[càːl] be reflected in, e.g. `Abac is reflected in her daughter'. Shilluk – 175,000 speakers – Sudan and South Sudan This verb is similar to English resemble, except the way we interpret subject and object is reversed: the subject is the source of the resemblance, not the reflection. This can be seen from the following example, where Abac is the subject. ábác ɲāaar-ɛ̄ á-càaal-ɛ̀ Abac daughter-3S PAST-be.reflected-3SG 'Abac is reflected in her daughter.' As Fillmore (1977:74) said "Languages, and lexical items, differ in interesting ways in the options they present in taking particular perspectives on complex scenes." Credit: Bert Remijsen and Otto Gwado Ayoker (field notes) ![]()
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![]() [nɑˈxletʃɑ] Tear something open with the foot. Lakhota – 6,000 speakers – USA (North and South Dakota) Lakota verbs have obligatory prefixes that specify the body part or motion that is responsible for the action. Source: Rising Voices (0:20:45), Robert Rankin. 2005. Quapaw. In Native languages of the Southeastern United States, 454-498. University of Nebraska Press. Credit: Steven Bird, David Rood [ʃiːʃaːwiɬtaqjo]
Powered by a monstrous supernatural porcupine-like creature. Nuu-chah-nulth, Nootka – 130 speakers, Canada (Vancouver Island) This word is made from two parts: šiˑšaˑwiˑɬ: supernatural porcupine-like creature. -taqyo: powered by, having shamanistic power derived from. Source: Nootka texts; tales and ethnological narratives (Edward Sapir and Morris Swadesh, 1978) pages 253, 283, 329 (https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001009910) Credit: Anthony Woodbury [makitːaqaŋːitsoq]
Someone who hasn't mastered the art of rolling over in a kayak. Greenlandic, Kalaallisut – 57,000 speakers, Greenland, USA (Alaska), Canada This word can be broken down as follows: makittaq -a -nngit -soq makittaq -qar -nngit -toq -0 rising -have -not -intrans -absolutive.singular be unable to get upright Source: Smilla’s Sense of Snow (1:04:58). Credit: Steven Bird, Anthony Woodbury |
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