A Collection of Texts in Raf

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.

Hiğum piif farr nogung mem piif pim chabung harr shaj zhairrung hauf shaj wağedung.

[ˈhiɣum ˈpiːf ˈfar ˈnoɡuŋ ˈmem ˈpiːf ˈpim ˈt͡ʃabuŋ har ˈʃaj ˈʒairuŋ ˈhauf ˈʃaj ʋaˈɣeduŋ]

h-
active
ˈiɣ
have
-u
PAST
-m
indicative
ˈpiːf
the
ˈfar
all
ˈnoɡ
human being
-uŋ
NOM
ˈmem
in_surface
ˈpiːf
the
ˈpim
whole
ˈt͡ʃab
earth
-uŋ
NOM
har
plur
ˈʃaj
one
ˈʒair
language
-uŋ
NOM
ˈhauf
and
ˈʃaj
one
ʋaˈɣed
dialect
-uŋ
NOM

“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.

Hamumum leem ding piif zozung.

[haˈmumum ˈleːm ˈdiŋ ˈpiːf ˈzozuŋ]

h-
active
ˈamum
journey
-u
PAST
-m
indicative
ˈleːm
3.plur
ˈdiŋ
from_inside
ˈpiːf
the
ˈzoz
east
-uŋ
NOM

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Hauf hehum leem chit tukhizung ñeeñ pirung.

[ˈhauf ˈhehum ˈleːm ˈt͡ʃit tuˈxizuŋ ˈɲeːɲ ˈpiɾuŋ]

ˈhauf
and
h-
active
ˈeh
find
-u
PAST
-m
indicative
ˈleːm
3.plur
ˈt͡ʃit
wide
tuˈxiz
plain
-uŋ
NOM
ˈɲeːɲ
in_inside
ˈpiɾ
land
-uŋ
NOM

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

(3)
Jazil hazhashum leem bob.

[jaˈzil haˈʒaʃum ˈleːm ˈbob]

jaˈzil
thus
h-
active
ˈaʒaʃ
dwell
-u
PAST
-m
indicative
ˈleːm
3.plur
ˈbob
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Hiñum leem hib huuchikh ngağuufud harr shipif hauf hib haangikh ngağuufud harr shipif hibim.

[ˈhiɲum ˈleːm ˈhib ˈhuːt͡ʃix ŋaˈɣuːfud har ʃiˈpif ˈhauf ˈhib ˈhaːŋix ŋaˈɣuːfud har ʃiˈpif hiˈbim]

h-
active
ˈiɲ
say
-u
PAST
-m
indicative
ˈleːm
3.plur
ˈhib
1incl.plur
h-
active
ˈuːt͡ʃ
make
-i
PRES
-x
imperative
ŋaˈɣuːf
brick
-ud
ACC
har
plur
ʃiˈpif
COMP
ˈhauf
and
ˈhib
1incl.plur
h-
active
ˈaːŋ
burn
-i
PRES
-x
imperative
ŋaˈɣuːf
brick
-ud
ACC
har
plur
ʃiˈpif
COMP
hiˈbim
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Hiğum leem ngağuufung lañaarr hingung.

[ˈhiɣum ˈleːm ŋaˈɣuːfuŋ laˈɲaːr ˈhiŋuŋ]

h-
active
ˈiɣ
have
-u
PAST
-m
indicative
ˈleːm
3.plur
ŋaˈɣuːf
brick
-uŋ
NOM
laˈɲaːr
PURP
ˈhiŋ
stone
-uŋ
NOM

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Hauf hiğum leem gifaikhung lañaarr zhajamung.

[ˈhauf ˈhiɣum ˈleːm ɡiˈfaixuŋ laˈɲaːr ʒaˈjamuŋ]

ˈhauf
and
h-
active
ˈiɣ
have
-u
PAST
-m
indicative
ˈleːm
3.plur
ɡiˈfaix
slime
-uŋ
NOM
laˈɲaːr
PURP
ʒaˈjam
mortar
-uŋ
NOM

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Paw haushazhim hib zerr nogung harr.

[paʋ hauˈʃaʒim ˈhib ˈzer ˈnoɡuŋ har]

paʋ
NEG
h-
active
ˈauʃaʒ
resemble
-i
PRES
-m
indicative
ˈhib
1incl.plur
ˈzer
other
ˈnoɡ
human being
-uŋ
NOM
har
plur

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Hetishum dizung hauf ğuutung leem piif zhairrung harr.

[heˈtiʃum ˈdizuŋ ˈhauf ˈɣuːtuŋ ˈleːm ˈpiːf ˈʒairuŋ har]

h-
active
ˈetiʃ
shape
-u
PAST
-m
indicative
ˈdiz
fight
-uŋ
NOM
ˈhauf
and
ˈɣuːt
time
-uŋ
NOM
ˈleːm
3.plur
ˈpiːf
the
ˈʒair
language
-uŋ
NOM
har
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.

Hadaskum leem shafiğit harr hauf puuzit harr harr piif tazung harr.

[haˈdaskum ˈleːm ʃaˈfiɣit har ˈhauf ˈpuːzit har har ˈpiːf ˈtazuŋ har]

h-
active
ˈadask
copy
-u
PAST
-m
indicative
ˈleːm
3.plur
ʃaˈfiɣ
mammal
-it
GEN
har
plur
ˈhauf
and
ˈpuːz
bird
-it
GEN
har
plur
har
plur
ˈpiːf
the
ˈtaz
sound
-uŋ
NOM
har
plur

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Khaazh halibum piif rraafung, lu hochim hib piif zhairrung, ñeeñ zhaiñ jachung.

[ˈxaːʒ haˈlibum ˈpiːf ˈraːfuŋ, ˈlu ˈhot͡ʃim ˈhib ˈpiːf ˈʒairuŋ, ˈɲeːɲ ˈʒaiɲ ˈjat͡ʃuŋ]

ˈxaːʒ
but
h-
active
ˈalib
arise
-u
PAST
-m
indicative
ˈpiːf
the
ˈraːf
langname
-uŋ
NOM
ˈlu
RELPRON
h-
active
ˈot͡ʃ
be
-i
PRES
-m
indicative
ˈhib
1incl.plur
ˈpiːf
the
ˈʒair
language
-uŋ
NOM
ˈɲeːɲ
in_inside
ˈʒaiɲ
different
ˈjat͡ʃ
manner
-uŋ
NOM

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Hanawum gazh pim hauf ruchin ñeeñ wip shuzhingung

[haˈnaʋum ˈɡaʒ ˈpim ˈhauf ɾuˈt͡ʃin ˈɲeːɲ ˈʋip ʃuˈʒiŋuŋ]

h-
active
ˈanaʋ
appear
-u
PAST
-m
indicative
ˈɡaʒ
3.sing
ˈpim
whole
ˈhauf
and
ɾuˈt͡ʃin
perfect
ˈɲeːɲ
in_inside
ˈʋip
single
ʃuˈʒiŋ
breath
-uŋ
NOM

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Paw hichubum hib piif zhairrung.

[paʋ hiˈt͡ʃubum ˈhib ˈpiːf ˈʒairuŋ]

paʋ
NEG
h-
active
ˈit͡ʃub
evolve
-u
PAST
-m
indicative
ˈhib
1incl.plur
ˈpiːf
the
ˈʒair
language
-uŋ
NOM

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Haamiğum gazh.

[haːˈmiɣum ˈɡaʒ]

h-
active
ˈaːmiɣ
create
-u
PAST
-m
indicative
ˈɡaʒ
3.sing

“It was created.”

(14)

Language creation took 0.02 seconds; writing the texts 0.04 seconds.

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