Riddles

[Lambuzhao]

I wondered where to put this (Conlangs, Natlangs, Anthro/Culture). Well, I decided to 'stablish this thread herein, for the purpose of expanding conlang vocab and structures through riddles. I believe Koans and even Joke Riddles (What have I got in my pocketeses?) may qualify here, for now.

Rules are simple:

Translate a riddle into your conlang & post.

Next person solves it in their own conlang (if your has no word for 'typewriter', and that's the answer, could you find another answer according to your culture? Tough, I kno, but we love a good challenge, especially a riddle within a riddle!). Bonus points if a thrush tells you the answer in the previous poster's conlang, and you can post that (ha ha ha - riddle in a haystack!). But no harm no foul/hakuna matata if you cannot.

Next, the answering poster posts his/her own riddle-translation. And so it goes.

What if someone cannot solve the riddle? Well then, heck, that's a right good'un! Hmmm... mebbe post that this is a riddle/koan/joke riddle/etc. as a first clue, if needed.



Even though this is in Translations, and technically open to natlangs as well (I suppose), I would give my left druther that this to be for exercising & expanding one's conlangs in yet another direction. I strongly suggest that we endeavor to keep this a translation only thread.


Can you post your own riddles you made up yourself? Why sure!

Okay, I'm first. With a bit of a classic (starting easy, of course):


Yaza ziθiθwom nra overqleqšišom nra kešrubumom boa šišθiθu yek,
CNJ axis-ABL NEG=CNJ top-ABL NEG=CNJ key-ABL PRP box-NOM be-PRS.3SG
Without a hinge, or lid or key this box lies

Sa ʔalvænu ʔefstunesθis xrælino ʕai šelrek.
CNJ middle-LOC treasure-NOM.SG gold<ADJZ> CNJ hide<STAT>3SG
Yet in its midst treasure golden it hides.

Wod yek? / Wod ʕiy?
What is it? What am I?

[clawgrip]

正解の入り來ずいや。まとんな、ルールも今一善う分からずな。例なんないんど、謎が「首を、毎朝無くしい、毎晩取り戻すのは何ないしょうんか。」ね答へが「枕」なとせんば、どう答へんば良し？人工言語して「枕」を書き新の謎を出せんば良し？
Seikai no iri kozu i ya. Maton na, rūru mo imaichi yō wakarazu na. Rei nan naindo, nazo ga "Kubyọ̄, maiasa nakushii, maiban torimodosu no fa nan naishō nka?" ne kotafe ga "makura" na to senba dō kotafenba yoshi? Jinkō-gengo shite "makura" ọ kaki, arata no nazọ̄ idasenba yoshi?
correct.answer NOM enter-ADV come.IRR-NEG N EMPH | honest HORT rule also not.quite well understand-IRR-NEG HORT | example COP-N COP.REAL-but riddle NOM neck/head.ACC every-morning lose-ADV-ADV every-night regain N TOP what COP.POL-TENT Q COP.ADV answer NOM pillow COP COMPL do.REAL-COND how answer-REAL-COND good | constructed-language INST pillow ACC write-ADV, new ATTR riddle put.out-REAL-COND good
I can't figure out the answer. To be honest, I don't really understand the rules very well. As an example, if the riddle is "What loses its head every morning and regains it every night?" and the answer is "a pillow", what should I do? Should I write "pillow" (in my conlang) and write another riddle in my conlang?

[Lambuzhao]

Yes. Precisely.

And if you can answer "pillow" in the previous poster's conlang, bonus points for you.

Spoiler:

Well, you know how I am with other conlangs

---

BTW Clever riddle.

[Jackk]

Yaza ziθiθwom nra overqleqšišom nra kešrubumom boa šišθiθu yek,
CNJ axis-ABL NEG=CNJ top-ABL NEG=CNJ key-ABL PRP box-NOM be-PRS.3SG
Without a hinge, or lid or key this box lies

Sa ʔalvænu ʔefstunesθis xrælino ʕai šelrek.
CNJ middle-LOC treasure-NOM.SG gold<ADJZ> CNJ hide<STAT>3SG
Yet in its midst treasure golden it hides.

Wod yek? / Wod ʕiy?
What is it? What am I?

Perhaps I would answer in this conlang if I knew what it was called.

Me respous :
1s.GEN answer
My answer:

Spoiler:

Un ouf.
INDEF egg
An egg.

This seems like an awesome idea.

Que st'i c'entr en votr neir, e c'en sortisc roif ?
what be.3s.PRS=3s that=enter-3s.PRS in water black and that=from.there leave-3s.PRS red
What goes into water black and comes out red?

[Lambuzhao]

@ Jackk-

Çedara

lu ferrũ?
DEF.N.NOM.SG iron-NOM.SG

iron?
Since it oxidizes in water (esp. salt-water)


Sue diffiçje.
It's toughie.

[clawgrip]

茹でられたっ龍蛯？
Yuderaretat ryūyebi?
boil-PASS-PERF-ATTR lobster
A boiled lobster?

汚い林檎？
Kitanai ringo?
dirty-ATTR apple
A dirty apple?

[Znex]

Chelon beir ver baptisma?
/kɛlɔn wi<i>r wɛr bɛtesmɛ/
[kɛ'lɔ̃ beir vɛr vɛ'dezmɛ]
heart man<GEN> during baptism[NONDECL]
A person's heart during baptism?

[clawgrip]

ハゥットホイールズのカラーシフター！
Họtto Hoīruzu no Kara Shifuta na!
Hot Wheels GEN Color Shifters COP
It's Hot Wheels Color Shifters!

Spoiler:

[Jackk]

茹でられたっ龍蛯？
Yuderaretat ryūyebi?
boil-PASS-PERF-ATTR lobster
A boiled lobster?

DING DING DING DING DING!!
You got it!!!

This is the answer I knew about; probably other things would fit as well.

[clawgrip]

Maybe this is easy? It's not a new one. But we will see.

Yabushionese
作るっ人は使へず、
買ふっ人は要らず、
使ふっ人は知らず。
これ、何ないしょう。

Tsukurup-pito fa tsukafezu,
Kafup-pito fa irazu,
Tsukafup-pito fa shirazu.
Kore, nan naishō.

make-ATTR=person TOP use-POT-NEG
buy-ATTR=person TOP need-NEG
use-ATTR=person TOP know-NEG
PROX.N what COP-POL-TENT

Himmaswa




Keuu steak itui keun teuk borm huoo.
Keuu stak itui keun plar sdaa huoo.
Keuu teuk itui keun peakteap huoo. Tui aajung logayt?

person make 3.OBJ TOP use can NEG
person buy 3.OBJ TOP accept NEC NEG
person use 3.OBJ TOP recognize NEG | 3 COP what.Q

The person who makes it cannot use it,
The person who buys it does not need it,
The person who uses it does not realize it.
What is it?

[Lao Kou]

Yabushionese
作るっ人は使へず、
買ふっ人は要らず、
使ふっ人は知らず。
これ、何ないしょう。

Himmaswa




The person who makes it cannot use it,
The person who buys it does not need it,
The person who uses it does not realize it.
What is it?

Tsa, sü umpethtalöks sín.
well, INDEF know.PRES.PASS.PTPL.one-NOM 1SG-INSTR
Hey, one I know.

[Lambuzhao]

Saur la chens hönöi?
3SG AUX.PRES INTERR.INAN.NOM be-Q
What is it?

[Lao Kou]

Sa nggens.
A coffin.

Spoiler:

Saur la chens hönöi?
What is it?

"Saur" has no antecedent, which would get you a . You could run with "sük" to refer to "umpethtalöks":

Sük la chens hönöi?

or the originally omnial "seth", which would be the default throwing-up-of-hands option if the antecedent isn't clear (like maybe referring to the entire phrase, "Tsa, sü umpethtalöks sín.":

Seth la chens hönöi?

[Lambuzhao]

You could run with "sük" to refer to "umpethtalöks":...etc.

You know I'm still running with the wolves

[clawgrip]

Lao Kou、次の謎を、願ひ奉り侍る。
Lao Kou, tsugi no nazọ̄, negafitatematsurifaberu.
Lao Kou, next ATTR riddle.ACC wish-proffer-HON
Lao Kou, the next riddle, if you please.

[Lao Kou]

You know I'm still running with the wolves.

Géarthnu~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ns!

[Lao Kou]

Lao Kou、次の謎を、願ひ奉り侍る。
Lao Kou, the next riddle, if you please.

Tsa, sí lé hereçkeveçö rösakh.
well, 1SG-NOM AUX.PAST thus fear
See, I was afraid of this.

Fí lé vü basédsüt vau zdítnaifemsaun mvaçtö hebez.
1SG-NOM.NEG AUX.PAST DEF.NEG riddle-ACC.NEG DEF.NEG original.intent-INSTR that's.why-ADV solve-CONCL
That's why I didn't answer the riddle at first.

Fí la vük basédsül thwísaungedh nöi, gaiçö sí lé, gü thpau lé sü síreksüt höihumpeth sho, évagaktezh...
1SG-NOM.NEG AUX.PRES DEF.PL.NEG riddle-DAT.PL.NEG good.at-NOM.NEG be, so 1SG-NOM AUX.PAST, CONJ 1SG-NOM AUX.PAST INDEF one.one-ACC know-DISC PTCL, be.surprised
I'm not good at riddles, so I was surprised that I knew one...

Kfazh la spuna'u hühösef. Sí lí sü síreksüt zhdazh.
2PL-NOM AUX.PRES little-ADV wait-IMP | 1SG-NOM AUX.FUT INDEF one.one-ACC look.for
Please wait a bit. I'll look for one.

[clawgrip]

はい、分かった。待ちめや。
Fai, wakatta. Machime ya.
yes, understand-PERF | wait-IMPERF EMPH
Okay, I understand. I will wait.

Also thanks for giving me reason to create the word negafitatematsurifaberu.

[Lao Kou]

negafitatematsurifaberu-

-expialidocious!

Géhon.
pray-HORT
You're welcome.

Çü, sí lé sü síreksüt zvaun. Tetel gí:
okay, 1SG-NOM AUX.PAST INDEF one.one-ACC find | look-HORT AUX.FUT.EMPH
Well okay, I found one. Here goes:

Sí la chö öbelöbsöb mnépö ba pímath mprekh, arkfö fí la vü tübeksüv bzéngöi palenguf. Sí la chens hönöi?
1SG-NOM AUX.PRES DEF world-POST around PTCL travel be.possible, but 1SG-NOM.NEG AUX.PRES DEF.NEG corner-LOC.NEG never leave | 1SG-NOM AUX.PRES what-NOM be-INTERR
I can travel around the world, but I never leave my corner. What am I?

[Jackk]

O, j'aif oçun oðit!
Oh, I've heard this one!

Spoiler:

Un letsign!
A stamp!