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2018 · open round · A · 10 points

At Ease in Gilbertese

Michael Salter · syntax · morphology · rosetta-stone translation

The Gilbertese language is spoken by most of the over 100,000 people who live in the Pacific island nation of Kiribati. Here are some sentences in Gilbertese with their English translations:

GilberteseEnglish
ko nakonako ŋkoeYou are walking.
e nakonako te aiineA woman is walking.
i takaakaro ŋaiI am playing.
e nakonako nakon te titooa MeeriMary is walking to the store.
a tekateka irarikin taian auti taian aiineThe women are sitting next to the houses.
a tebotebo taian nakekei n te bong aeiThe people are bathing today.
i tebotebo inanon te auti ŋaiI am bathing in the house.
a takaakaro inanon te titooa taian ataeiThe children are playing in the store.
ko tekateka ŋkoe ningaabongYou will sit tomorrow.
a takaakaro irarikin te kawai taian ataei n te bong aeiThe children are playing next to the road today.

Answer the following questions in the Answer Sheets:

A1. Below are some Gilbertese sentences with their words in scrambled order:

  1. bong n Meeri auti e nakon te te nakonako aei
  2. inanon ŋai kawai i te tekateka
  3. ataei a nakon taian ningaabong kawai nakonako te

For each of these three sentences:

  1. Rearrange the words in the sentence into the correct Gilbertese word order.
  2. Translate the rearranged sentence into English.

A2. Translate into Gilbertese:

  1. The women will play tomorrow.
  2. You are sitting next to the store today.
TimerOptional. Set whatever limit suits you.

Questions

0 of 8 correct

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A1

Below are some Gilbertese sentences with their words in scrambled order. For each one, (i) rearrange the words into the correct Gilbertese word order, and (ii) translate the rearranged sentence into English.

a. bong n Meeri auti e nakon te te nakonako aei

(i) Rearrange into correct Gilbertese word order.

a. (ii) Translate your rearranged sentence into English.

b. inanon ŋai kawai i te tekateka

(i) Rearrange into correct Gilbertese word order.

b. (ii) Translate your rearranged sentence into English.

c. ataei a nakon taian ningaabong kawai nakonako te

(i) Rearrange into correct Gilbertese word order.

c. (ii) Translate your rearranged sentence into English.

A2

Translate into Gilbertese.

a. The women will play tomorrow.

b. You are sitting next to the store today.

Explanation

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