A Collection of Texts in Naf

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)

Jẽṇ haẓ ṭi jekaṭ ṭiṇ rtözhaṭ debb ṭi tyugaṭ ṭir gigquaṭ ñich rtẽṭaṭ king zhiṣ harnüṣaṭ king. Dyibbiṇ haẓ ḍatẓ ncitẓ ṭiw pakaṭ, zhiṣ fuṇ haẓ ḍatẓ ṭi rzorsaṭ tẓir chubbuwaṭ foty tẓir rsüyaṭ, ṣuẓoy maẓẽṇ haẓ ḍatẓ rdoz. Zhaṇ haẓ ḍatẓ mörz muritim ñich kiṇ zhan zhiṣ mörz muritim ñich ṣauṇ zhan zichöch. Jẽṇ haẓ ḍatẓ muritaṭ yatẓab giraṭ, zhiṣ jẽṇ haẓ ḍatẓ widutyaṭ yatẓab zhinatyaṭ.

And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 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. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

A Creation Myth

Narsaṇ nciz mörz ṭi ketẓaṭ rtözhaṭ ñich. Nishüṇ haẓ hüṭaṭ zhiṣ ḍẽbbaṭ ḍatẓ ṭi rtẽṭaṭ ñich. Pigquaṇ haẓ ḍatẓ kahörzaṭ ñich zhiṣ cüṭaṭ ñich ñich ṭi püngaṭ ñich. Saugqu sharraṇ haẓ mörz ṭi rtẽṭaṭ tzoṇ ṭir ṇafaṭ foty ṭi namaṭ tẓiw cigwaṭ. Nc̣ayaṇ haẓ maiḍ ṭi tyugaṭ zhiṣ ṭi müyöfaṭ foty ṭi gaifaṭ tẓiw rrirsauyaṭ. Zhüṭöṇ haẓ nciz mörz ṭi rtẽṭaṭ, c̣irzuṇ haẓ maiḍ.

We are not like other people. Their languages were shaped by struggle and time. They copied the sounds of beasts and birds, and they learned to speak like that. But our language arose in a different way. It was born whole and perfect in a single breath. Our language did not evolve; it was created.

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