Aha, should have left it to you! Yes, I'd forgotten 'ayer batu'.
joanna
----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Collett" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2005 12:18 AM
Subject: Re: Translation and the ghazal
> Just a small note about plurals and repeated words in Malay. Be careful
> how
> things are rendered if you happen to be reading any Malay.
>
> e.g. 'mata' is the word for 'eye', but 'mata-mata' is the word for
> 'police'
> (metaphor?).
>
> There are also constructs like 'mata hari' (eye of the day) or the Sun.
>
> The one I love is 'ayer' (water) 'batu' (stone) hence 'ayer batu' (ice) in
> modern Malay.
>
> etc. etc.
>
> Roger
>
|