Folder: webmail-ic-2008-11-18/Voynich
From stolfi@ic.unicamp.br  Sat Mar 12 19:54:31 2005
Message-ID: <35445.143.106.23.232.1110668069.squirrel@webmail.ic.unicamp.br>
In-Reply-To: <200503120525.j2C5PjGE031996@mail3.alphalink.com.au>
References: <200503120525.j2C5PjGE031996@mail3.alphalink.com.au>
Date: Sat, 12 Mar 2005 19:54:29 -0300 (BRT)
Subject: [Piraha] Re: I'll swap you...
From: "Jorge Stolfi" <stolfi@ic.unicamp.br>
To: jguy@alphalink.com.au

Jacques, I typed in some excerpts from the book's introduction:

  http://www.ic.unicamp.br/~stolfi/misc/misc/piraha-intro.txt

I expect that your Portuguese, plus Romance interpolation, will be enough
for you to read the text.  Some peculiarly Portuguese terms that may need
a dictionary:

  orientador = thesis advisor
  pesquisa = research
  agradecer = to thank
  marido = husband
  espiada = peek
  locucão = phrase
  atualizar = bring up to date
  trabalho = work; but "paper", "study", or "research" in scholar jargon
  seringueiro = gatherer of native rubber-tree sap
  artesanato = handiwork
  ferramenta = tool
  aldeia = settlement, village

Beware that the author often lapses into English-induced mistakes or strained phrasing,
like "providenciar" instead of "prover" for "to provide", or "cesta de alumínio"
(lit. "aluminum basket") instead of the more idiomatic "bacia de alumínio" ("aluminum
basinet").  So don't take his Portuguese as a model!

I translate the following so that you won't be led to question your command of Portuguese:

   To my wife, Keren - she had to bear a husband who almost never wants to
   leave home, who does not talk about anything but linguistics, who insists
   on having his meals at the right time so as not to break his work plan,
   who goes to bed when the family has been asleep for two hours, because
   he was writing - thank you. Thank you also for inumerable contributions
   to this thesis.

   To my lord Jesus who touched me fourteen years ago when I was hooked
   on "LSD", "speed", marijuana, and other "diversions"; who gave to my life
   a purpose, a direction... My Lord and brother - thank you.

All the best,

--stolfi