make-1-IRR lonely
"If I would show everyone the good path, my own walk would be lonely."

An ironic derivation of this line is this idiom/malapropism, used to indicate that the speaker believes that another person has erred:

Image ...siné dóvnyete ivahvasavídasta/ivahvasándasta.
/si'ne 'dov.ɲe.tʰe ɪ.vəχ.va.sə'vi.das.tʰa/ɪ.vaχ.və'san.das.tʰa/
sine dovnye-t i-vah-vasa-vi-das-ta / i-vah-vasa-n-das-ta
but road-DIM 1-show-him/her-it-IRR / 1-show-you-it-IRR
"...but I would show him/her/you the path."
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KaiTheHomoSapien
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by KaiTheHomoSapien »

Thank you for your examples, guys [:D] I don't think I'm any closer to creating conlang idioms myself, but it was helpful to see the kinds you've created.
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by k1234567890y »

just created one in Q.T. Lingua Franca:

holshim paish chit ngoumlot
/hɔlʃm̩ pɛʃ t͡ʃɨt ŋumlɔt/
give-G4-INF pail-PL with-GX coin-PL
meaning: to cast pearls before swine (do something to people who can't appreciate it.)
literal meaning: to give coins to pails.

Note"
Spoiler:
Q.T. Lingua Franca is a language spoken by a kind of not-very-humanoid alien(but with a human-like vocal tract) called Quers, they live on the moon Rubaim of a gas giant called Zdon. Pails is the Rubaim equivalent of dogs.
I prefer to not be referred to with masculine pronouns and nouns such as “he/him/his”.
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by Hālian »

Image One of the prevailing metaphors in Classical Āirumāli is that SOUL IS WATER, as reflected e.g. in the formal greeting and response given below:

Áìs e ilumjân Vâraþêìn siþêyitaji ló? Iseifon žailwon kânivoacíwid.
/áìs ɛ ilumjâ:n βâ:ɾaθɛ̂:ìn siθɛ̂:yitaji ló || isɛiɸon ʑailʍon kâ:niβoat͡ɕíʍid/
how-AQ.SG.ABS DEF.AQ.SG.ABS soul-AQ.ABS yours.FORM-AQ.ABS flow-PASS-PROG-3S.AN.SUBJ Q || river-ERG great-LU.ERG be-AJT-3S.OBJ-GNO.AN.SUBJ-1S.AN.SUBJ-MIR(-PRES)
"How is your (singular aquatic) soul flowing? Surprisingly, a great river am I (lunar)."

The paucal form of the greeting is:

Ájê il ilumjâei Vâraþêì siþêyitawi ló?
/ájɛ̂: il ilumjâ:ɛi βâ:ɾaθɛ̂:ì siθɛ̂:yitaʍi ló/
DEF.PL.ABS soul-PL.ABS yours.FORM-PL.ABS flow-PASS-PROG-3PAU.AN.SUBJ Q
"How are y'all's souls flowing?”

The plural form of the greeting is:

Ájê il ilumjâei Vâraþêì siþêyitaři ló?
/ájɛ̂: il ilumjâ:ɛi βâ:ɾaθɛ̂:ì siθɛ̂:yitari ló/
DEF.PL.ABS soul-PL.ABS yours.FORM-PL.ABS flow-PASS-PROG-3P.AN.SUBJ Q
"How are y'all's souls flowing?”
Last edited by Hālian on 02 Dec 2022 14:37, edited 8 times in total.
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by Lorik »

Here are a few in Lohdan:
An erú ká anin lohonin adîhód
[ɑ̃: œ'ɾu: kɑ: ɑ'nĩ: loRo'nĩ: ɑ'di:Ro:d]
DEF.SG day that DEF-PL horse-PL fly-PL.AOR
Never (literally: "the day when horses fly")

Áduva loho
['ɑ:duvɑ 'loRo]
flying horse
Lie (noun)

Tâtâ beru okûrir
['tɑ:tɑ: 'bœɾu o'ku:ɾiɾ]
hammer-SG.IMP until work-INF
Keep trying (literally: "hit it with a hammer until it works")

Gîrir an saduc arras idra pác-ot
['gi:ɾiɾ ɑ̃: 'sɑduk 'ɑrɑs 'idɾɑ pɑ:k ot]
hold-INF DEF.SG left rein right hand-with
To be an idiot (literally: "to hold the left rein with the right hand")

Un hanîrin id krûdâva olun
[ũ: Rɑni:'rĩ: id kɾu:'dɑ:vɑ o'lũ:]
in shoot-PRSPART INDF.SG dead wolf
On top of that (literally: "shooting a dead wolf")
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by Man in Space »

CT has tëk mûr ‘kick a tree’ = “to get nothing done, to make no progress”.
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by MissTerry »

Idiom:

Klamata pajhtas klushan, to mihado yaphyo klushan; co pajhtas ubjhan, to mihado yaphyo ubjhan.

It says:

"Walk a crooked path, but never too crooked; and a straight path, but never too straight."

It means:

That when one is in the company of bad associates to do bad things like them but never as bad as they. And when one is in the company of righteous associates, pay your respects to religion, god, and priests like they, but never too strict like they do.
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by lsd »

Pabappa wrote: 22 Jun 2019 01:06 popo bappio "my heart says no"
isn't it an idiom...

I try to avoid idioms, except to create as transparent as possible, and if possible not frozen in a phraseme (besides I don't maintain any dictionary and I try to erase my conlinguistic productions as I go along)

but, conlanging is creating semantic fields different from the other languages, and without going further each expression in language is an idiom compared to another one when we retranslate them as faithfully as possible...
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by imcute »

a lot in the process of cutting down the word set.
telo kama anpa(water flows lower)=time flies
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by lurker »

Idioms require a culture to justify them, IMO. I've got a couple for Commonthroat. See here for an explanation of the horrible romanization and a description of yinrih biology that will make the following glosses make way more sense.

Code: Select all

May the sun warm your back.
I   obn-njH-l          mEm-a        Dnh-l       mK
may star-hearth-3.DIST warm-NONAUTH back-3.DIST your
"I hope this letter finds you well"

Code: Select all

[You] put your egg in this nest
L     oEF-Jn          mlm Hm-l        mK
in    nest-3.PROX     put egg-3.DIST   your
"You made your bed, now sleep in it!

Code: Select all

From nose to tail
A      oLim-l                 E     oiLm-l
from   rhinarium-3.DIST       to    tail-3.DIST
"soup to nuts",  "comprehensive"

Code: Select all

in over my ears
BC     f  odBodB-Jn     mI 
above  PL ears-3.PROX   my
"overwhelmed"

Code: Select all

By the palms that nursed me!
k     f    hgm-l          DA      oFEm-lim-0                          oDoD-J-oh-i
with  PL   palm-3.DIST    that    milk-transitive_verb_suffix-AUTH    friend-hard-MALE_NAME-1
"Holy crap!"
⠎⠀⠜⠎⠾⠌⠺⠀⠍⠭⠌⠉⠀⠬⠽⠬⠽⠌⠚
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by thethief3 »

Amarin has a bunch note some of these are dialectal/nonstandard marked in blue
manja ami kuju na sua
NEG COP.2.sg rabbit LNK 2.sg
“It’s not your rabbit”
“It’s not your business”


manja ami kili na sua
NEG COP.2.sg fish LNK 2.sg
“It’s not your fish”
“It’s not your gift”


mori ami koko na a
NEG COP.2.sg cat LNK 2.sg
“It’s not your cat”
“It’s not your gift”


ama na kusi puri nar naja
be.like LNK run + try.and.catch = chase LAT sun
“Like chasing the sun”
“It’s not difficult”


tu lauja sambasi umia pappu api napatan na sua
GEN NEG drink-2.sg ocean whole satisfy.needs thirsty+NOM LNK 2.sg
“Don’t drink the whole ocean to quench your thirst”
“Don’t be difficult/unreasonable”


siini tu uni inu mee
COP.1.pl GEN on island DEM.Spec
“We’re on an island”
“This is just how things are”


sua mori kirrininsi poko to
2.sg NEG heart+join=marry human DEM.Nonsp
“You wouldn’t marry a human”
“You wouldn’t marry someone you don’t love”


ama ńarra naasinsa
be.like blood milk
“Like blood and milk”
“Family and friends”


mai kamiwi wa tati muu
3.m come-Near from chair big
“He came from the big chair”
“He is bearing important news”


le mamasa sim lun pana na siju to
3.n located LOC.OUT along tail LNK siju DEM.Nonsp
“It’s located along the/a riding beast’s tail”
“This puzzles me”


pa ama paka tu śinśimaa mee
3.n be.like bag GEN feather.pl DEM.Spec
“It’s like a bag of feathers”
“This puzzles me”


morima papakatasi nanaasin kappam nurri sinsimaa
NEG.IMPF IMPF-go.out-2 IMPF-wear cape composed.of
“You wouldn’t go out wearing a cape made of feathers”
“You shouldn’t rush things”

ama patismaa unamaa
Be.like weasel-pl fox-pl
“Like weasels and foxes”
“That’s the plan”
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by thethief3 »

gö nkwän
“eat a pike” “enjoy the fruits of difficult labour”
Derives from the fact pike are difficult to debone relative to other fish to the point they are usually deboned by people trained in the skill while also having a prized flavour.
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by Arayaz »

:con: Ruykkarraber

naseg inda danis ag "to not stop sleeping" (to die) A euphemism.
[nayes] sdesdi tresbiren nira "to grab the branch above oneself" (to make an advancement, to make a metaphorical step forward)
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Re: Have you created any idioms in your conlangs? What are some examples?

Post by pachelbel »

I've got a bunch for various langs.

Aeolian (spoken by bat-winged humanoids) has a bunch of flight-, wind-, air-related ones, e.g. wyshoi tjöraa riher "to dive [onto one] from far above" = "(of an event) to happen unexpectedly/out of the blue"

Alsoran Common (far-future human space station trade language) has a lot of sci fi technology idioms especially to describe people, e.g. mais nen "laser-one" = "determined and goal-focused person", ok·sy grodh nen "life-support-one" = "mom friend", pjon gef nen "vacuum-seller" = "scammer" (comes from a longer saying equivalent to "selling snow in Alaska")

Standard Bodin, Moshrang, and Parinawun (various future-human societies on the Earthlike planet Boden) have more of a grab-bag of idioms. examples:
  • Bodin: tachlir shitri shacshixun "to study the history of beetles" = "to miss the forest for the trees; to be distracted by details"
  • Moshrang: ggi kangwa gge roggrr "as thunder and lightning" = "inseparable, joined at the hip"
  • Parinawun: dothabikhof na-tinau tisajo "the earth cannot become sky" = "one cannot change one's nature"
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