Fijian and English/Lexical selection

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Revision as of 12:20, 5 April 2018 by Hwang11 (talk | contribs) (fij → eng)

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eng → fij

  • Case 1:

(eng) bend → (fij) pelu (e.g. bend of metal)

(eng) bend → (fij) lo’i (e.g. bend at a joint)

-Rule: Select pelu as the translation of bend when it is followed by a kind of metal.
-Example Sentences:
  • He bends the metal.
  • The child bends at her elbow.
  • Case 2:

(eng) shine on → (fij) cina (light/torch shines on)

(eng) shine on → (fij) cila (sun/moon/star shines on)

-Rule: Select cila as the translation of shine on when it is preceded by sun, moon, or stars.
-Example Sentences:
  • The moon shines.
  • The torch shines.

fij → eng

  • Case 1.1:

(fij) yava → (eng) leg

(fij) yava → (eng) foot

  • Case 1.2:

(fij) liga → (eng) arm

(fij) liga → (eng) hand

  • Case 1.3:

(fij) mata → (eng) face

(fij) mata → (eng) eye

  • Case 2:

(fij) vula → (eng) moon

(fij) vula → (eng) month

-Rule: Select month as the translation of vula when it is preceded (not immediately) by a number.
-Example Phrases:
  • e tolu a vula (three months)
  • a vula levu (the big moon)
  • Case 3:

(fij) basu → (eng) tear up (e.g. old clothes)

(fij) basu → (eng) tear down (e.g. old buildings)

  • Case 4:Fijian does not distinguish genders on pronouns.

(fij) koya → (eng) him

(fij) koya → (eng) her

(fij) koya → (eng) it

  • Case 5: (a disambiguation problem?)

The word levu can be used either as an adjective meaning "big", or a number meaning "many, much", but both numbers and adjectives can be a predicate head (like a verb).

(fij) levu → (eng) big (adj)

(fij) levu → (eng) a lot of (num)

The sentence E levu a vula. is ambiguous in Fijian, meaning either 'The moon is big.' or 'There are many months.'