I don’t know how many of you know facebook but in reply to the “I would like to say “hello” in 50 languages” group I have created a “I would like to say ‘you have a nice arse’ in 50 languages” group.
I am particularly keen to get ancient languages in. We have Latin and Greek forms, but my reconstruction of the PIE form is still pretty provisional. At the moment it stands at:
*H1esti (H5)orsos tei/toi/tebhi ???
Where ??? shows my lack of a good PIE root for “nice” vel sim.
It’s unfortunate that the PIE “arse” root has to be a contraversial larygneal case… if anyone feels strongly about having H5 (vel sim.) or not here let me know.
Also if anyone could have a go at the Hittite version that’d be useful.
In fact, if you have any other languages to add, the full list currently stands at:
(1) LATIN - Sunt tibi nates pulchrae
(2) ANCIENT GREEK - Esti soi orros kalos
(3) GERMAN - Du hast einen tollen Arsch (Bavarian: du hast einen knackigen hintern)
(4) PROTOINDOEUROPEAN - *H1esti (H5)orsos tei/toi/tebhi ???
(5) SPANISH - Tienes buen culo
(6) ITALIAN - Hai un bel culo
(7) GREEK - Echis orea kolara
(8) SWEDISH - Du har en snygg häck
(9) NORWEGIAN - Du har en frisk esel
(10) DANISH - Du har en bahaglig äsel
(11) FRENCH - Vous avez un derriere extraordinaire
(12) RUSSIAN - oo vass horoshaya zadnitza
(13) POLISH - Masz fajnÄ… dupÄ™
(14) JAPANESE - Ii ketsu desu nee
(15) GALICIAN - Tes un bo cu
(16) PORTUGESE - Tens um bom cu
Brazilian tem uma bunda boa
(17) CATALAN - Tens un bon cul
(18) LUGANDA - Olina akabina akamalako
(19) MANDARIN - Ni3 de pi4 gu3 hen2 hao3 kan4
(20) WELSH - Ma’ tin neis gyda ti
(21) ENGLISH - You have a nice arse
-American: that’s a fine fanny you got there (archaic)
-Cockney: Ya 'ave a sugar Khyber (being a contraction of Ya 'ave a sugar and spice Khyber pass) OR You ‘ave a apples an’ rice sproose caboose, which when contracted would give You 'ave an apples caboose)
(22) OLD ENGLISH - thu haefst godne ears
(23) TAIWANESE - Li Eh Ka Tsung Jin Suie Ioh
(24) DUTCH - Jij hebt echt een lekker kontje
(25) HINDI - Tumhari gand mast hain
(26) BULGARIAN - Imash hubavo dupe
I wouldn’t be very happy if anyone said #7 to me! At least make KOLARA into KOLOS it would be a bit less insulting. The slang PATOYRA (fem) is slightly better than KOLOS by the way (not that there’s any way you can say that in any relation but the most familiar without sounding insulting).
Hi-In addition to Irene’s comment, shouldn’t the Classical Greek version be in the feminine form (ending in -a or -h, instead of -os)? I’m assuming that you will be addressing women. If you want to use that expression to guys, assuming you’re a guy too, you ought to be ready for the reaction. Good luck! Paige.
All ὄ??οι are masculine, whether they belong to males or females, just as all χεῖ?ες are feminine whether they belong to males or females. And σοί is a gender-neutral pronoun the last time I checked.
EDIT : Oh yes, in Esperanto you would say “Vi belan pugon havas.”
The Greek discussion is missing that fundamental feature of Ancient Greek, at least, the compounds. We have a perfectly good word already, which can even be found in large English dictionaries: callipygian.
Not sure if you’d want the you-polite as opposed to the you-familiar in this case…as certainly the statement is far from polite. You may want to rewrite (and add emphasis to the HAVE) by:
You may want to rewrite (and add emphasis to the HAVE) by: