A Seat at the Fire
Culture
madapimata — Mon 22 August 2022
Recipe for Brownies

Recipe for Brownies

I made 'apisikuşu lunyaa'a (a.k.a. brownies)!

I had been thinking about translating recipes to check on my numbers, quantities and whatnot. I thought the biggest challenge would be just coming up with vocabulary for food items, but I had no idea how many questions and rabbit holes this simple recipe would bring up. I figured I'd share them here.

As a light intro, the language is a (hopefully plausible) member of the Mesoamerican Language Area. It is VSO, head-initial, and head-marking. The following posts are the foundation for the language. They are for the parent language, but most of the mechanics are still valid:

This post is in 4 section: English, translation, gloss, and notes. Feel free to tl;dr the notes. That's where I go down the rabbit holes (omg units...).

English

Brownies

Ingredients:

Steps:

  1. Heat oven to 180 degrees C.
  2. Grease and flour a 20 cm baking pan.
  3. Melt the butter in a large bowl. Remove from heat.
  4. Mix in the eggs, sugar, and vanilla.
  5. Stir in cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder.
  6. Spread batter in the baking pan.
  7. Bake for 25 minutes.

Translation

'Apisikuşu lunyaa'a

Suutaw

Saḷu

  1. Ntinsuaŋi faa 'u awntu ma 'araransaaşu iinsa (B4) nsaaŋi.
  2. \ Ver. A) Ntisimi rantaw faa 'u yunşiri myu 'amuyaaŋi tiriku ma 'asuuntu assuu'a 'aiinsişu iinsa (14) sintimitiru. \ Ver. B) Ntinsuṭuṭa faa 'u ninsauṭaw 'u ʔasuuntu assuu'a 'aiinsişu iinsa (14) sintimitiru 'i yunşiri myu 'amuyaaŋi tiriku.
  3. Ntinsutunsa faa 'u yunşu ma 'aaa'i ŋkaa'a. Ntinsunsi faa 'unu ŋyaynşi.
  4. Ntinsuxa a faa 'u ruunşu myu 'anyanşu antaw myu ŋkamwanşu.
  5. Ntinsuxa ura faa 'u lunşu myu 'amuyaaŋi tiriku myu kanşu myu 'amuyaaŋi assuu'a.
  6. Ntinsusip̣a faa 'u sinşiu ma 'asuuntu assuu'a.
  7. Ntinsuassu nsaa ma 'aiinsiṣu nsiinsa minutu.

Gloss

A note for numbers in the glosses: the Ic̣aa'yanşi language is base 16. Numbers in the romanization, IPA and gloss are in base 16. The English remains in base 10. [Gloss1]

'Apisikuşu lunyaa'a

ʔa-pisikoʃo lunyaa'a

ATTR-sponge.cake chocolate.sweet.PFV

Sweet-chocolate cake

Suutaw

ˈsuː.taw

ingredient

Ingredients

'A-1/2 'amintu ('a-5A k) yunşu

ʔa-a.ʃa.ˈⁿsiː ʔa-ˈmi.ⁿtu (ʔa-ˈi.ra.ⁿsaː.ʃu ˈraː.ⁿsa ku.ra.mu) ˈju.ⁿʃu

ATTR-half ATTR-cup (ATTR-5A gram) butter

1/2 cup (90g) butter [Ingr1]

'a-2 ruunşu

ʔa-ˈⁿsa.ⁿsa ˈruː.ⁿʃu

ATTR-two egg

2 eggs

'a-1 'ac̣ixantu ŋkamwanşu

ʔa-ˈi.ⁿsa ʔa-ǀi-ˈxa.ⁿtu ˈⁿka.mwa.ⁿʃu

ATTR-one ATTR-DIM-spoon vanilla

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

'a-1 'amintu ('a-C8 k) 'anyanşu antaw

ʔa-ˈi.ⁿsa ʔa-ˈmi.ⁿtu (ʔa-ˈi.li.ʃu ˈⁿsi.lːa.ⁿsiː ku.ra.mu) ʔa-nja.ⁿʃu a.ⁿtaw

ATTR-one ATTR-cup (ATTR-C8 gram) ATTR-honey plant

1 cup (200g) sugar

'a-1/3 'amintu ('a-23 k) lunşu

ʔa-ˈaː.ri.u ʔa-ˈmi.ⁿtu (ʔa-ˈⁿsa.ⁿsa.ʃu ˈi.lju ku.ra.mu) ˈlu.ⁿʃu

ATTR-one.third ATTR-cup (ATTR-23 gram) cocoa.material

1/3 cup (35g) cocoa powder

'aaşansii 'amintu ('a-3C k) 'amuyaaŋi tiriku

ʔa-a.ʃa.ˈⁿsiː ʔa-ˈmi.ⁿtu (ʔa-ˈi.li.ʃu ˈuː.lju ku.ra.mu) ʔa-mu.jaː.ŋi ti.ri.ku

ATTR-one.half ATTR-cup (ATTR-3C gram) ATTR-powder wheat

1/2 cup (60g) flour

'aaşaansa 'ac̣ixantu kanşu

ʔa-a.ˈʃaː.ⁿsa ʔa-ǀi-ˈxa.ⁿtu ˈka.ⁿʃu

ATTR-one.fourth ATTR-teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon salt

'aaşaansa 'ac̣ixantu 'amuyaaŋi assuu'a

ʔa-a.ˈʃaː.ⁿsa ʔa-ǀi-ˈxa.ⁿtu ʔa-mujaaŋi ˈa.sːuː.ʔa

ATTR-one.fourth ATTR-teaspoon ATTR-powder baking

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Saḷu

ˈsa.ǁuː

cooking.method

Steps

  1. Ntinsuaŋi faa 'u awntu ma 'araransaaşu iinsa (B4) nsaaŋi.

ˈⁿti.ⁿsu-ˈa faː ʔu ˈaw.ⁿtu ma ʔa-ˈra.ra.ⁿsaː.ʃu ˈiː.ⁿsa ˈⁿsaː.ŋi

2S.E.3S.A-heat PFV ABS oven LOC ATTR-176 4 degree

You heat the oven to one hundred eighty (180) degrees. [Step1a] [Step1b]

  1. (ver. A) Ntisimi rantaw faa 'u yunşiri myu 'amuyaaŋi tiriku ma 'asuuntu assuu'a 'aiinsişu iinsa (14) sintimitiru.

ˈⁿti.si-ˈmi ˈra.ⁿtaw faː ʔu juⁿʃiri mju ʔa-mujaaŋi tiriku ma ʔa-ˈsuː.ⁿtu ˈa.sːuː.ʔa ʔa-ˈiː.ⁿsi.ʃu ˈiː.ⁿsa si.ⁿti.mi.ti.ru

2S.E.3D.A-put skin(cover) PFV ABS grease and ATTR-powder wheat LOC ATTR-pan baking ATTR-sixteen four centimeters

You put grease and flour on a twenty (20) centimeter baking pan. [Step2a]

  1. (ver. B) Ntinsuṭuṭa faa 'u ninsauṭaw 'u ʔasuuntu assuu'a 'aiinsişu iinsa (14) sintimitiru 'i yunşiri myu 'amuyaaŋi tiriku.

ˈⁿti.ⁿsu-ˈǃu.ǃa faː ʔu ˈni.ⁿsa-ˈu.ǃaw ʔa-ˈsuː.ⁿtu ˈa.sːuː.ʔa ʔa-ˈiː.ⁿsi.ʃu ˈiː.ⁿsa si.ⁿti.mi.ti.ru ʔi juⁿʃiri mju ʔa-mujaaŋi tiriku

2S.E.3S.A-cover PFV ABS POS.3S.II-belly ATTR-pan baking ATTR-sixteen four centimeters INST grease and ATTR-powdered wheat

You cover the inside of a twenty (20) cm baking pan with grease and flour.

OMG units...[Step2b]

  1. (sentence 1) Ntinsutunsa faa 'u yunşu ma 'aaa'i ŋkaa'a.

ˈⁿti.ⁿsu-ˈtu.ⁿsa faː ʔu ˈju.ⁿʃu ma ʔa-ˈaː.ʔi ˈⁿkaː.ʔa

2S.E.3S.A-ice.CESS PFV ABS butter LOC ATTR-vessel big.

You melt the butter in a large bowl.

  1. (sentence 2) Ntinsunsi faa 'unu ŋyaynşi.

ˈⁿti.ⁿsu-ˈⁿsi faː ˈʔu.nu ˈŋjaj.ⁿʃi

2S.E.3S.A-remove PFV ABL fire

You remove it from heat.

  1. Ntinsuxa a faa 'u ruunşu myu 'anyanşu antaw myu ŋkamwanşu.

ˈⁿti.ⁿsuˈxa a faː ʔu ˈruː.ⁿʃu mju ʔa-nja.ⁿʃu a.ⁿtaw myu ˈⁿka.mwa.ⁿʃu

2S.E.3S.A-mix enter PFV ABS egg and ATTR-honey plant and vanilla

You mix in the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. [Step4]

  1. Ntinsuxa ura faa 'u lunşu myu 'amuyaaŋi tiriku myu kanşu myu 'amuyaaŋi assuu'a.

ˈⁿti.ⁿsu-ˈxa uraːʔa faː ʔu ˈlu.ⁿʃu mju ʔa-ˈmu.jaa.ŋi ˈti.ri.ku mju ˈka.ⁿʃu mju ʔa-mujaaŋi ˈa.sːuː.ʔa

2S.E.3S.A-mix circular.motion PFV ABS cocoa.material and ATTR-powder wheat and salt and ATTR-powder baking

You stir in cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder.

  1. Ntinsusip̣a faa 'u sinşiu ma 'asuuntu assuu'a.

ˈⁿti.ⁿsu-ˈsi.ʘa faː ʔu ˈsi.ⁿʃi.u ma ʔa-ˈsuː.ⁿtu ˈa.sːuː.ʔa

2S.E.3S.A-spread PFV ABS batter LOC ATTR-pan baking

You spread batter in the baking pan. [Step6]

  1. Ntinsuassu nsaa ma 'aiinsiṣu nsiinsa minutu.

ˈⁿti.ⁿsuˈa.sːu ⁿsaː ma ʔa-ˈiː.ⁿsi.ʃu ˈⁿsiː.ⁿsa mi.ˈnu.tu

2S.E.3S.A-bake CESS LOC ATTR-sixteen seven minutes

You stop baking at 25 minutes. [Step7a] [Step7b]

Notes

[Gloss1]: Going from base 10 to base 16 is a pain. Add to this possibly converting between native units (based on base 16) seems to make keeping two systems current in a culture difficult. Same base with different units is obviously done in real life (1 in. = 2.54cm). Going from 180 (base 10) degrees to B4 (base 16) degrees was straightforward. I had a hard time going from 20 (base 10) cm to A (base 16) aalyu. Maybe its just a matter of not being used to the new units.

See [Step2b] below for more on native units.

[Ingr1]: Like English "cup" and Spanish "taza", mintu is a generic term for a vessel made to hold liquid and is used for both for drinking and for measuring.

Units of Weight/Mass: SI

See [Step2b] below for more details on SI units.

Units of Weight/Mass: Ic̣aa

So the gram ingredients in native units would be about:

'a-B4 'atiŋki yunşu

ʔa-ˈra.ra.ⁿsaː.ʃu ˈiː.ⁿsa ʔa-ˈti.ŋki ˈju.nʃu

ATTR-176 4 ATTR-unit.of.weight butter

180 tinki of butter

'a-190 'atiŋki 'anyanşu antaw

ʔa-ˈi.ⁿsa ˈⁿsiː.ʃu ˈra.li.ʃu ʔa-ˈti.ⁿki ʔa-nja.ⁿʃu a.ⁿtaw

ATTR-256 144 ATTR-unit.of.weight ATTR-honey plant

400 tiŋki of sugar

'a-46 'atiŋki lunşu

ʔa-ˈi.lːay.ʃu ˈⁿsiː.lju ʔa-ˈti.ⁿki ˈlu.ⁿʃu

ATTR-64 6 ATTR-unit.of.weight cocoa.material

70 tiŋki of cocoa powder

'a-78 'atiŋki 'amuyaaŋi tiriku

ʔa-ˈⁿsi.lːaj.ʃu ˈⁿsi.lːa.ⁿsiː ʔa-ˈti.ⁿki ʔa-mu.jaː.ŋi ti.ri.ku

ATTR-112 8 ATTR-cup ATTR-powder wheat

120 tiŋki of flour

I think a native writer/cook would round the tinki amounts to base 16 numbers which were multiples of 8 (like multiples of 5 in base 10)

[Step1a]: What voice to use for recipes? English uses familiar commands (Cover X. Mix Y. No "please"). Spanish uses infinitives or familiar commands. Ic̣aa'yansi has a dictionary form, like an infinitive, but it also has obligatory agreement markers for subject and object. Ultimately, I went with 2nd person, "You cover X. You mix Y." I figure this is a leftover from passing down recipes in an oral tradition.

[Step1b]: more units...

Unit of measurement: Temperature

Siisiusu: from Celsius

'ansaaŋi Siisiusu

ʔa-nsaːŋi Siːsiusu

ATTR-degree Celsius

'ansaaŋi S

ʔa-nsaːŋi Si

ATTR-degree C

No native temperature units (yet...)

[Step2a]: Compound verb with body part dispositional

mifaaʔa: to place, to put \ rantaw: skin (surface) \ mi rantaw faaʔa: to spread, to coat (something with a substance)

[Step2b]: omg units...

Units of Length: Ic̣aa

20 cm in Ic̣aa measurements

'ansansa myu aşa nsiiŋi (2.8) tintu'

ʔa-ˈⁿsa.ⁿsa mju a.ʃa.ˈⁿsiː-ŋi ti.ˈntu

ATTR-two and half-ish unit.of.length

about two and a half (2.5) tintu

'araansaŋi (A) aalyu

ʔa-ˈraː.ⁿsa-ŋi ˈaː.lju

ATTR-ten-ish unit.of.length

about ten (10) aalju

'ansansaşu nsillaniiŋi (28) c̣insay

ʔa-ˈⁿsa.ⁿsa.ʃu ˈⁿsi.lːa.ⁿsiː-ŋi ǀi.ˈⁿsaj

ATTR-thirty.two eight-ish unit.of.length

about forty (40) c̣insay

Units of Length: SI

This was a huge rabbit hole for me. The SI has a nice system of prefixes for larger and smaller units, but it's all base 10. There are of course words for ten and one hundred in Ic̣aa'yanşi, so it would be possible to keep this concept going, but they wouldn't be nice, simple numbers. It would turn out something like imperial units: 1 mile = 8 furlongs = 1760 yards = 5480 feet.

Here's a sample of some multiples of 10 in Ic̣aa'yanşi:

It could work, but it's not intuitive and the digits don't show a clear pattern by going up a multiple of the base used in the language (i.e. 10, 100, 1000). So calquing SI prefixes like deci- (1/10) and centi- (1/100) is out.

But if the language doesn't like dividing a meter by multiples of ten, how is a meter any better than a yard or a native kinda-close-to-a-meter standard (tintu)? Why even use the word "meter"? Why not something like:

But then you are still left with the problem of translations of the smaller/bigger units.

Ultimately, I think pressure for being a part of the global scientific community would force the adoption of the SI with base 10 in certain situations (academia). Counting in a lower base seems easier than counting in a higher base because one just needs to cut off the normal counting earlier; there is nothing new added. Then the native base 16 measurements would continue to be used in parallel. When using native units, base 16 is assumed. When using SI units, base 10 is used. So meters & centimeters are loaned into the language!

Switching between bases, at some point, someone will need to ask, "Wait, is that "ten" you just said base 10 or base 16?" If the Ic̣aa people are switching between base 10 and base 16, I think they would try to find a colloquial term for base 10. Here are some options I thought of, but I haven't settled on one yet.

Like I said, a rabbit hole of math and language and worldbuilding. Moving on...

[Step4]: How to deal with a series of conjunctions (X and Y and Z)?

I currently use the 3rd pattern, but I'm not sure that will stay. I'm curious if anyone has anything interesting with conjunctions patterns like this?

[Step6]: Spread and batter have the same root (θepʼ).

[Step7a]: Not sure if using the cessative aspect here make sense: stop baking at 25 minutes. It seems like there is a jump between spreading batter and stopping baking. "You told me when to stop baking, but when was I supposed to start?"

If anyone with experience dealing languages that have cessative aspect, I'd love to hear thoughts.

[Step7b]: omg more units

Units of Time: Ic̣aa

Ntinsuassu nsaa ma 'aillansii aʃaataaw.

ˈⁿti.ⁿsuˈa.sːu ⁿsaː ma ʔa-ˈi.lːa.ⁿsiː ˈa.ʃaː.taːw

2S.E.3S.A-bake CESS LOC ATTR-five unit.of.time

You stop baking at 5 aşaataaw.

Wrapup

That's it for this recipe. Aside from all the units/measurement stuff, with derivations of various roots, I wound up adding over 100 words to my lexicon which was fun. Lots of reading etymologies of foods and cooking methods and thinking about how people long ago would conceptualize things. What foods would be native (vanilla) what would arrive with Europeans (dairy), what foreign words to romanize, what to calque, and on and on.

Credit where it's due. Many thanks to this recipe as base. (I didn't make the icing.) In addition to the brownie, my photo also has:

If you read all the way to the end, thanks! I wish I could give you a brownie for real!