A Collection of Texts in Kenicha

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.

Ni ti nana chachi chechi tu nucha niti chaki to to ke keche ti ke ninachate.

[ni ti nana t͡ʃat͡ʃi t͡ʃet͡ʃi tu nut͡ʃa niti t͡ʃaki to to ke ket͡ʃe ti ke ninat͡ʃate]

ni
then
ti
PAST
nana
have
t͡ʃat͡ʃi
all
t͡ʃet͡ʃi
human being
tu
in
nut͡ʃa
surface
niti
whole
t͡ʃaki
earth
to
the
to
the
ke
one
ket͡ʃe
language
ti
and
ke
one
ninat͡ʃate
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.

Ti tanatichi nuta te nani kaki to.

[ti tanatit͡ʃi nuta te nani kaki to]

ti
PAST
tanatit͡ʃi
journey
nuta
3
te
from
nani
inside
kaki
east
to
the

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Ni ti kicha nuta tinate kenichane tu nani teni.

[ni ti kit͡ʃa nuta tinate kenit͡ʃane tu nani teni]

ni
then
ti
PAST
kit͡ʃa
find
nuta
3
tinate
wide
kenit͡ʃane
plain
tu
in
nani
inside
teni
land

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

(3)
Tika ti kukokuku nuta chu.

[tika ti kukokuku nuta t͡ʃu]

tika
thus
ti
PAST
kukokuku
dwell
nuta
3
t͡ʃu
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Ti kucha nuta nona te te nachi konotaka ti nona te te kite konotaka nineke.

[ti kut͡ʃa nuta nona te te nat͡ʃi konotaka ti nona te te kite konotaka nineke]

ti
PAST
kut͡ʃa
say
nuta
3
nona
1incl
te
imperative
te
COMP
nat͡ʃi
make
konotaka
brick
ti
and
nona
1incl
te
imperative
te
COMP
kite
burn
konotaka
brick
nineke
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Ti nana nuta konotaka nakuka kata.

[ti nana nuta konotaka nakuka kata]

ti
PAST
nana
have
nuta
3
konotaka
brick
nakuka
PURP
kata
stone

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Ti ti nana nuta nineticha nakuka chanuchachu.

[ti ti nana nuta ninetit͡ʃa nakuka t͡ʃanut͡ʃat͡ʃu]

ti
and
ti
PAST
nana
have
nuta
3
ninetit͡ʃa
slime
nakuka
PURP
t͡ʃanut͡ʃat͡ʃu
mortar

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Ni kanukoku na nona niche chechi.

[ni kanukoku na nona nit͡ʃe t͡ʃet͡ʃi]

ni
then
kanukoku
resemble
na
NEG
nona
1incl
nit͡ʃe
other
t͡ʃet͡ʃi
human being

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Ti chanichati kecha ti kono keche to nuta cha.

[ti t͡ʃanit͡ʃati ket͡ʃa ti kono ket͡ʃe to nuta t͡ʃa]

ti
PAST
t͡ʃanit͡ʃati
shape
ket͡ʃa
fight
ti
and
kono
time
ket͡ʃe
language
to
the
nuta
3
t͡ʃa
GEN

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

(9)

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

Ti chakenane nuta kita to ninaneki ti chine cha.

[ti t͡ʃakenane nuta kita to ninaneki ti t͡ʃine t͡ʃa]

ti
PAST
t͡ʃakenane
copy
nuta
3
kita
sound
to
the
ninaneki
mammal
ti
and
t͡ʃine
bird
t͡ʃa
GEN

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Ni ti tenekena kichi kenicha to keche to nona cha tu nani nechicha tichechi.

[ni ti tenekena kit͡ʃi kenit͡ʃa to ket͡ʃe to nona t͡ʃa tu nani net͡ʃit͡ʃa tit͡ʃet͡ʃi]

ni
then
ti
PAST
tenekena
arise
kit͡ʃi
be
kenit͡ʃa
langname
to
the
ket͡ʃe
language
to
the
nona
1incl
t͡ʃa
GEN
tu
in
nani
inside
net͡ʃit͡ʃa
different
tit͡ʃet͡ʃi
manner

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Ni ti kutokanu nuta niti ti kakiteki tu nani tukata nechanike

[ni ti kutokanu nuta niti ti kakiteki tu nani tukata net͡ʃanike]

ni
then
ti
PAST
kutokanu
appear
nuta
3
niti
whole
ti
and
kakiteki
perfect
tu
in
nani
inside
tukata
single
net͡ʃanike
breath

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Ti kakutunu na keche to nona cha.

[ti kakutunu na ket͡ʃe to nona t͡ʃa]

ti
PAST
kakutunu
evolve
na
NEG
ket͡ʃe
language
to
the
nona
1incl
t͡ʃa
GEN

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Ti netaticha nuta.

[ti netatit͡ʃa nuta]

ti
PAST
netatit͡ʃa
create
nuta
3

“It was created.”

(14)

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

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