Älme
The modifier Älme is related to the noun jÄlme, which means ‘ford, crossing’. So the central definition of Älme denotes crossing something long and narrow from one side to the other, very much like ‘across’. Älme has expanded its range to include crossing any area, from one side of the area to the other side of the area. One border to the area must also be crossed. So one can start inside the area (at the edge, but inside) and cross to outside the area, or from outside the area to the opposite inside edge of the area, or from outside the area through the area and across the next border to outside the area again.
rÄ NP Älme is across NP and rÅ« NP Älme is from across NP.
rÄjÄlme
rÄjÄlme is rÄ NP Älme without a specified location, and so means ‘across’.
rÅ«jÄlme
Likewise rÅ«jÄlme is rÅ« NP Älme without a specified location, and so means ‘from across’.
ñi jahÄþa rÄ jatÅna Älme tÅ-kēñ;
Why did the “chicken” cross the road?
tŠñi rÄjakiÄ“;
To get to the other side.
Why did the “chicken†cross the road?
To get rid of the quote marks around his name?
Because jahÄþa isn’t really chicken. It’s a small, domesticated animal with four legs, no wings, raised for its eggs and its meat that is fed from vegetable table scraps and garden scraps. It might also be called a pig, but it does lay eggs, and isn’t an omnivore.
It’s a chicken-dog! Hooray for the chicken-dog! Let me know if it needs an official Kamakawi chicken cover.
Of course it does!