Q;Don't understand on word in novel "Border" help

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2ndchapter
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Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2020 2:51 am

Q;Don't understand on word in novel "Border" help

Post by 2ndchapter » Wed Sep 23, 2020 3:01 am

After seeing the movie, read the novel "Border" and it's fantastic.

But didn't understand one word in the last part.

"Reva, Reva, sisimi..."

what is "sisimi... " means? Looked up in Swedish book but the same "Reva, Reva, sisimi..." only...

I'm not a native English speaker.

Anyone can help?


The voice filled her world, the voice was arms embracing, fingers
smelling of earth and moss. The voice was come to me, softness in
her mouth, warm milk.
She was breastfeeding me. She was still breastfeeding me.
What had they given her instead, in hospital? What had they
done to force their food into her mouth?
Reva, Reva, sisimi…
She lowered her head to the needles, pressed her forehead against
the ground, rubbing it back and forth until it hurt.
‘Mommi…Mommi…’

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metoo
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Location: Sweden

Re: Q;Don't understand on word in novel "Border" help

Post by metoo » Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:19 am

It is troll language...
But from the beginning Eli was just Eli. Nothing. Anything. And he is still a mystery to me. John Ajvide Lindqvist

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Siggdalos
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Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2020 8:22 pm
Location: Sweden

Re: Q;Don't understand on word in novel "Border" help

Post by Siggdalos » Fri Nov 06, 2020 6:33 pm

JAL took some inspiration from Finnish for the troll language in the story ("hiisit" is derived from Finnish Hiisi), but as far as I can tell, "sisimi" is just a word he made up. Based on the context, I always assumed it's an affectionate word for "daughter".
De höll om varandra i tystnad. Oskar blundade och visste: detta var det största. Ljuset från lyktan i portvalvet trängde svagt in genom hans slutna ögonlock, la en hinna av rött för hans ögon. Det största.

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