Tibetan to Kannada: distance and respect can identify the same person differently
A near person and a distant person need different reference
The Kannada pronoun lesson distinguishes proximal and remote demonstrative forms. Its respectful pair ಇವರು and ಅವರು can refer to a respected person presented as near or remote. A Tibetan source reference must therefore establish which person is being indicated, rather than select any polite Kannada form and assume the reference has been preserved.
Garrett and Hill identify Tibetan demonstratives ḥdi, this, and de, that, in their written-corpus analysis. Those distinctions are useful evidence when translating a source contrast between two people. Preserve which person each expression indicates while separately deciding the respectful target form appropriate to the relationship.
Plural-looking respect does not increase the number of people
The Kannada lesson lists the respectful forms alongside plural reference to people. Consequently, a target expression with one of these forms need not imply an actual group. The Tibetan source’s participant count should remain independently established, particularly in a passage that contrasts one respected individual with several other people.
Written Tibetan plural material such as rnams and dag belongs to the source phrase structure studied by Garrett and Hill. A translator should not infer that such material is present merely because the chosen Kannada respectful form resembles a plural. Nor should an actual Tibetan group become one respected individual simply because the same target form could occur in singular honorific use.
An object contrast follows another paradigm
The Kannada lesson gives ಇದು and ಅದು for this thing and that thing. These forms should not automatically replace person-reference forms just because the Tibetan passage uses a demonstrative in both settings. The target must preserve whether the indicated entity is a person or a thing.
A Tibetan instruction might distinguish this person from that person and then point to an object belonging to one of them. In Kannada, the pronoun identifying the object must not accidentally refer back to the owner as if the owner were the thing being pointed out. Recover the intended referent at each step instead of retaining one demonstrative throughout the passage.
Who asks for identity without necessarily expressing a head count
The Kannada lesson explains that ಯಾರು is generally used for who, despite its plural form, rather than freely substituting every grammatically possible gender-specific interrogative. A Tibetan question asking which person is involved should therefore not be interpreted as a request for several people merely from the appearance of its Kannada equivalent.
This is especially useful when a Tibetan dialogue begins by asking for someone’s identity and then introduces a respected individual nearby. The question form, respectful reference and demonstrative distance each do different work in the target. Keep the source count, the social relationship and the act of pointing separate, so that the Kannada translation identifies the same person with the intended respect rather than introducing an unintended group or object.
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