A Collection of Texts in Aya

What follows is a collection of texts intended to illustrate the language in more natural and extended use than the glossed examples found in the grammar.

The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9)

And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

Nech neḍ rniñ jumeḍ ngwaurt bagw maungwaḍuj mul rdöd rdif mushardyl rdöd.

[net͡ʃ nedˤ ɳiɲ jumedˤ ŋʷauʈ baɡʷ mauŋʷadˤuj mul ɖød ɖif muʃaɖyl ɖød]

net͡ʃ
have
nedˤ
PAST
ɳiɲ
all
j-
plur
ume
human being
-dˤ
def
ŋʷauʈ
in_surface
baɡʷ
whole
m-
sing
auŋʷa
earth
-dˤ
def
-uj
LOC
m-
sing
u
language
-l
not.def
ɖød
one
ɖif
and
m-
sing
uʃaɖy
dialect
-l
not.def
ɖød
one

“All humans in the whole earth had one language and one dialect.”

(1)

And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

Gköwid neḍ chungw rtört marriḍuj.

[kʼøwid nedˤ t͡ʃuŋʷ ʈøʈ maɽidˤuj]

kʼøwid
journey
nedˤ
PAST
t͡ʃu
3.plur
-ŋʷ
plur
ʈøʈ
from_inside
m-
sing
aɽi
east
-dˤ
def
-uj
LOC

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Rdif tart neḍ chungw ṇard tigw mutyersol cef ṇard mumaluj.

[ɖif taʈ nedˤ t͡ʃuŋʷ nˤaɖ tiɡʷ mut͡ɕeʂol ᵏǀef nˤaɖ mumaluj]

ɖif
and
taʈ
find
nedˤ
PAST
t͡ʃu
3.plur
-ŋʷ
plur
nˤaɖ
a
tiɡʷ
wide
m-
sing
ut͡ɕeʂo
plain
-l
not.def
ᵏǀef
in_inside
nˤaɖ
a
m-
sing
uma
land
-l
not.def
-uj
LOC

“And they found a wide plain in the a land.”

(3)
Gitis wanoḍ neḍ chungw gwik.

[ɡitis wanodˤ nedˤ t͡ʃuŋʷ ɡʷik]

ɡitis
thus
wanodˤ
dwell
nedˤ
PAST
t͡ʃu
3.plur
-ŋʷ
plur
ɡʷik
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly.

Tiñ neḍ chungw föngw cish jaj ḍyrr jedögkol rdif föngw saf jaj ḍyrr jedögkol ṣingwaty.

[tiɲ nedˤ t͡ʃuŋʷ føŋʷ ᵏǀiʃ jaj dˤyɽ jedøkʼol ɖif føŋʷ saf jaj dˤyɽ jedøkʼol sˤiŋʷat͡ɕ]

tiɲ
say
nedˤ
PAST
t͡ʃu
3.plur
-ŋʷ
plur

1incl.plur
-ŋʷ
plur
ᵏǀiʃ
make
jaj
imperative
dˤyɽ
COMP
j-
plur
edøkʼo
brick
-l
not.def
ɖif
and

1incl.plur
-ŋʷ
plur
saf
burn
jaj
imperative
dˤyɽ
COMP
j-
plur
edøkʼo
brick
-l
not.def
sˤiŋʷat͡ɕ
thoroughly

“They said: Let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.”

(5)

And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

Nech neḍ chungw medögkol lesöt mofeluj.

[net͡ʃ nedˤ t͡ʃuŋʷ medøkʼol lesøt mofeluj]

net͡ʃ
have
nedˤ
PAST
t͡ʃu
3.plur
-ŋʷ
plur
m-
sing
edøkʼo
brick
-l
not.def
lesøt
PURP
m-
sing
ofe
stone
-l
not.def
-uj
LOC

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Rdif nech neḍ chungw möṣyrnol lesöt maiṣykuluj.

[ɖif net͡ʃ nedˤ t͡ʃuŋʷ møsˤyɳol lesøt maisˤykuluj]

ɖif
and
net͡ʃ
have
nedˤ
PAST
t͡ʃu
3.plur
-ŋʷ
plur
m-
sing
øsˤyɳo
slime
-l
not.def
lesøt
PURP
m-
sing
aisˤyku
mortar
-l
not.def
-uj
LOC

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

C̣igwabb chil föngw lygk jumel.

[ᵏǀˤiɡʷaɓ t͡ʃil føŋʷ lykʼ jumel]

ᵏǀˤiɡʷaɓ
resemble
t͡ʃil
NEG

1incl.plur
-ŋʷ
plur
lykʼ
other
j-
plur
ume
human being
-l
not.def

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Cogkaubb neḍ mal rdif magquil chungw juḍ.

[ᵏǀokʼauɓ nedˤ mal ɖif makʼʷil t͡ʃuŋʷ judˤ]

ᵏǀokʼauɓ
shape
nedˤ
PAST
m-
sing
a
fight
-l
not.def
ɖif
and
m-
sing
akʼʷi
time
-l
not.def
t͡ʃu
3.plur
-ŋʷ
plur
j-
plur
u
language
-dˤ
def

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

(9)

They copied the sounds of beasts and birds, and they learned to speak like that.

Hersöd neḍ chungw jairsurtöl rdif jyl jeḍ.

[heʂød nedˤ t͡ʃuŋʷ jaiʂuʈøl ɖif jyl jedˤ]

heʂød
copy
nedˤ
PAST
t͡ʃu
3.plur
-ŋʷ
plur
j-
plur
aiʂuʈø
mammal
-l
not.def
ɖif
and
j-
plur
y
bird
-l
not.def
j-
plur
e
sound
-dˤ
def

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Huḍ bbysteṇ neḍ ṭach ḍyrr föngw muḍ majaḍ cef ṇard rtad migwyluj.

[hudˤ ɓystenˤ nedˤ tˤat͡ʃ dˤyɽ føŋʷ mudˤ majadˤ ᵏǀef nˤaɖ ʈad miɡʷyluj]

hudˤ
but
ɓystenˤ
arise
nedˤ
PAST
tˤat͡ʃ
be
dˤyɽ
COMP

1incl.plur
-ŋʷ
plur
m-
sing
u
language
-dˤ
def
m-
sing
aja
langname
-dˤ
def
ᵏǀef
in_inside
nˤaɖ
a
ʈad
different
m-
sing
iɡʷy
manner
-l
not.def
-uj
LOC

“But Aya, which is our language, arose in a different way.”

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Hoṣef neḍ num bagw rdif c̣angygqu cef ṇard gail maugkilyluj

[hosˤef nedˤ num baɡʷ ɖif ᵏǀˤaŋykʼʷ ᵏǀef nˤaɖ ɡail maukʼilyluj]

hosˤef
appear
nedˤ
PAST
nu
3.sing
-m
sing
baɡʷ
whole
ɖif
and
ᵏǀˤaŋykʼʷ
perfect
ᵏǀef
in_inside
nˤaɖ
a
ɡail
single
m-
sing
aukʼily
breath
-l
not.def
-uj
LOC

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Bboting neḍ chil föngw muḍ.

[ɓotiŋ nedˤ t͡ʃil føŋʷ mudˤ]

ɓotiŋ
evolve
nedˤ
PAST
t͡ʃil
NEG

1incl.plur
-ŋʷ
plur
m-
sing
u
language
-dˤ
def

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Naṣog neḍ num.

[nasˤoɡ nedˤ num]

nasˤoɡ
create
nedˤ
PAST
nu
3.sing
-m
sing

“It was created.”

(14)

Language creation took 0.05 seconds; writing the texts 0.03 seconds.

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