[jbovlaste] Re: Alice in Wonderland 14

[Michael Turniansky <mturniansky@gmail.com>]

On Fri, Oct 22, 2010 at 9:44 AM, A. PIEKARSKI <totus@rogers.com> wrote:
>
> coi ro do
>
> In Chapter 3, we have a reference to an oyster which is translated
> into lojban as {cakcurnu}.
>
> I'd be inclined to have {cakcurnu} mean bivalve molluscs which
> would include oysters, clams, mussels and scallops.  But then what
> would we call an oyster specifically?
>
> If we leave {cakcurnu} as 'oyster', then what lujvo or fu'ivla would
> do for the remaing bivalve molluscs.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> totus

  But using "cakcurnu" as a translation for "oyster" in no way implies
that "cakcurnu" means only "oyster".  There is never an implication
when translating word X from language A into language B as word Y that
X and Y encompass the exact same domain of meanings.   When I say "My
house is home to many lice" in French is "Ma maison est la maison à
beaucoup de poux" (is that correct?  I'm not a Francophone), the word
"house" and "home" are both translated as "maison", but I wouldn't say
that "maison" = "house" or "maison" = "home".  Rather it's a term that
means both.  "Cakcurnu" can be the tranlation of oyster, clam, etc.,
but that doesn't mean it means only one of them.

               --gejyspa