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)

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

Jẽṇ haẓ ṭi jekaṭ ṭiṇ rtözhaṭ debb ṭi tyugaṭ ṭir gigquaṭ ñich rtẽṭaṭ king zhiṣ harnüṣaṭ king.

[ˈd͡ʒə̃nˤ hazˤ ˈtˤi ˈd͡ʒekatˤ ˈtˤinˤ ˈʈøʒatˤ ˈdeɓ ˈtˤi ˈt͡ɕuɡatˤ ˈtˤiɾ ˈɡikʼʷatˤ ɲit͡ʃ ˈʈə̃tˤatˤ ˈkiŋ ˈʒisˤ haˈɳysˤatˤ ˈkiŋ]

ˈd͡ʒə̃
have
-nˤ
active
hazˤ
PAST
ˈtˤi
the
ˈd͡ʒek
all
-atˤ
NOM
ˈtˤi
the
-nˤ
cl.4
ˈʈøʒ
human being
-atˤ
NOM
ˈdeɓ
in_surface
ˈtˤi
the
ˈt͡ɕuɡ
whole
-atˤ
NOM
ˈtˤi
the

cl.2
ˈɡikʼʷ
earth
-atˤ
NOM
ɲit͡ʃ
plur
ˈʈə̃tˤ
language
-atˤ
NOM
ˈkiŋ
one
ˈʒisˤ
and
haˈɳysˤ
dialect
-atˤ
NOM
ˈkiŋ
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.

Dyibbiṇ haẓ ḍatẓ ncitẓ ṭiw pakaṭ.

[ɟiˈɓinˤ hazˤ ˈdˤat͡sˤ ˈᵑǀit͡sˤ ˈtˤiw ˈpakatˤ]

ɟiˈɓi
journey
-nˤ
active
hazˤ
PAST
ˈdˤat͡sˤ
3.plur.cl.4
ˈᵑǀit͡sˤ
from_inside
ˈtˤi
the
-w
cl.3
ˈpak
east
-atˤ
NOM

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Zhiṣ fuṇ haẓ ḍatẓ ṭi rzorsaṭ tẓir chubbuwaṭ foty tẓir rsüyaṭ.

[ˈʒisˤ ˈfunˤ hazˤ ˈdˤat͡sˤ ˈtˤi ˈʐoʂatˤ ˈt͡sˤiɾ t͡ʃuˈɓuwatˤ ˈfot͡ɕ ˈt͡sˤiɾ ˈʂyjatˤ]

ˈʒisˤ
and
ˈfu
find
-nˤ
active
hazˤ
PAST
ˈdˤat͡sˤ
3.plur.cl.4
ˈtˤi
the
ˈʐoʂ
wide
-atˤ
NOM
ˈt͡sˤi
a

cl.2
t͡ʃuˈɓuw
plain
-atˤ
NOM
ˈfot͡ɕ
in_inside
ˈt͡sˤi
a

cl.2
ˈʂyj
land
-atˤ
NOM

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

(3)
Ṣuẓoy maẓẽṇ haẓ ḍatẓ rdoz.

[sˤuˈzˤoj maˈzˤə̃nˤ hazˤ ˈdˤat͡sˤ ˈɖoz]

sˤuˈzˤoj
thus
maˈzˤə̃
dwell
-nˤ
active
hazˤ
PAST
ˈdˤat͡sˤ
3.plur.cl.4
ˈɖoz
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Zhaṇ haẓ ḍatẓ mörz muritim ñich kiṇ zhan zhiṣ mörz muritim ñich ṣauṇ zhan zichöch.

[ˈʒanˤ hazˤ ˈdˤat͡sˤ ˈmøʐ muˈɾitim ɲit͡ʃ ˈkinˤ ʒan ˈʒisˤ ˈmøʐ muˈɾitim ɲit͡ʃ ˈsˤaunˤ ʒan ziˈt͡ʃøt͡ʃ]

ˈʒa
say
-nˤ
active
hazˤ
PAST
ˈdˤat͡sˤ
3.plur.cl.4
ˈmøʐ
1incl.plur
muˈɾit
brick
-im
ACC
ɲit͡ʃ
plur
ˈki
make
-nˤ
active
ʒan
imperative
ˈʒisˤ
and
ˈmøʐ
1incl.plur
muˈɾit
brick
-im
ACC
ɲit͡ʃ
plur
ˈsˤau
burn
-nˤ
active
ʒan
imperative
ziˈt͡ʃøt͡ʃ
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Jẽṇ haẓ ḍatẓ muritaṭ yatẓab giraṭ.

[ˈd͡ʒə̃nˤ hazˤ ˈdˤat͡sˤ muˈɾitatˤ jaˈt͡sˤab ˈɡiɾatˤ]

ˈd͡ʒə̃
have
-nˤ
active
hazˤ
PAST
ˈdˤat͡sˤ
3.plur.cl.4
muˈɾit
brick
-atˤ
NOM
jaˈt͡sˤab
PURP
ˈɡiɾ
stone
-atˤ
NOM

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Zhiṣ jẽṇ haẓ ḍatẓ widutyaṭ yatẓab zhinatyaṭ.

[ˈʒisˤ ˈd͡ʒə̃nˤ hazˤ ˈdˤat͡sˤ wiˈdut͡ɕatˤ jaˈt͡sˤab ʒiˈnat͡ɕatˤ]

ˈʒisˤ
and
ˈd͡ʒə̃
have
-nˤ
active
hazˤ
PAST
ˈdˤat͡sˤ
3.plur.cl.4
wiˈdut͡ɕ
slime
-atˤ
NOM
jaˈt͡sˤab
PURP
ʒiˈnat͡ɕ
mortar
-atˤ
NOM

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Narsaṇ nciz mörz ṭi ketẓaṭ rtözhaṭ ñich.

[naˈʂanˤ ᵑǀiz ˈmøʐ ˈtˤi ˈket͡sˤatˤ ˈʈøʒatˤ ɲit͡ʃ]

naˈʂa
resemble
-nˤ
active
ᵑǀiz
NEG
ˈmøʐ
1incl.plur
ˈtˤi
the
ˈket͡sˤ
other
-atˤ
NOM
ˈʈøʒ
human being
-atˤ
NOM
ɲit͡ʃ
plur

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Nishüṇ haẓ hüṭaṭ zhiṣ ḍẽbbaṭ ḍatẓ ṭi rtẽṭaṭ ñich.

[niˈʃynˤ hazˤ ˈhytˤatˤ ˈʒisˤ ˈdˤə̃ɓatˤ ˈdˤat͡sˤ ˈtˤi ˈʈə̃tˤatˤ ɲit͡ʃ]

niˈʃy
shape
-nˤ
active
hazˤ
PAST
ˈhytˤ
fight
-atˤ
NOM
ˈʒisˤ
and
ˈdˤə̃ɓ
time
-atˤ
NOM
ˈdˤat͡sˤ
3.plur.cl.4
ˈtˤi
the
ˈʈə̃tˤ
language
-atˤ
NOM
ɲit͡ʃ
plur

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

(9)

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

Pigquaṇ haẓ ḍatẓ kahörzaṭ ñich zhiṣ cüṭaṭ ñich ñich ṭi püngaṭ ñich.

[piˈkʼʷanˤ hazˤ ˈdˤat͡sˤ kaˈhøʐatˤ ɲit͡ʃ ˈʒisˤ ˈᵏǀytˤatˤ ɲit͡ʃ ɲit͡ʃ ˈtˤi ˈpyŋatˤ ɲit͡ʃ]

piˈkʼʷa
copy
-nˤ
active
hazˤ
PAST
ˈdˤat͡sˤ
3.plur.cl.4
kaˈhøʐ
mammal
-atˤ
NOM
ɲit͡ʃ
plur
ˈʒisˤ
and
ˈᵏǀytˤ
bird
-atˤ
NOM
ɲit͡ʃ
plur
ɲit͡ʃ
plur
ˈtˤi
the
ˈpyŋ
sound
-atˤ
NOM
ɲit͡ʃ
plur

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Saugqu sharraṇ haẓ mörz ṭi rtẽṭaṭ tzoṇ ṭir ṇafaṭ foty ṭi namaṭ tẓiw cigwaṭ.

[ˈsaukʼʷ ʃaˈɽanˤ hazˤ ˈmøʐ ˈtˤi ˈʈə̃tˤatˤ ˈt͡sonˤ ˈtˤiɾ ˈnˤafatˤ ˈfot͡ɕ ˈtˤi ˈnamatˤ ˈt͡sˤiw ˈᵏǀiɡʷatˤ]

ˈsaukʼʷ
but
ʃaˈɽa
arise
-nˤ
active
hazˤ
PAST
ˈmøʐ
1incl.plur
ˈtˤi
the
ˈʈə̃tˤ
language
-atˤ
NOM
ˈt͡so
be
-nˤ
active
ˈtˤi
the

cl.2
ˈnˤaf
langname
-atˤ
NOM
ˈfot͡ɕ
in_inside
ˈtˤi
the
ˈnam
different
-atˤ
NOM
ˈt͡sˤi
a
-w
cl.3
ˈᵏǀiɡʷ
manner
-atˤ
NOM

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Nc̣ayaṇ haẓ maiḍ ṭi tyugaṭ zhiṣ ṭi müyöfaṭ foty ṭi gaifaṭ tẓiw rrirsauyaṭ

[ᵑǀˤaˈjanˤ hazˤ ˈmaidˤ ˈtˤi ˈt͡ɕuɡatˤ ˈʒisˤ ˈtˤi myˈjøfatˤ ˈfot͡ɕ ˈtˤi ˈɡaifatˤ ˈt͡sˤiw ɽiˈʂaujatˤ]

ᵑǀˤaˈja
appear
-nˤ
active
hazˤ
PAST
ˈmaidˤ
3.sing.cl.1
ˈtˤi
the
ˈt͡ɕuɡ
whole
-atˤ
NOM
ˈʒisˤ
and
ˈtˤi
the
muˈjøf
perfect
-atˤ
NOM
ˈfot͡ɕ
in_inside
ˈtˤi
the
ˈɡaif
single
-atˤ
NOM
ˈt͡sˤi
a
-w
cl.3
ɽiˈʂauj
breath
-atˤ
NOM

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Zhüṭöṇ haẓ nciz mörz ṭi rtẽṭaṭ.

[ʒyˈtˤønˤ hazˤ ᵑǀiz ˈmøʐ ˈtˤi ˈʈə̃tˤatˤ]

ʒuˈtˤø
evolve
-nˤ
active
hazˤ
PAST
ᵑǀiz
NEG
ˈmøʐ
1incl.plur
ˈtˤi
the
ˈʈə̃tˤ
language
-atˤ
NOM

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
C̣irzuṇ haẓ maiḍ.

[ᵏǀˤiˈʐunˤ hazˤ ˈmaidˤ]

ᵏǀˤiˈʐu
create
-nˤ
active
hazˤ
PAST
ˈmaidˤ
3.sing.cl.1

“It was created.”

(14)

Language creation took 0.05 seconds; writing the texts 0.04 seconds.

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