A Collection of Texts in Gul

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.

Lau ngi de he laiza ja de zhi kizhi la paushu no la nañaiñi.

[lau ŋi ˈde he ˈlaiza ˈja ˈde ʒi ˈkiʒi ˈla ˈpauʃu ˈno ˈla naˈɲaiɲi]

lau
have
ŋi
PAST
ˈde
the
he
all
ˈlaiz
human being
-a
plur
ˈja
in_surface
ˈde
the
ʒi
whole
ˈkiʒ
earth
-i
sing
ˈla
one
ˈpauʃ
language
-i
sing
ˈno
and
ˈla
one
naˈɲaiɲ
dialect
-i
sing

“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.

Ngaduzha ngi po re de pangi.

[ŋaˈduʒa ŋi ˈpo ˈre ˈde ˈpaŋi]

ŋaˈduʒa
journey
ŋi
PAST
ˈpo
3.plur
ˈre
from_inside
ˈde
the
ˈpaŋ
east
-i
sing

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
No gau ngi po shaubu ñangopu rai daubu.

[ˈno ɡau ŋi ˈpo ˈʃaubu ɲaˈŋopu ˈrai ˈdaubu]

ˈno
and
ɡau
find
ŋi
PAST
ˈpo
3.plur
ˈʃaubi
wide
ɲaˈŋop
plain
-i
sing
ˈrai
in_inside
ˈdaub
land
-i
sing

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

(3)
Ngichai duwuna ngi po ba.

[ŋiˈt͡ʃai duˈʋuna ŋi ˈpo ˈba]

ŋiˈt͡ʃai
thus
diˈʋuna
dwell
ŋi
PAST
ˈpo
3.plur
ˈba
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Ne ngi po ñi bo ka ngañasha ma mashi no ñi ña ka ngañasha ma mashi chuzhu.

[ne ŋi ˈpo ˈɲi bo ka ŋaˈɲaʃa ma maˈʃi ˈno ˈɲi ɲa ka ŋaˈɲaʃa ma maˈʃi t͡ʃuˈʒu]

ne
say
ŋi
PAST
ˈpo
3.plur
ˈɲi
1incl.plur
bo
make
ka
imperative
ŋaˈɲaʃ
brick
-a
plur
ma
ACC
maˈʃi
COMP
ˈno
and
ˈɲi
1incl.plur
ɲa
burn
ka
imperative
ŋaˈɲaʃ
brick
-a
plur
ma
ACC
maˈʃi
COMP
t͡ʃiˈʒu
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Lau ngi po ngañashi ñazi puhu.

[lau ŋi ˈpo ŋaˈɲaʃi ɲaˈzi ˈpuhu]

lau
have
ŋi
PAST
ˈpo
3.plur
ŋaˈɲaʃ
brick
-i
sing
ɲaˈzi
PURP
ˈpuh
stone
-i
sing

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
No lau ngi po samami ñazi dushunu.

[ˈno lau ŋi ˈpo saˈmami ɲaˈzi duˈʃunu]

ˈno
and
lau
have
ŋi
PAST
ˈpo
3.plur
saˈmam
slime
-i
sing
ɲaˈzi
PURP
diˈʃun
mortar
-i
sing

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Kizeti wagi ñi so laiza.

[kiˈzeti ʋaɡi ˈɲi so ˈlaiza]

kiˈzeti
resemble
ʋaɡi
NEG
ˈɲi
1incl.plur
so
other
ˈlaiz
human being
-a
plur

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Jasira ngi taungu no hesi po sa de pausha.

[jaˈsira ŋi ˈtauŋu ˈno ˈhesi ˈpo sa ˈde ˈpauʃa]

jaˈsira
shape
ŋi
PAST
ˈtauŋ
fight
-i
sing
ˈno
and
ˈhes
time
-i
sing
ˈpo
3.plur
sa
GEN
ˈde
the
ˈpauʃ
language
-a
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.

Nitasa ngi po shangeda no waira sa de deda.

[niˈtasa ŋi ˈpo ʃaˈŋeda ˈno ˈʋaira sa ˈde ˈdeda]

niˈtasa
copy
ŋi
PAST
ˈpo
3.plur
ʃaˈŋed
mammal
-a
plur
ˈno
and
ˈʋair
bird
-a
plur
sa
GEN
ˈde
the
ˈded
sound
-a
plur

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Zhi hiwazi ngi de gulu, ho dai ñi sa de paushu, rai saunga chaishi.

[ˈʒi hiˈʋazi ŋi ˈde ˈɡulu, ˈho dai ˈɲi sa ˈde ˈpauʃu, ˈrai ˈsauŋa ˈt͡ʃaiʃi]

ˈʒi
but
hiˈʋazi
arise
ŋi
PAST
ˈde
the
ˈɡul
langname
-i
sing
ˈho
RELPRON
dai
be
ˈɲi
1incl.plur
sa
GEN
ˈde
the
ˈpauʃ
language
-i
sing
ˈrai
in_inside
ˈsauŋa
different
ˈt͡ʃaiʃ
manner
-i
sing

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Jadasi ngi ngu zhi no razali rai shimi shalauzhu

[jaˈdasi ŋi ˈŋu ʒi ˈno raˈzali ˈrai ˈʃimi ʃaˈlauʒu]

jaˈdasi
appear
ŋi
PAST
ˈŋu
3.sing
ʒi
whole
ˈno
and
raˈzali
perfect
ˈrai
in_inside
ˈʃimi
single
ʃaˈlauʒ
breath
-i
sing

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Zhishagi ngi wagi ñi de paushu.

[ʒiˈʃaɡi ŋi ʋaɡi ˈɲi ˈde ˈpauʃu]

ʒiˈʃaɡi
evolve
ŋi
PAST
ʋaɡi
NEG
ˈɲi
1incl.plur
ˈde
the
ˈpauʃ
language
-i
sing

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Dusupu ngi ngu.

[duˈsupu ŋi ˈŋu]

diˈsupi
create
ŋi
PAST
ˈŋu
3.sing

“It was created.”

(14)

Language creation took 0.02 seconds; writing the texts 0.03 seconds.

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