Saturday, 10 July 2010

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.

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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.

2 comments:

  1. It's been a while, huh? I've been a little busy with my trip to the US. I like this one very much. It kind of reminds me of the "brow" thing and also the "ops" in Ancient Greek. The last part about the stone giants is very good, kind of what happened with such words as colossal, titanic, etc.

    Good work!

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  2. What do you mean with "brow thing" and "ops"?

    Yes, colossal has undergone somewhat a similar shift. Πεтрιι does however mean "great" in the broadest sense of the word, i.e. also "a great friend" and "great clothes".

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