A Collection of Texts in Nab

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.

Квећэд̇ ћер̇ вањ с̇иимуд ғвэз̇ ғвииф вањ фүүчут рөф кағут сод̇ хвир хөжообут сод̇.

[ˈkʷet͡ɕɛɖ t͡ɕeɽ ˈʋaɲ ˈʂiːmud ˈɣʷɛʐ ˈɣʷiːf ˈʋaɲ ˈfyːt͡ʃut ˈɾøf ˈkaɣut ˈsoɖ ˈxʷiɾ xøˈʒoːbut ˈsoɖ]

kʷ-
POS
e-
active
ˈt͡ɕɛɖ
have
t͡ɕeɽ
PAST
ˈʋaɲ
the
ˈʂiːm
human being
-ud
plur
ˈɣʷɛʐ
all
ˈɣʷiːf
in_surface
ˈʋaɲ
the
ˈfyːt͡ʃ
earth
-ut
sing
ˈɾøf
whole
ˈkaɣ
language
-ut
sing
ˈsoɖ
one
ˈxʷiɾ
and
xøˈʒoːb
dialect
-ut
sing
ˈsoɖ
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.

Квеґвөвүн ћер̇ ґаўғв дөѳ вањ зӧӧпут.

[ˈkʷeɡʷøʋyn t͡ɕeɽ ˈɡauɣʷ ˈdøθ ˈʋaɲ ˈzœːput]

kʷ-
POS
e-
active
ˈɡʷøʋyn
journey
t͡ɕeɽ
PAST
ˈɡauɣʷ
3.plur
ˈdøθ
from_inside
ˈʋaɲ
the
ˈzœːp
east
-ut
sing

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Хвир квеғӧд̇ ћер̇ ґаўғв јон хағихут чеш буд̇ јон ґэѳут.

[ˈxʷiɾ ˈkʷeɣœɖ t͡ɕeɽ ˈɡauɣʷ ˈjɔn xaˈɣixut ˈt͡ʃeʃ ˈbuɖ ˈjɔn ˈɡɛθut]

ˈxʷiɾ
and
kʷ-
POS
e-
active
ˈɣœɖ
find
t͡ɕeɽ
PAST
ˈɡauɣʷ
3.plur
ˈjɔn
a
xaˈɣix
plain
-ut
sing
ˈt͡ʃeʃ
wide
ˈbuɖ
in_inside
ˈjɔn
a
ˈɡɛθ
land
-ut
sing

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

(3)
Гүдоош квечааћүж ћер̇ ґаўғв д̇аз̇.

[hyˈdɔːʃ ˈkʷet͡ʃaːt͡ɕyʒ t͡ɕeɽ ˈɡauɣʷ ˈɖaʐ]

hyˈdɔːʃ
thus
kʷ-
POS
e-
active
ˈt͡ʃaːt͡ɕyʒ
dwell
t͡ɕeɽ
PAST
ˈɡauɣʷ
3.plur
ˈɖaʐ
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Квехөт ћер̇ ґаўғв квенэњуғв ғөхөөдуд ґуч хвир квезаањуғв ғөхөөдуд з̇анид ґуч.

[ˈkʷexøt t͡ɕeɽ ˈɡauɣʷ ˈkʷenɛɲuɣʷ ɣøˈxøːdud ˈɡut͡ʃ ˈxʷiɾ ˈkʷezaːɲuɣʷ ɣøˈxøːdud ʐaˈnid ˈɡut͡ʃ]

kʷ-
POS
e-
active
ˈxøt
say
t͡ɕeɽ
PAST
ˈɡauɣʷ
3.plur
kʷ-
POS
e-
active
ˈnɛɲ
make
-uɣʷ
imperative
ɣøˈxøːd
brick
-ud
plur
ˈɡut͡ʃ
1incl.plur
ˈxʷiɾ
and
kʷ-
POS
e-
active
ˈzaːɲ
burn
-uɣʷ
imperative
ɣøˈxøːd
brick
-ud
plur
ʐaˈnid
thoroughly
ˈɡut͡ʃ
1incl.plur

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

(5)

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

Квећэд̇ ћер̇ ґаўғв ғөхөөдут хвөхуґв ґикут.

[ˈkʷet͡ɕɛɖ t͡ɕeɽ ˈɡauɣʷ ɣøˈxøːdut xʷøˈxuɡʷ ˈɡikut]

kʷ-
POS
e-
active
ˈt͡ɕɛɖ
have
t͡ɕeɽ
PAST
ˈɡauɣʷ
3.plur
ɣøˈxøːd
brick
-ut
sing
xʷøˈxuɡʷ
PURP
ˈɡik
stone
-ut
sing

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Хвир квећэд̇ ћер̇ ґаўғв ґвиквүфут хвөхуґв ћиғвис̇ут.

[ˈxʷiɾ ˈkʷet͡ɕɛɖ t͡ɕeɽ ˈɡauɣʷ ɡʷiˈkʷyfut xʷøˈxuɡʷ t͡ɕiˈɣʷiʂut]

ˈxʷiɾ
and
kʷ-
POS
e-
active
ˈt͡ɕɛɖ
have
t͡ɕeɽ
PAST
ˈɡauɣʷ
3.plur
ɡʷiˈkʷyf
slime
-ut
sing
xʷøˈxuɡʷ
PURP
t͡ɕiˈɣʷiʂ
mortar
-ut
sing

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Ґеғоха ґуч с̇иимуд ғѧњ.

[ˈɡeɣɔxa ˈɡut͡ʃ ˈʂiːmud ˈɣə̃ɲ]

ɡ-
NEG
e-
active
ˈɣɔxa
resemble
ˈɡut͡ʃ
1incl.plur
ˈʂiːm
human being
-ud
plur
ˈɣə̃ɲ
other

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Квезоғвөз ћер̇ вер̇ут хвир јайпут вањ кағуд ґаўғв.

[ˈkʷezɔɣʷøz t͡ɕeɽ ˈʋeɽut ˈxʷiɾ ˈjaiput ˈʋaɲ ˈkaɣud ˈɡauɣʷ]

kʷ-
POS
e-
active
ˈzɔɣʷøz
shape
t͡ɕeɽ
PAST
ˈʋeɽ
fight
-ut
sing
ˈxʷiɾ
and
ˈjaip
time
-ut
sing
ˈʋaɲ
the
ˈkaɣ
language
-ud
plur
ˈɡauɣʷ
3.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.

Квевужүн ћер̇ ґаўғв вањ сэґуд ћешегудиф хвир ґвөрудиф.

[ˈkʷeʋuʒyn t͡ɕeɽ ˈɡauɣʷ ˈʋaɲ ˈsɛɡud t͡ɕeˈʃehudif ˈxʷiɾ ˈɡʷøɾudif]

kʷ-
POS
e-
active
ˈʋuʒyn
copy
t͡ɕeɽ
PAST
ˈɡauɣʷ
3.plur
ˈʋaɲ
the
ˈsɛɡ
sound
-ud
plur
t͡ɕeˈʃeh
mammal
-ud
plur
-if
GEN
ˈxʷiɾ
and
ˈɡʷøɾ
bird
-ud
plur
-if
GEN

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Сайх квехварүґ ћер̇ кветуғ вањ кағут ґуч вањ набут буд̇ јон ћӧхвут ғоґ.

[ˈsaix ˈkʷexʷaɾyɡ t͡ɕeɽ ˈkʷetuɣ ˈʋaɲ ˈkaɣut ˈɡut͡ʃ ˈʋaɲ ˈnabut ˈbuɖ ˈjɔn ˈt͡ɕœxʷut ˈɣoɡ]

ˈsaix
but
kʷ-
POS
e-
active
ˈxʷaɾyɡ
arise
t͡ɕeɽ
PAST
kʷ-
POS
e-
active
ˈtuɣ
be
ˈʋaɲ
the
ˈkaɣ
language
-ut
sing
ˈɡut͡ʃ
1incl.plur
ˈʋaɲ
the
ˈnab
langname
-ut
sing
ˈbuɖ
in_inside
ˈjɔn
a
ˈt͡ɕœxʷ
manner
-ut
sing
ˈɣoɡ
different

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Квеґвијаґ ћер̇ ѳаўз̇ рөф хвир сихәәнхв буд̇ јон ґоз̇ахвут хваж

[ˈkʷeɡʷijaɡ t͡ɕeɽ ˈθauʐ ˈɾøf ˈxʷiɾ siˈxə̃ːxʷ ˈbuɖ ˈjɔn ɡoˈʐaxʷut ˈxʷaʒ]

kʷ-
POS
e-
active
ˈɡʷijaɡ
appear
t͡ɕeɽ
PAST
ˈθauʐ
3.sing
ˈɾøf
whole
ˈxʷiɾ
and
siˈxə̃ːxʷ
perfect
ˈbuɖ
in_inside
ˈjɔn
a
ɡoˈʐaxʷ
breath
-ut
sing
ˈxʷaʒ
single

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Ґедот̇үкв ћер̇ вањ кағут ґуч.

[ˈɡedɔʈykʷ t͡ɕeɽ ˈʋaɲ ˈkaɣut ˈɡut͡ʃ]

ɡ-
NEG
e-
active
ˈdɔʈykʷ
evolve
t͡ɕeɽ
PAST
ˈʋaɲ
the
ˈkaɣ
language
-ut
sing
ˈɡut͡ʃ
1incl.plur

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Квесаўбүр ћер̇ ѳаўз̇.

[ˈkʷesaubyɾ t͡ɕeɽ ˈθauʐ]

kʷ-
POS
e-
active
ˈsaubyɾ
create
t͡ɕeɽ
PAST
ˈθauʐ
3.sing

“It was created.”

(14)

Language creation took 0.06 seconds; writing the texts 0.04 seconds.

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