Dear Nina and YP,

I am sorry to say that I don't think we are making much progress in this
venture. It is not possible to translate (i.e., understand) this kind of
text unless one (gradually) gets used to the peculiar idiom found in Indian
grammatical and exegetical works. Saddaniti is just too difficult for anyone
who is not familiar with this idiom. Even the Baalaavataara, which is meant
for the 'baala' (children, i.e., beginners) is not all that easy to
translate. I think however, things might have been less intricate had we
first gone through that text and become familiar with the idiom. Or, doing
a systematic study of any commentary could have helped, since the exegetical
vocabulary is somewhat akin to the grammatical. The vocabulary and style of
Pali grammatical texts are heavily influenced by the corresponding texts
written for Sanskrit grammar.

Contributing to the present discussion of the Saddaniiti is, at least for
me, a tiring and unproductive effort. Please forgive me for saying this. I
would be glad if the experience of others who are more patient than me is
different.
(In connection with another project, I have started translating the
Baalaavataara; but I do not want to impose myself here and offer to post my
translation to this group. Moreover, studying two of this kind of texts is
just unthinkable .)
Mahinda

On Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 6:53 PM, Nina van Gorkom <vangorko@...> wrote:

>
>
> Dear Yong Peng,
> thank you very much. I cannot add much to this difficult text.
> Op 17-aug-2009, om 14:37 heeft Ong Yong Peng het volgende geschreven:
>
> > Pa.ticca kaara.na.m ta.m ta.m,
> Due to various causes...
> Can we not just keep cause for kaara.na instead of function?
> -------
> Y.P.: Iccaanekavidhesu paccayesu "vikara.napaccayaa naama ime"ti
> sallakkhetabbaa.
> Among the various forms (of) verbal suffixes,
> ------
> N: Iccaaneka: iti aaneka: here among the various forms...
> ------
> Nina.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]