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A Collection of Texts in Nyash

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.

Bomo to ṭi ngưsơfa no nc̣a zhiquefa ncebbefa gazhefo jơ c̣o ncơchưzơfo jơ.

[bomo to tˤi ŋɯsɤfa no ᵑǀˤa ʒikʷefa ᵑǀeɓefa ɡaʒefo jɤ ᵏǀˤo ᵑǀɤt͡ʃɯzɤfo jɤ]

bom
have -o
active to
PAST tˤi
all ŋɯs
human being -ɤf
ABS -a
def no
in ᵑǀˤa
whole ʒikʷ
earth -ef
ABS -a
def ᵑǀeɓ
surface -ef
ABS -a
def ɡaʒ
language -ef
ABS -o
not.def jɤ
one ᵏǀˤo
and ᵑǀɤt͡ʃɯz
dialect -ɤf
ABS -o
not.def jɤ
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.

Gwefewo to ẓơ do shưkơfa chuṣefa.

[ɡʷefeʋo to zˤɤ do ʃɯkɤfa t͡ʃusˤefa]

ɡʷefeʋ
journey -o
active to
PAST zˤɤ
3.anim do
from ʃɯk
east -ɤf
ABS -a
def t͡ʃusˤ
inside -ef
ABS -a
def

“They journeyed from the east.”

 (2)
C̣o tyeso to ẓơ petya ṣagwangefo no gwawefo chuṣefa.

[ᵏǀˤo t͡ɕeso to zˤɤ pet͡ɕa sˤaɡʷaŋefo no ɡʷaʋefo t͡ʃusˤefa]

ᵏǀˤo
and t͡ɕes
find -o
active to
PAST zˤɤ
3.anim pet͡ɕa
wide sˤaɡʷaŋ
plain -ef
ABS -o
not.def no
in ɡʷaʋ
land -ef
ABS -o
not.def t͡ʃusˤ
inside -ef
ABS -a
def

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

 (3)
Tuwa fiṣeko to ẓơ ṇe.

[tuʋa fisˤeko to zˤɤ nˤe]

tuʋa
thus fisˤek
dwell -o
active to
PAST zˤɤ
3.anim nˤe
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

 (4)

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

Bbongo to ẓơ ciziṇefo fe nubbo to bu ḍu c̣o ciziṇefo fe guko to bu ḍu jaṇi.

[ɓoŋo to zˤɤ ᵏǀizinˤefo fe nuɓo to bu dˤu ᵏǀˤo ᵏǀizinˤefo fe ɡuko to bu dˤu janˤi]

ɓoŋ
say -o
active to
PAST zˤɤ
3.anim ᵏǀizinˤ
brick -ef
ABS -o
not.def fe
1incl.SUBJ nuɓ
make -o
active to
imperative bu
COMP dˤu
1incl ᵏǀˤo
and ᵏǀizinˤ
brick -ef
ABS -o
not.def fe
1incl.SUBJ ɡuk
burn -o
active to
imperative bu
COMP dˤu
1incl janˤi
thoroughly

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

 (5)

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

Bomo to ẓơ ciziṇefo pungwa ñugabo.

[bomo to zˤɤ ᵏǀizinˤefo puŋʷa ɲuɡabo]

bom
have -o
active to
PAST zˤɤ
3.anim ᵏǀizinˤ
brick -ef
ABS -o
not.def puŋʷa
PURP ɲuɡ
stone -ab
LOC -o
not.def

“They had bricks for stone.”

 (6)
C̣o bomo to ẓơ ciñizhefo pungwa jaḍưtyabo.

[ᵏǀˤo bomo to zˤɤ ᵏǀiɲiʒefo puŋʷa jadˤɯt͡ɕabo]

ᵏǀˤo
and bom
have -o
active to
PAST zˤɤ
3.anim ᵏǀiɲiʒ
slime -ef
ABS -o
not.def puŋʷa
PURP jadˤɯt͡ɕ
mortar -ab
LOC -o
not.def

“And they had slime for mortar.”

 (7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Tyabosho be ḍu nge ngưsơfo.

[t͡ɕaboʃo be dˤu ŋe ŋɯsɤfo]

t͡ɕaboʃ
resemble -o
active be
NEG dˤu
1incl ŋe
other ŋɯs
human being -ɤf
ABS -o
not.def

“We do not resemble other humans.”

 (8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Ngepasho to tyafefo c̣o kơhơfo ẓơ gazhefa ga.

[ŋepaʃo to t͡ɕafefo ᵏǀˤo kɤhɤfo zˤɤ ɡaʒefa ɡa]

ŋepaʃ
shape -o
active to
PAST t͡ɕaf
fight -ef
ABS -o
not.def ᵏǀˤo
and kɤh
time -ɤf
ABS -o
not.def zˤɤ
3.anim ɡaʒ
language -ef
ABS -a
def ɡa
3.anim.POSS

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

 (9)

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

Ñichizho to ẓơ zhatyơhơfo c̣o ẓakefo ṇoṣefa ga.

[ɲit͡ʃiʒo to zˤɤ ʒat͡ɕɤhɤfo ᵏǀˤo zˤakefo nˤosˤefa ɡa]

ɲit͡ʃiʒ
copy -o
active to
PAST zˤɤ
3.anim ʒat͡ɕɤh
mammal -ɤf
ABS -o
not.def ᵏǀˤo
and zˤak
bird -ef
ABS -o
not.def nˤosˤ
sound -ef
ABS -a
def ɡa
3.anim.POSS

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

 (10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Ḍo pưṇưḍo to ñashefa, ẓư chiṇo gazhefa hu, no ñigwi fơmơfo chuṣefa.

[dˤo pɯnˤɯdˤo to ɲaʃefa, zˤɯ t͡ʃinˤo ɡaʒefa hu, no ɲiɡʷi fɤmɤfo t͡ʃusˤefa]

dˤo
but pɯnˤɯdˤ
arise -o
active to
PAST ɲaʃ
langname -ef
ABS -a
def zˤɯ
RELPRON t͡ʃinˤ
be -o
active ɡaʒ
language -ef
ABS -a
def hu
1incl.POSS no
in ɲiɡʷi
different fɤm
manner -ɤf
ABS -o
not.def t͡ʃusˤ
inside -ef
ABS -a
def

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

 (11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Bawasho to ẓơ nc̣a c̣o tiduka no tyobba basheṇefo chuṣefa

[baʋaʃo to zˤɤ ᵑǀˤa ᵏǀˤo tiduka no t͡ɕoɓa baʃenˤefo t͡ʃusˤefa]

baʋaʃ
appear -o
active to
PAST zˤɤ
3.anim ᵑǀˤa
whole ᵏǀˤo
and tiduka
perfect no
in t͡ɕoɓa
single baʃenˤ
breath -ef
ABS -o
not.def t͡ʃusˤ
inside -ef
ABS -a
def

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

 (12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Ncongwiṣo to be gazhefa hu.

[ᵑǀoŋʷisˤo to be ɡaʒefa hu]

ᵑǀoŋʷisˤ
evolve -o
active to
PAST be
NEG ɡaʒ
language -ef
ABS -a
def hu
1incl.POSS

“Our language did not evolve.”

 (13)
Nuẓiḍo to ẓơ.

[nuzˤidˤo to zˤɤ]

nuzˤidˤ
create -o
active to
PAST zˤɤ
3.anim

“It was created.”

 (14)

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