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So, this week, as I worked on my translation projects, I paid even closer attention to onomatopoeic words and whether they'd make sense in English as they were or whether I'd need to find the English equivalents. I would have loved to stay with most of the Gujarati versions, to be honest, because, to me, they sound cool alongside the English. A Gujlish dialect. But, sadly, I wasn't able to keep them. Here's a sampling:
-- રેબઝેબ -- Rebjheb -- meaning profusely (used to describe how one might perspire)
-- ઊથલપાથલ -- Uthalpaathal -- meaning topsy-turvy
-- ફફડવું -- phaphadvu -- meaning to make a flapping sound or tremble (e.g. when lips tremble)
-- ઝળઝળિયું -- jhaljhaliyu -- meaning tears welling up in the eyes or eyes glistening with tears
I mean, any editor will balk at this (made-up example): "She was rebjheb with perspiration as she watched her entire world turn uthalpaathal. Her lips went phaphadphaphad and her eyes became jhaljhaliya."
Beyond the foreign words, it doesn't sound "literary" enough. Although, of course, we mean dominant western literary traditions there too. So I must write it as: "She was perspiring profusely as she watched her entire world turn topsy-turvy. Her lips trembled and her eyes glistened with tears." Not as interesting as the Gujlish above, no?
And yet, think about how much English has borrowed from Latin and other European languages. Even from South Asian ones like Hindi and Urdu. And haven't they all made the language that much richer? Also, if William Carlos Williams can use "soft coal, soft coal" to signify the chuffing of a coal fired steam train (watch the above video) . . .
Ah well. Just a bit of Friday fun and food for thought.
Here are some interesting links:
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