On Wed, Nov 9, 2011 at 1:07 PM, djandus
<jandew@gmail.com> wrote:
So, everyone knows that the most important quality of any language is its ability to tell jokes. (sarcasm)
Regardless, in trying to translate a classic lightbulb joke, the closest I got was:
nitcu xo lo prenu ku lo pu'u zbasu se carna lo cukpultergu'i
Basically, how do you describe "screwing in" a lightbulb, and how do you say "lightbulb"? In my example, I went with a sort of "putting-together/installing kind-of turning" for "screwing in", and "round protrusion light-source" for "lightbulb". (I figured out the latter based on suggestions from the plant bulb.)
If this is the actual good way of doing this, then I guess {tolzbasu carna} would be for "unscrewing"? Is this something worth making a lujvo for, what with using an actual screwdriver? (How would you say "screwdriver," even? {carna selpilno}?)
A screwdriver is a lupcartci
If you want to "change" a lightbulb, that would be "basygau" but if you just want to "unscrew" it, that would be "vimcu" or "tolse'a". On the other hand, if you really want to emphasize the rotational nature, I'd suggest "carvi'u"
--gejyspa