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Original text - Icelandic - Ái á Á, á á í á.

Current statusOriginal text
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This translation request is "Meaning only".
Title
Ái á Á, á á í á.
Text to be translated
Submitted by ellasevia
Source language: Icelandic

Ái á Á, á á í á.
Remarks about the translation
I found this tongue-twister and it said that it meant "Grandfather from 'Á' farm has a sheep in a river." I wanted to know if this was true.
8 February 2009 01:52





Last messages

Author
Message

8 February 2009 18:20

Bamsa
Number of messages: 1524
Hi ellasevia

Ái á Á, á á í á.

Ái -> ancestor -> or from "afi" -> grandfather
á -> on, in, at
Á -> river, water, stream, (or Á is the name of a farm)
á -> present indicative of eiga -> own
á -> accusative and dative of "ær" -> ewe (female sheep)
í -> in, on
á -> river, water, stream.

"grandfather at the river ownes a ewe on the river"

If "Á" is the name of a farm:

"grandfather at Á ownes a ewe on the river"

To make understandable:

"my grandfather who lives at Á farm ownes a ewe on the river"

the English is a bit strange, and the Icelandic as well, but as you said, it is a tongue-twister.

8 February 2009 20:07

ellasevia
Number of messages: 145
Thanks. Is it possible for my request to be deleted? I couldn't find the "delete request" button.

8 February 2009 20:08

ellasevia
Number of messages: 145
Here is a question about the translation from my grandfather, a linguist:

Why did you choose to translate i as 'on' rather than 'in'?
Does this have to do with the semantics of eiga, or with the greater plausibility of the sheep being 'on' (i.e. at) the river than 'in' the river?
Of course meaning often has to be suspended in order to obtain a striking tongue twister. Another example of that is the Czech tongue-twister 'strč prst skrz krk', which means 'stick (the) finger through (the) neck' not possible or likely, but it makes a pretty phrase!

8 February 2009 20:32

lilian canale
Number of messages: 14972
Hi Bamsa,

Why didn't you submit this line as a translation?
You can copy that explanation you posted above, under the translation (message field), OK?

CC: Bamsa

9 February 2009 01:11

Bamsa
Number of messages: 1524
You are right ellasevia, it is better to say "in the water"