I dedicate this post to my friends Huxley and Lykosaura, whose wedding is on the day of publication.
This is the fourth Proverb that I have translated into Dyirbal.
I admit that I have taken a few more liberties than normal.
Proverb 31:2
KJV: What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?
Dyirbal Wiyaŋay ŋaygu daman? Wiyamay giyi yumal? Wiyamal ŋangul rrugundu?
I have had to diverge quite a bit from the Hebrew/English, as the Dyirbal presented a few challenges, but I feel I have still captured the essence thereof.
To begin, the Dyirbal contains three different words for what?
wiyamay is an Intransitive Stem Verb meaning what are (you) doing?
wiyamal is a Transitive Stem Verb which means what are (you) doing?
We will come to wiyaŋay later.
ŋaygu means my, and daman means child of a woman.
giyi means man who is here and visible, and yumal means body.
ŋangul means man who is not visible, and rrugunda means initiated youth.
giyi yumal is in the Absolutive Case, whilst ŋangul rrugunda sits in the Ergative Case.
I have explained this in words before. Instead, I shall leave you with this diagram, wherein the arrows indicate the direction wherein agency is exerted.
wiyamay has only one arrow because it is Intransitive.
wiyamal has two arrows because it is Transitive.
In addition, the Absolutive form of rrugunda is rrugun, which is very similar to rulgu, which means heart.
Some of you may notice that with the arrows go from right to left – the direction in which Hebrew was and still is written.
So what does wiyaŋay mean?
It is a verb of intentionally ambiguous transitivity – neither Transitive nor Intransitive. (I created it myself.)
First, I remove the final syllable from wiyamal/y.
Then I attach the Suffix –ŋay.
But what does –ŋay do?
Essentially, it switches the function of the Absolutive and Ergative Nouns, turning the former Transitive and the latter Intransitive.
It also indicates that the patient is somehow implicit in the action committed on them.
Personally, I like to call it the “Victim-blaming suffix”, (though it can apply equally to animals or inanimate objects).
This verse comprises a trinity of questions.