A Collection of Texts in Ikan

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.

Huw ncak daḍ daiw suj nca bba’g di’s caun mi’n nca bba’g mij diṣ fa’w ṇing daba’bbaḍ fa’w.

[ˈhuw ᵑǀak ˈdadˤ ˈdaiw ˈsuj ᵑǀa ˈɓa̰ɡ ˈdḭs ˈᵏǀaun ˈmḭn ᵑǀa ˈɓa̰ɡ mij ˈdisˤ ˈfa̰w ˈnˤiŋ ˈdaba̰ɓadˤ ˈfa̰w]

ˈhuw
have
ᵑǀak
PAST
d-
NOM
ˈadˤ
human being
d-
NOM
ˈaiw
earth
ˈsuj
whole
ᵑǀa
COMP
ɓ-
NOM
ˈa̰ɡ
the
d-
NOM
ˈḭs
surface
ˈᵏǀaun
in
ˈmḭn
all
ᵑǀa
COMP
ɓ-
NOM
ˈa̰ɡ
the
mij
plur
d-
NOM
ˈisˤ
language
ˈfa̰w
one
ˈnˤiŋ
and
d-
NOM
ˈaba̰ɓadˤ
dialect
ˈfa̰w
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.

Ja’ṇid ncak habb dip bba’g da’ṭ maub.

[ja̰ˈnˤid ᵑǀak ˈhaɓ ˈdip ˈɓa̰ɡ ˈda̰tˤ ˈmaub]

ja̰ˈnˤid
journey
ᵑǀak
PAST
ˈhaɓ
3.plur
d-
NOM
ˈip
east
ɓ-
NOM
ˈa̰ɡ
the
d-
NOM
ˈa̰tˤ
inside
ˈmaub
from

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Ṇing fun ncak habb daitaṇaṣ dim da’ṭ caun ṭik nca.

[ˈnˤiŋ ˈfun ᵑǀak ˈhaɓ ˈdaitanˤasˤ ˈdim ˈda̰tˤ ˈᵏǀaun ˈtˤik ᵑǀa]

ˈnˤiŋ
and
ˈfun
find
ᵑǀak
PAST
ˈhaɓ
3.plur
d-
NOM
ˈaitanˤasˤ
plain
d-
NOM
ˈim
land
d-
NOM
ˈa̰tˤ
inside
ˈᵏǀaun
in
ˈtˤik
wide
ᵑǀa
COMP

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

(3)
Shabbuṇ ja’ñaṭ ncak habb c̣aiñ.

[ʃaˈɓunˤ ja̰ˈɲatˤ ᵑǀak ˈhaɓ ˈᵏǀˤaiɲ]

ʃaˈɓunˤ
thus
ja̰ˈɲatˤ
dwell
ᵑǀak
PAST
ˈhaɓ
3.plur
ˈᵏǀˤaiɲ
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Ṭun ncak habb ṣibb ṣauw piṣ nca wi’japap mij ṇing ṣibb jaif piṣ nca wi’japap mij ṇashin.

[ˈtˤun ᵑǀak ˈhaɓ ˈsˤiɓ ˈsˤauw pisˤ ᵑǀa ˈwḭjapap mij ˈnˤiŋ ˈsˤiɓ ˈjaif pisˤ ᵑǀa ˈwḭjapap mij nˤaˈʃin]

ˈtˤun
say
ᵑǀak
PAST
ˈhaɓ
3.plur
ˈsˤiɓ
1incl.plur
ˈsˤauw
make
pisˤ
imperative
ᵑǀa
COMP
w-
ACC
ˈḭjapap
brick
mij
plur
ˈnˤiŋ
and
ˈsˤiɓ
1incl.plur
ˈjaif
burn
pisˤ
imperative
ᵑǀa
COMP
w-
ACC
ˈḭjapap
brick
mij
plur
nˤaˈʃin
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Huw ncak habb di’japap daung ñiñig.

[ˈhuw ᵑǀak ˈhaɓ ˈdḭjapap ˈdauŋ ɲiˈɲiɡ]

ˈhuw
have
ᵑǀak
PAST
ˈhaɓ
3.plur
d-
NOM
ˈḭjapap
brick
d-
NOM
ˈauŋ
stone
ɲiˈɲiɡ
PURP

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Ṇing huw ncak habb dabbisuṣ dibbuga’m ñiñig.

[ˈnˤiŋ ˈhuw ᵑǀak ˈhaɓ ˈdaɓisusˤ ˈdiɓuɡa̰m ɲiˈɲiɡ]

ˈnˤiŋ
and
ˈhuw
have
ᵑǀak
PAST
ˈhaɓ
3.plur
d-
NOM
ˈaɓisusˤ
slime
d-
NOM
ˈiɓuɡa̰m
mortar
ɲiˈɲiɡ
PURP

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Fangis pun ṣibb daḍ dim nca mij.

[faˈŋis pun ˈsˤiɓ ˈdadˤ ˈdim ᵑǀa mij]

faˈŋis
resemble
pun
NEG
ˈsˤiɓ
1incl.plur
d-
NOM
ˈadˤ
human being
ˈdim
other
ᵑǀa
COMP
mij
plur

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Mikuf ncak dibb ṇing dan habb diṣ bba’g mij ṇiḍ.

[miˈkuf ᵑǀak ˈdiɓ ˈnˤiŋ ˈdan ˈhaɓ ˈdisˤ ˈɓa̰ɡ mij nˤidˤ]

miˈkuf
shape
ᵑǀak
PAST
d-
NOM
ˈiɓ
fight
ˈnˤiŋ
and
d-
NOM
ˈan
time
ˈhaɓ
3.plur
d-
NOM
ˈisˤ
language
ɓ-
NOM
ˈa̰ɡ
the
mij
plur
nˤidˤ
3.plur.POSS

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

(9)

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

Fasaush ncak habb mauguñan mij ṇing miñ mij mij duk bba’g mij ṇiḍ.

[faˈsauʃ ᵑǀak ˈhaɓ ˈmauɡuɲan mij ˈnˤiŋ ˈmiɲ mij mij ˈduk ˈɓa̰ɡ mij nˤidˤ]

faˈsauʃ
copy
ᵑǀak
PAST
ˈhaɓ
3.plur
m-
GEN
ˈauɡuɲan
mammal
mij
plur
ˈnˤiŋ
and
m-
GEN
ˈiɲ
bird
mij
plur
mij
plur
d-
NOM
ˈuk
sound
ɓ-
NOM
ˈa̰ɡ
the
mij
plur
nˤidˤ
3.plur.POSS

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Puk manag ncak dikan bba’g fa’s nca diṣ bba’g ṭibb dakiṭ ḍaw nca da’ṭ caun.

[ˈpuk maˈnaɡ ᵑǀak ˈdikan ˈɓa̰ɡ ˈfa̰s ᵑǀa ˈdisˤ ˈɓa̰ɡ tˤiɓ ˈdakitˤ ˈdˤaw ᵑǀa ˈda̰tˤ ˈᵏǀaun]

ˈpuk
but
maˈnaɡ
arise
ᵑǀak
PAST
d-
NOM
ˈikan
langname
ɓ-
NOM
ˈa̰ɡ
the
ˈfa̰s
be
ᵑǀa
COMP
d-
NOM
ˈisˤ
language
ɓ-
NOM
ˈa̰ɡ
the
tˤiɓ
1incl.plur.POSS
d-
NOM
ˈakitˤ
manner
ˈdˤaw
different
ᵑǀa
COMP
d-
NOM
ˈa̰tˤ
inside
ˈᵏǀaun
in

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Ma’bauk ncak gaud suj nca ṇing c̣ini’ṣ nca dushipabb shag nca da’ṭ caun

[ma̰ˈbauk ᵑǀak ˈɡaud ˈsuj ᵑǀa ˈnˤiŋ ᵏǀˤiˈnḭsˤ ᵑǀa ˈduʃipaɓ ˈʃaɡ ᵑǀa ˈda̰tˤ ˈᵏǀaun]

ma̰ˈbauk
appear
ᵑǀak
PAST
ˈɡaud
3.sing
ˈsuj
whole
ᵑǀa
COMP
ˈnˤiŋ
and
ᵏǀˤiˈnḭsˤ
perfect
ᵑǀa
COMP
d-
NOM
ˈuʃipaɓ
breath
ˈʃaɡ
single
ᵑǀa
COMP
d-
NOM
ˈa̰tˤ
inside
ˈᵏǀaun
in

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Papau ncak pun diṣ bba’g ṭibb.

[paˈpau ᵑǀak pun ˈdisˤ ˈɓa̰ɡ tˤiɓ]

paˈpau
evolve
ᵑǀak
PAST
pun
NEG
d-
NOM
ˈisˤ
language
ɓ-
NOM
ˈa̰ɡ
the
tˤiɓ
1incl.plur.POSS

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Nc̣a’sa’k ncak gaud.

[ᵑǀˤa̰ˈsa̰k ᵑǀak ˈɡaud]

ᵑǀˤa̰ˈsa̰k
create
ᵑǀak
PAST
ˈɡaud
3.sing

“It was created.”

(14)

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

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