Date: Sat, 6 Jul 1996 00:26:02 -0400

From: Ron Butters RonButters[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM

Subject: language question



Can anyone tell me what language the following is written in? I will be

particularly grateful for a translation!



so ta mon otra ta un otra teyamon

u to traya satiya to ta ya to

i mato ya sataun otra teyamon

u to traya, satiya tom, satiya tom, satom, satom

sadom, sadom,

una tote sadom

una pake sadom.



so ta mon otra ta un otra teya

u to traya satiya to ta ya to

i mato ya sataun otra teya

u to traya, satiya tom, satiya tom, satom, satom

sadom, sadom,

una tote sadom

una pake sadom.



This is my transcription from a tape (a song called" Emmeleia" by a group

called Dead Can Dance); the words are sung/chanted. I can't tell if there is

a phonemic distinction between [-ato-] and [-ado-], i.e, if [satom] and

[sadom] are the same "word" or different. In either case, the stop seems to

be unaspirated between the two vowels. Also, I can't tell for sure whether

all of the final nasals are exactly as represented here; there may be a kind

of [m]/[n] free variation in final position.



The [r] of "otra" seems to be slightly trilled, making "otra" sound like

Spanish. Always, [o] before nasals is lowered.



I'm struck by the fact that there are no [l]'s in the song.



The second stanza (which is repeated once) is identical to the first stanza

except for the loss of the sequence [-mon] at the end of the first and third

lines.



A student who thinks I am smarter than I am gave me this problem. Will

someone help me continue to fool him into thinking that I know more than I

do?