A Collection of Texts in Tang

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.

Sam tyn fyh ñyd chef mab bygk fah ñas gkyn ges ba’n gkyn se’negk.

[sam tɨn fɨh ɲɨd t͡ʃəf mab bɨkʼ fah ɲas kʼɨn ɡəs ba̰n kʼɨn sə̰nəkʼ]

sam
PAST
tɨn
have
fɨh
plur
ɲɨd
all
t͡ʃəf
human being
mab
in_surface
bɨkʼ
LOC
fah
whole
ɲas
earth
kʼɨn
one
ɡəs
language
ba̰n
and
kʼɨn
one
sə̰nəkʼ
dialect

“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.

Sam ngypaib fa’k kech bygk dam.

[sam ŋɨpaib fa̰k kət͡ʃ bɨkʼ dam]

sam
PAST
ŋɨpaib
journey
fa̰k
3.plur.fem
kət͡ʃ
from_inside
bɨkʼ
LOC
dam
east

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Ba’n sam ma’s fa’k mag ñafek de bygk feg.

[ba̰n sam ma̰s fa̰k maɡ ɲafək də bɨkʼ fəɡ]

ba̰n
and
sam
PAST
ma̰s
find
fa̰k
3.plur.fem
maɡ
wide
ɲafək
plain

in_inside
bɨkʼ
LOC
fəɡ
land

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

(3)
Machyn sam magak fa’k baugk.

[mat͡ʃɨn sam maɡak fa̰k baukʼ]

mat͡ʃɨn
thus
sam
PAST
maɡak
dwell
fa̰k
3.plur.fem
baukʼ
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Sam shym fa’k hash se’h gkasebauch dastash ba’n hash se’h daush fyh de’m sebauch dastash nge’gkach.

[sam ʃɨm fa̰k haʃ sə̰h kʼasəbaut͡ʃ dastaʃ ba̰n haʃ sə̰h dauʃ fɨh də̰m səbaut͡ʃ dastaʃ ŋə̰kʼat͡ʃ]

sam
PAST
ʃɨm
say
fa̰k
3.plur.fem
haʃ
1incl.plur
sə̰h
imperative
kʼa-
make
səbaut͡ʃ
brick
dastaʃ
COMP
ba̰n
and
haʃ
1incl.plur
sə̰h
imperative
dauʃ
burn
fɨh
plur
də̰m
ACC
səbaut͡ʃ
brick
dastaʃ
COMP
ŋə̰kʼat͡ʃ
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Sam tyn fa’k sebauch hagaung bygk tyng.

[sam tɨn fa̰k səbaut͡ʃ haɡauŋ bɨkʼ tɨŋ]

sam
PAST
tɨn
have
fa̰k
3.plur.fem
səbaut͡ʃ
brick
haɡauŋ
PURP
bɨkʼ
LOC
tɨŋ
stone

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Ba’n sam tyn fa’k tafash hagaung bygk shanga’n.

[ba̰n sam tɨn fa̰k tafaʃ haɡauŋ bɨkʼ ʃaŋa̰n]

ba̰n
and
sam
PAST
tɨn
have
fa̰k
3.plur.fem
tafaʃ
slime
haɡauŋ
PURP
bɨkʼ
LOC
ʃaŋa̰n
mortar

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Pang kapagk hash fyh fang chef.

[paŋ kapakʼ haʃ fɨh faŋ t͡ʃəf]

paŋ
NEG
kapakʼ
resemble
haʃ
1incl.plur
fɨh
plur
faŋ
other
t͡ʃəf
human being

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Sam betyn shaig ba’n chau fab fa’k fyh ges.

[sam bətɨn ʃaiɡ ba̰n t͡ʃau fab fa̰k fɨh ɡəs]

sam
PAST
bətɨn
shape
ʃaiɡ
fight
ba̰n
and
t͡ʃau
time
fab
GEN
fa̰k
3.plur.fem
fɨh
plur
ɡəs
language

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

(9)

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

Sam nabyng fa’k fyh fab fyh pecha’f ba’n fyh heh fyh byng.

[sam nabɨŋ fa̰k fɨh fab fɨh pət͡ʃa̰f ba̰n fɨh həh fɨh bɨŋ]

sam
PAST
nabɨŋ
copy
fa̰k
3.plur.fem
fɨh
plur
fab
GEN
fɨh
plur
pət͡ʃa̰f
mammal
ba̰n
and
fɨh
plur
həh
bird
fɨh
plur
bɨŋ
sound

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Fe’n sam fypeñ teng, dem chet fab hash ges, de bygk ñais tam.

[fə̰n sam fɨpəɲ təŋ, dəm t͡ʃət fab haʃ ɡəs, də bɨkʼ ɲais tam]

fə̰n
but
sam
PAST
fɨpəɲ
arise
təŋ
langname
dəm
RELPRON
t͡ʃət
be
fab
GEN
haʃ
1incl.plur
ɡəs
language

in_inside
bɨkʼ
LOC
ɲais
different
tam
manner

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Sam pysaud nagk fah ba’n ge’ngauñ de bygk gyng ma’ñauf

[sam pɨsaud nakʼ fah ba̰n ɡə̰ŋauɲ də bɨkʼ ɡɨŋ ma̰ɲauf]

sam
PAST
pɨsaud
appear
nakʼ
3.sing.neut
fah
whole
ba̰n
and
ɡə̰ŋauɲ
perfect

in_inside
bɨkʼ
LOC
ɡɨŋ
single
ma̰ɲauf
breath

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Sam pang segke’f hash ges.

[sam paŋ səkʼə̰f haʃ ɡəs]

sam
PAST
paŋ
NEG
səkʼə̰f
evolve
haʃ
1incl.plur
ɡəs
language

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Sam kachegk nagk.

[sam kat͡ʃəkʼ nakʼ]

sam
PAST
kat͡ʃəkʼ
create
nakʼ
3.sing.neut

“It was created.”

(14)

Language creation took 0.03 seconds; writing the texts 0.04 seconds.

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