Value and Worth

Kaltxì, ma frapo,

Last time we looked at expressions for barter and exchange using the adposition yoa. This time we move to a related semantic domain and consider how to talk about value and worth. Like the last post, this one introduces a single important root, ley.

ley (vin.) ‘be of value, have some positive value, be worth something’

To say Fì’u ley is to say that the thing in question has some amount of positive value; this could be by virtue of its usefulness, beauty, history, association, etc. Fì’u ke ley means that the thing has no value—i.e., is worthless.

To specify the extent of the value, you need to add qualifiers like nìtxan, ke . . . kaw’it, and so on.

Here are some examples, most of which were contributed by the LEP:

Fì’u ley nìtxan nang!
This is super valuable!’

Tsaw ke ley kaw’it pak!
That’s not worth a thing!’ OR: ‘That’s just worthless junk!’

Tsasrä anawnekx ley nì’it nì’aw.
That burnt cloth is of little value.’

Fìfnerìn ke ley krra slu paynga’.
This kind of wood is worthless when it gets damp.

Flä ke flä, ley säfmi.
‘Whether you succeed or not, the attempt has value.’ (proverb)

säfmi (n., sä.FMI) ‘attempt’

Note that in the following example, the comparison does not require nì’ul, just as we say Po oeto lu tsawl ‘He’s taller than I am’ rather than *Po oeto lu tsawl nì’ul.

Oeri tsaw ke ley fì’uto.
I don’t value that over this.’

To inquire about something’s value, use pìmtxan or hìmtxampe ‘how much, to what extent’ along with ley:

Fìnikroi ley pìmtxan?
How valuable is this hair ornament?’

To say that A is as valuable as B, use ley with nìftxan/nì’eng and na:

Masat oeyä ley nìftxan na pum ngeyä.
‘My breastplate is as valuable as (OR: worth as much as) yours.’

Use this same structure to express monetary value ’Rrtamì:

Oeyä eltu lefngap ley nì’eng na ewro azafu.
‘My computer is worth 70 euros.’

In casual or informal contexts, nìftxan/nì’eng may be omitted:

Oeyä eltu lefngap ley na ewro azafu.
‘My computer is worth 70 euros.’

Sìlpey oe, fìpostì lilvey ayngaru nìwotx!

Hayalovay.

Edit 01 April: nì’eyng –> nì’eng (3X) Irayo, ma Plumps!

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23 Responses to Value and Worth

  1. Tìtstewan says:

    Txantsana fmawn, ma Karyu ulte irayo nìtxan!

    Oel tsive’a kxeyeytsyìpit:
    azafu to azamfu
    Oeyä eltu lefngap ley na ewro azamfu.
    kefyak? 😉

    • Pawl says:

      Irayo ngar, ma Tìtstewan.

      Nìfkeytongay* lu tsalì’u alu azafu eyawr. 🙂

      100 (64) = zam
      101 = zamaw (za.MAW)
      102 = zamun (za.MUN)
      103 = zapey (za.PEY)
      104 = zasìng (za.SÌNG)
      105 = zamrr (za.MRR)
      106 = zafu (za.FU)
      107 = zahin (za.HIN)
      110 = zavol (ZA.vol)
      111 = zavolaw (za.vo.LAW) . . .

      *Teri fìlì’u a tìoeyktìng zaya’u mì fostì ahay. Slä set . . . srake tsun nga ralur ’en sivi? Ulte ftu peseng zola’u? 🙂

  2. Kamean says:

    Irayo ma Karyu! 🙂
    “Flä ke flä, ley säfmi.”
    Sunu oer fìlì’fyavi nìtxan.

  3. Markì says:

    Dictionary updated. New version is 13.06!

  4. SGM (Plumps) says:

    Fìpostì loleiey nìngay. 🙂 Lì’u lesar lu. Tsari irayo nìtxan.

    Tsaw awngar srung sayi fte pivlltxe teri ayu nì’ul a ’Rrtamì ulte spaw oel futa pxaya tute new tsakem sivi.

    Kxawm oeri re’o lu teya nìhawng pxiset slä ke tsun ’en sivi ralru lì’uä alu nìfkeytongay. Tsatìoeyktìngìri srefereiey nìprrte’. 😀

  5. I’m wondering about säfmi versus the previously canonized tìfmi:

    Fìtseori ke tsun kawtu pivähem tìyo’ne; tsranten tìpähemä tìfmi nì’aw.
    In this art it’s impossible to arrive at perfection; the only thing that matters is the attempt to arrive there.

    Flä ke flä, ley säfmi.
    Whether you succeed or not, the attempt has value.

    In these two examples, “attempt” seems to be used in much the same way. Rutxe law sivi.

    • Tìtstewan says:

      I think, it’s the same like tìtaron vs. sätaron vs. tìtusaron.
      One is the ‘abstract sense’ the other one is ‘instrumental sense’ and the last one is the ‘action sense’.
      (please correct me, if I’m wrong. 🙂 )

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