Cross-linguistic Morpheme Analysis

[chester_100]

Extent

Sometimes it’s difficult to determine how faithful the equivalents should be in the target language(s). There are many different ways of expressing the same message in another language. However, our strategy in dealing with literary works should be writer-oriented.

According to Catford’s categorization, in such cases a Rank-based method should be employed. Therefore, it can be called: grammatically adapted word-for-word equals.


Ø To be ornot to be, that is the question
Ø Seyn oder nicht seyn, Das ist die Frage
Ø Être ou n'être pas, voilà la question
Ø Boodan ya naboodan,mas’le een ast.


\ Structurally, the French piece is the most different one. While Voilà is a preposition, its equivalents are verbs.
\ Plus, the formation of negatives is more unusual in the language compared to the other systems.
\ Oder, as a conjunction, seems to be a two-syllable word, which is phonologically longer than its equals.
\ The Persian negative structure can be achieved by simply attaching na to the beginning of a verb. Unlike the French example, it should not be viewed as a process of assimilation.
\ Unlike the other systems, English requires an extra element for the formation of infinitives: to + base form

[Frank Antonson]

The French might not be as smooth, but I believe that one could say, "Être ou n'être pas, c'est la question." In which case the French would be more similar to the English.

[chester_100]

The French might not be as smooth, but I believe that one could say, 'Être ou n'être pas, c'est la question' In which case the French would be more similar to the English.

Yes, I would suggest that too.
I believe the German one is identical to the English one. At least, there's no pas in the German negative structures.

[chester_100]

One of the challenges to the study of morphemes across a language is the structure of the borrowed words. It is virtually impossible for a translated morpheme to be meaningful in the target language:

-Pashmina: this is a Persian word that seems to have entered English in the 19th century. As it's crystal-clear, we can't meaningfully separate its morphemes in English. Pashm + ine: wool + made of.

Therefore, Borrowing can be defined as the process of orthographical and phonological adaptation of a foreign word to the requirements of the second language, regardless of the morphological disharmony that the word brings about in the second language.

Is it really possible for a linguist to accept the phenomenon as normal?

[chester_100]

Diagramming words!!!Yes, we're going to have so much fun.

[Frank Antonson]

That looks pretty cool.

What about that famous word "antidisestablishmentarianism"? That's diagrammable isn't it? A collection of prefixes and suffixes.

[chester_100]

That looks pretty cool.

What about that famous word "antidisestablishmentarianism"? That's diagrammable isn't it? A collection of prefixes and suffixes.

Thank you. That's such an easy case, but that's just too long to be diagramed. I devised another way to represent it. It can be equally acceptable. We'll work on more challenging words later.
At the core of the word is the morpheme to which all the other morphemes are attached.

[Trance Freak]

Umm, the French version " Être ou n'être pas, voilà la question" is grammatically wrong.
The correct setence is simply:
Être ou ne pas être, c'est la question.
or
Être ou ne pas être, telle est la question.

Best regards. ^^

[Frank Antonson]

Thanks, Trance Freak. I should have known better.

But more important ... SO NICE TO HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN!

[chester_100]

Umm, the French version ' Être ou n'être pas, voilà la question' is grammatically wrong.
The correct setence is simply:
Être ou ne pas être, c'est la question.
or
Être ou ne pas être, telle est la question.

Best regards. ^^

Thank you.
Well, as it seems, this translated version was made available by the Bibliothèque nationale de France. It must have been proofread very carefully.
As I have mentioned, voilà may look strange to non-French speakers, because we don't normally expect a preposition to function that way. But it's perfectly acceptable. It's not wrong.
Maybe voici la question can work here.


-Telle est la question: tel reminds of such. If we accept that tel(le) can function as an indifinite pronoun, then the sentence may be: such is the question.

Good day.