The only specific example I can recall of this inbuilt metaphor thing was in
everyday usage. The word 'mata' means 'eye'. According to the rule for
forming plurals by reduplication, 'mata-mata' means not only 'eyes', but
also 'policeman'.
(In case anyone's wondering, Roger and I each spent time in Malaysia, but
long before we knew each other.)
best joanna
----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Collett" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, February 11, 2005 11:57 PM
Subject: Re: Translation and the ghazal
> Like you Joanna, I only spoke a smattering of bazaar Malay, but yes, I
> think
> you are correct about the inbuilt metaphor. I have a vague memory of
> reading
> a Malay Grammar some time ago and the translations of the prose examples
> were definitely not straightforward. If one did a direct translation with
> a
> dictionary it would come out as flowery elegant allusion to the subject in
> hand. People translating from English to Malay must have seemed barbaric
> to
> the educated Malays.
>
> Roger
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joanna Boulter" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, February 11, 2005 11:45 PM
> Subject: Re: Translation and the ghazal
>
>
>>I believe that the Malay pantun has rules about references to nature and
>> love etc, not unlike the seasonal reference expected in a haiku. As to
>> rhyme
>> in the Malay language, I don't know literary Malay, though I used long
>> ago
>> to be able to get about a bit in bazaar Malay. I don't remember noticing
>> rhyme, though it's a language which forms its plurals by reduplication;
>> but
>> I do remember a wealth of sort of 'inbuilt' metaphor. Roger, can you add
>> anything here?
>>
>> best joanna
>>
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