Friday, August 10, 2012

Kleider machen Leute: III

Now for the third sentence:
Denn er hatte wegen des Falliments irgendeines Seldwyler Schneidermeisters seinen Arbeitslohn mit der Arbeit zugleich verlieren und auswandern müssen.
Unpacking this sentence which is a main clause giving the background for the previous sentences:

Subject: er = ia
Reason: Falliment irgendeines Seldwyler Schneidermeisters

Verb 1: verloren = ngaro
Object 1a: seinen Arbeitslohn = tana utu
Object 1b: die Arbeit

Verb 2: auswandern müssen

So, this is actually a case of two sentences merged. I'll start with unpacking the reason clause: 'the bankruptcy of some master tailor of Seldwyla.'

bankruptcy = te pēkerapu
some tailor = tētahi kaitui
master tailor = tohunga kaitui ?

So, perhaps the phrase:
te pēkerapu o tētahi tohunga kaitui o Seldwyla
The first sentence is in the pluperfect, so kua is the verbal particle I'll use. It becomes (using hoki 'denn' after the verb to connect to the previous sentence):
Kua ngaro hoki ia i tana utu i te pēkerapu o tētahi tohunga kaitui o Seldwyla
The second sentence has the same tense and subject, but an intransitive verb accompanied by the modal verb 'müssen' [must/have to].

auswandern = heke (or better: haere i Seldwyla 'go from Seldwyla'?)
müssen = me (verbal particle)?

So:
Me haere ia i Seldwyla.
And the lot together:
Kua ngaro hoki ia i tana utu i te pēkerapu o tētahi tohunga kaitui o Seldwyla, ā, me haere ia i Seldwyla.
Any thoughts?

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