[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: [conculture] Very Strange



From: andrew <hobbit@mail.earthlight.co.nz>

On Wed, 28 Jul 1999, Natalia Gruscha wrote:

> Nik:
> >> When Romhi and Amriqa die, those parental names
> >> change to Roomhikuqi and Aamriqakuqa.
> 
> >So -kuqi means "deceased parent"?
> 
> No, it just means "dead". If the person you are speaking about is dead,
you always have to add -kuqi to her and -kuqa to his name. 

A similar suffix was used in a book I read earlier this year, "The River
God" by Gregory Keyes (Recall may be inexact).  I believe the author had
borrowed the feature from Native American languages that he had contact
with.  Is the same sort of borrowing happening here?

> Tigers never give their children names of their dead friends and 
> relatives unless there are sure signs that the child is reincarnated 
> person they know. Tigers believe in reincarnation.
> 
Traditionally Brithenig speakers named their children after the previous
generation.  The eldest of each sex was named for the husband's parents,
then the wife's, then for uncles and aunts on each side.  This meant a
limited range of names was maintained, but in modern times this tradition
has become old-fashioned.

- andrew.
--
Andrew Smith, Intheologus 			hobbit@earthlight.co.nz

	Lo! thy dread empire, Chaos! is restored;
	Light dies before thy uncreating word:
	Thy hand, great Anarch! lets the curtain fall;
	And Universal Darkness buries All.
			- Alexander Pope, The Dunciad, Book IV.


--------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ----------------------------

ONElist members are using Shared Files in great ways!
http://www.onelist.com
Are you?  If not, see our homepage for details.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, send an email to conculture-unsubscribe@onelist.com