>> a feature known as polysynthesis
** This is the key.
I remember my high school English teacher always bragging about expressive the English language is because there is a word for everything. If only she knew of polysynthetic languages!! They can have millions of words.
I speak a couple of polysynthetic languages (fluent in one, so-so in the other). You can translate basic words (mother, brother, water, give, run, etc). But soon you will have to translate words into long sentences. Even basic words that can be translated don't quite map. For example, "kitchen" is "the place where the stew cooker works" and btw, "stew cooker" = chef.
On the positive side, if you know a couple of hundred words and the rules, then you won't need a dictionary. It is not hard to surmise that "be on your feet" means stand up. It can, however, be difficult to place the meaning within the context, if you are unfamiliar with the culture. |
