Talk:Máotatšàlì/Lexicon

Corumayas: I suspect 'narwhal' = 'horn'+'fish', and 'tyrant' = 'winter'+'rudder'. WDYT? --Basilius 00:49, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

You're absolutely right about the first (I was looking for a word starting with /m/)! The second is possible too, but compounds using only the first syllable of the second element seem to be pretty common, and I think the reading 'winter-man' is more likely. Corumayas 01:47, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

I liked the semantics, with 'rudder' :) As for using first syllable only - I thought of that, too, e. g. looking at the two 'foxes', and didn't believe my eyes... but if it's your impression too - this seems to be another undocumented pattern inherited from PI, doesn't it? --Basilius 22:19, 1 March 2009 (UTC)