The Language Creator
– from linguistic questionnaire to grammar, lexicon and texts.

A Collection of Texts in Zupi

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.

Nuù gá kā di̠ soō piì mà laá bo̠ saǹ wií bo̠ san̄weēpí.

[nuː꜒꜖ ɡa꜖꜒ ka꜒ di꜖ soː꜒ piː꜒꜖ ma꜒꜖ laː꜖꜒ bo꜖ sã꜒꜖ wiː꜖꜒ bo꜖ sã꜒weː꜒pi꜖꜒]

nuː꜒꜖
have ɡa꜖꜒
PAST ka꜒
human being di꜖
all soː꜒
earth piː꜒꜖
whole ma꜒꜖
surface laː꜖꜒
in bo꜖
one sã꜒꜖
language wiː꜖꜒
and bo꜖
one sã꜒weː꜒pi꜖꜒
dialect

“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.

Pìdo̠ gá tā zuū muù pun̠.

[pi꜒꜖do꜖ ɡa꜖꜒ ta꜒ zuː꜒ muː꜒꜖ pũ꜖]

pi꜒꜖do꜖
journey ɡa꜖꜒
PAST ta꜒
3.masc zuː꜒
east muː꜒꜖
inside pũ꜖
from

“They journeyed from the east.”

 (2)
Wií minin̄ gá tā buùmańpa̠ hi̠ tí muù laá.

[wiː꜖꜒ mĩː꜒ ɡa꜖꜒ ta꜒ buː꜒꜖mã꜖꜒pa꜖ hi꜖ ti꜖꜒ muː꜒꜖ laː꜖꜒]

wiː꜖꜒
and mĩː꜒
find ɡa꜖꜒
PAST ta꜒
3.masc buː꜒꜖mã꜖꜒pa꜖
plain hi꜖
wide ti꜖꜒
land muː꜒꜖
inside laː꜖꜒
in

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

 (3)
Hii̠kinin̠ zùdaa̠ gá tā bi̠.

[hiː꜖kĩː꜖ zu꜒꜖daː꜖ ɡa꜖꜒ ta꜒ bi꜖]

hiː꜖kĩː꜖
thus zu꜒꜖daː꜖
dwell ɡa꜖꜒
PAST ta꜒
3.masc bi꜖
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

 (4)

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

Pè gá tā bī hòpàgódó sunuń ñaà wií bī duù sunuń ñaà hòpàgó sē no̠gií.

[pe꜒꜖ ɡa꜖꜒ ta꜒ bi꜒ ho꜒꜖pa꜒꜖ɡo꜖꜒do꜖꜒ sũː꜖꜒ ɲaː꜒꜖ wiː꜖꜒ bi꜒ duː꜒꜖ sũː꜖꜒ ɲaː꜒꜖ ho꜒꜖pa꜒꜖ɡo꜖꜒ se꜒ no꜖ɡiː꜖꜒]

pe꜒꜖
say ɡa꜖꜒
PAST ta꜒
3.masc bi꜒
1incl ho꜒꜖pa꜒꜖ɡo꜖꜒
brick -do꜖꜒
make sũː꜖꜒
imperative ɲaː꜒꜖
COMP wiː꜖꜒
and bi꜒
1incl duː꜒꜖
burn sũː꜖꜒
imperative ɲaː꜒꜖
COMP ho꜒꜖pa꜒꜖ɡo꜖꜒
brick se꜒
ACC no꜖ɡiː꜖꜒
thoroughly

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

 (5)

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

Nuù gá tā hòpàgó du̠ huùñiń.

[nuː꜒꜖ ɡa꜖꜒ ta꜒ ho꜒꜖pa꜒꜖ɡo꜖꜒ du꜖ huː꜒꜖ɲĩ꜖꜒]

nuː꜒꜖
have ɡa꜖꜒
PAST ta꜒
3.masc ho꜒꜖pa꜒꜖ɡo꜖꜒
brick du꜖
stone huː꜒꜖ɲĩ꜖꜒
PURP

“They had bricks for stone.”

 (6)
Wií nuù gá tā tòñi̠dunuń leétinin̠maǹ huùñiń.

[wiː꜖꜒ nuː꜒꜖ ɡa꜖꜒ ta꜒ to꜒꜖ɲi꜖dũː꜖꜒ leː꜖꜒tĩː꜖mã꜒꜖ huː꜒꜖ɲĩ꜖꜒]

wiː꜖꜒
and nuː꜒꜖
have ɡa꜖꜒
PAST ta꜒
3.masc to꜒꜖ɲi꜖dũː꜖꜒
slime leː꜖꜒tĩː꜖mã꜒꜖
mortar huː꜒꜖ɲĩ꜖꜒
PURP

“And they had slime for mortar.”

 (7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Buń zoōbò bī kā là.

[bũ꜖꜒ zoː꜒bo꜒꜖ bi꜒ ka꜒ la꜒꜖]

bũ꜖꜒
NEG zoː꜒bo꜒꜖
resemble bi꜒
1incl ka꜒
human being la꜒꜖
other

“We do not resemble other humans.”

 (8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Jūdaà gá hī wií be̠ tā mù saǹ.

[ju꜒daː꜒꜖ ɡa꜖꜒ hi꜒ wiː꜖꜒ be꜖ ta꜒ mu꜒꜖ sã꜒꜖]

ju꜒daː꜒꜖
shape ɡa꜖꜒
PAST hi꜒
fight wiː꜖꜒
and be꜖
time ta꜒
3.masc mu꜒꜖
GEN sã꜒꜖
language

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

 (9)

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

Gii̠bū gá tā sìba̠go̠ wií dan̠ mù wiī.

[ɡiː꜖bu꜒ ɡa꜖꜒ ta꜒ si꜒꜖ba꜖ɡo꜖ wiː꜖꜒ dã꜖ mu꜒꜖ wiː꜒]

ɡiː꜖bu꜒
copy ɡa꜖꜒
PAST ta꜒
3.masc si꜒꜖ba꜖ɡo꜖
mammal wiː꜖꜒
and dã꜖
bird mu꜒꜖
GEN wiː꜒
sound

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

 (10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Ná hòhū gá gu̠ ñaà bī mù saǹ zunun̠pì hi̠gī kuú muù laá.

[na꜖꜒ ho꜒꜖hu꜒ ɡa꜖꜒ ɡu꜖ ɲaː꜒꜖ bi꜒ mu꜒꜖ sã꜒꜖ zũː꜖pi꜒꜖ hi꜖ɡi꜒ kuː꜖꜒ muː꜒꜖ laː꜖꜒]

na꜖꜒
but ho꜒꜖hu꜒
arise ɡa꜖꜒
PAST ɡu꜖
be ɲaː꜒꜖
COMP bi꜒
1incl mu꜒꜖
GEN sã꜒꜖
language zũː꜖pi꜒꜖
langname hi꜖ɡi꜒
manner kuː꜖꜒
different muː꜒꜖
inside laː꜖꜒
in

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

 (11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Nùñà gá tā piì wií zàwi̠ ñādu̠wī mī muù laá

[nu꜒꜖ɲa꜒꜖ ɡa꜖꜒ ta꜒ piː꜒꜖ wiː꜖꜒ za꜒꜖wi꜖ ɲa꜒du꜖wi꜒ mi꜒ muː꜒꜖ laː꜖꜒]

nu꜒꜖ɲa꜒꜖
appear ɡa꜖꜒
PAST ta꜒
3.masc piː꜒꜖
whole wiː꜖꜒
and za꜒꜖wi꜖
perfect ɲa꜒du꜖wi꜒
breath mi꜒
single muː꜒꜖
inside laː꜖꜒
in

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

 (12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Buń ga̠baā gá bī saǹ.

[bũ꜖꜒ ɡa꜖baː꜒ ɡa꜖꜒ bi꜒ sã꜒꜖]

bũ꜖꜒
NEG ɡa꜖baː꜒
evolve ɡa꜖꜒
PAST bi꜒
1incl sã꜒꜖
language

“Our language did not evolve.”

 (13)
Lúzu̠ gá tā.

[lu꜖꜒zu꜖ ɡa꜖꜒ ta꜒]

lu꜖꜒zu꜖
create ɡa꜖꜒
PAST ta꜒
3.masc

“It was created.”

 (14)

Language creation took 0.01 seconds; writing the texts 0.03 seconds.

Show texts normally.