Re: translation exercises:1

[Don Wiggins <dwiggins@BFSEC.BT.CO.UK>]

> Supposedly yes, but would everybody who knows what an amethyst is understand
> the word "ametist"? I.e. is that or something similar the common name for
> the stone in all languages?

If the word has to be recognisable in *all* languages, I don't think there are
going to be many fu'ivla :-)

> > > e.  Turn the screw to the left.
> > .i ko cu cargau le klupe ku fo *le ma'u farna ku
> > {How does one say in the positive direction?}
>
> I think {ma'u} and {ni'u} should be assigned rafsi. I remember this
> being needed before, but I'm not sure about what, maybe positive and
> negative electric charge.

Is "turn the screw to the left" an Americanism?  People over here would not
say this, only "turn the screw anti-clockwise".  They might guess what you
meant, but would probably ask which way is that.  If one thinks about it, it
is an idiomatic construction because rotation about a symmetrical axis does not
have anything explicitly 'left' to it.

How does one say:

Turn the screw anti-clockwise.

co'o mi'e dn.