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A Collection of Texts in Gan

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.

ङ्त्वेक्वक्व्विः साबोःपुः फ़ोःषगोःपुः न्वि साफोःपुः क्वेमोःपुः क़विः दैतोःपुः क़विः ग्ऽ द्वैरोः स ग्ऽ क़एप्च्फ़ोः।

[ᵑǀɤkʷakʷɯ̰ saːbo̰pṵ fo̰ʃaɡo̰pṵ nɯ saːkʼʷo̰pṵ kʷemo̰pṵ kʼɯ̰ deːto̰pṵ kʼɯ̰ ɡai dɤːɾo̰ sa ɡai kʼepaufo̰]

ᵑǀɤ
have -kʷa
PAST -kʷɯ̰
active saːb
all -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def fo̰-
plur ʃaɡ
human being -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def nɯ
in saːkʼʷ
whole -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def kʷem
earth -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def kʼɯ̰
3.sing.cl.6.POSS deːt
surface -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def kʼɯ̰
3.sing.cl.6.POSS ɡai
one dɤːɾ
language -o̰
NOM sa
and ɡai
one kʼepauf
dialect -o̰
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.

सेषःक्वक्व्विः सिः सो द्ऽदोःपुः पैगोःपुः।

[seʃa̰kʷakʷɯ̰ sḭ so daido̰pṵ peːɡo̰pṵ]

seʃa̰
journey -kʷa
PAST -kʷɯ̰
active sḭ
3.plur.cl.5 so
from daid
east -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def peːɡ
inside -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def

“They journeyed from the east.”

 (2)
स क़उक्वक्व्विः सिः क़उबोःपुः म्वेष्विहोः न्वि रफोः पैगोःपुः क़विः।

[sa kʼukʷakʷɯ̰ sḭ kʼubo̰pṵ mɤʃɯho̰ nɯ ɾakʼʷo̰ peːɡo̰pṵ kʼɯ̰]

sa
and kʼu
find -kʷa
PAST -kʷɯ̰
active sḭ
3.plur.cl.5 kʼub
wide -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def mɤʃɯh
plain -o̰
NOM nɯ
in ɾakʼʷ
land -o̰
NOM peːɡ
inside -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def kʼɯ̰
3.sing.cl.6.POSS

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

 (3)
क़ओक़अ ह्वेन्वीक्वक्व्विः सिः षा।

[kʼokʼa hɤnɯːkʷakʷɯ̰ sḭ ʃaː]

kʼokʼa
thus hɤnɯː
dwell -kʷa
PAST -kʷɯ̰
active sḭ
3.plur.cl.5 ʃaː
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

 (4)

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

र्वेक्वक्व्विः सिः रीक्व्विः रु फ़ोःकक्वःफिः क्ति रुफ़ स दक्व्विः रु फ़ोःकक्वःफिः क्ति रुफ़ होक्वी।

[ɾɤkʷakʷɯ̰ sḭ ɾiːkʷɯ̰ ɾu fo̰kakʷa̰kʼʷḭ ᵏǀi ɾufa sa dakʷɯ̰ ɾu fo̰kakʷa̰kʼʷḭ ᵏǀi ɾufa hokɯː]

ɾɤ
say -kʷa
PAST -kʷɯ̰
active sḭ
3.plur.cl.5 ɾiː
make -kʷɯ̰
active ɾu
imperative fo̰-
plur kakʷa̰kʼʷ
brick -ḭ
ACC ᵏǀi
1incl.plur ɾufa
COMP sa
and da
burn -kʷɯ̰
active ɾu
imperative fo̰-
plur kakʷa̰kʼʷ
brick -ḭ
ACC ᵏǀi
1incl.plur ɾufa
COMP hokɯː
thoroughly

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

 (5)

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

ङ्त्वेक्वक्व्विः सिः कक्वःफोः पिःफ मोःफः।

[ᵑǀɤkʷakʷɯ̰ sḭ kakʷa̰kʼʷo̰ pḭkʼʷa mo̰kʼʷa̰]

ᵑǀɤ
have -kʷa
PAST -kʷɯ̰
active sḭ
3.plur.cl.5 kakʷa̰kʼʷ
brick -o̰
NOM pḭkʼʷa
PURP mo̰kʼʷ
stone -a̰
LOC

“They had bricks for stone.”

 (6)
स ङ्त्वेक्वक्व्विः सिः ह्विवेक़ओः पिःफ क़अप्वेषः।

[sa ᵑǀɤkʷakʷɯ̰ sḭ hɯwekʼo̰ pḭkʼʷa kʼapɤʃa̰]

sa
and ᵑǀɤ
have -kʷa
PAST -kʷɯ̰
active sḭ
3.plur.cl.5 hɯwekʼ
slime -o̰
NOM pḭkʼʷa
PURP kʼapɤʃ
mortar -a̰
LOC

“And they had slime for mortar.”

 (7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

क ङ्वेषक्व्विः क्ति मूरोःपुः फ़ोःषगोः क़विः।

[ka ŋɤʃakʷɯ̰ ᵏǀi muːɾo̰pṵ fo̰ʃaɡo̰ kʼɯ̰]

ka
NEG ŋɤʃa
resemble -kʷɯ̰
active ᵏǀi
1incl.plur muːɾ
other -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def fo̰-
plur ʃaɡ
human being -o̰
NOM kʼɯ̰
3.sing.cl.6.POSS

“We do not resemble other humans.”

 (8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

पुसुक्वक्व्विः पोक़ओः स फिमोः सिः फ़ोःद्वैरोःपुः वेः।

[pusukʷakʷɯ̰ pokʼo̰ sa kʼʷimo̰ sḭ fo̰dɤːɾo̰pṵ wḛ]

pusu
shape -kʷa
PAST -kʷɯ̰
active pokʼ
fight -o̰
NOM sa
and kʼʷim
time -o̰
NOM sḭ
3.plur.cl.5 fo̰-
plur dɤːɾ
language -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def wḛ
3.plur.cl.5.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.

फ़्वितोःक्वक्व्विः सिः फ़ोःरिदोःदोः स फ़ोःहोनोः फ़ोःनःफ़ोःपुः क्वि।

[fɯto̰kʷakʷɯ̰ sḭ fo̰ɾido̰do̰ sa fo̰hono̰ fo̰na̰fo̰pṵ kʷi]

fɯto̰
copy -kʷa
PAST -kʷɯ̰
active sḭ
3.plur.cl.5 fo̰-
plur ɾido̰d
mammal -o̰
NOM sa
and fo̰-
plur hon
bird -o̰
NOM fo̰-
plur na̰f
sound -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def kʷi
3.plur.cl.4.POSS

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

 (10)

But our language arose in a different way.

फ़ु फ़्विब्ऽक्वक्व्विः गनोःपुः, म्च् ङिक्व्विः द्वैरोःपुः गोः, न्वि षोवोःपुः फ़्च्क़ओः क़विः पैगोःपुः।

[fu fɯbaikʷakʷɯ̰ ɡano̰pṵ, mau ŋikʷɯ̰ dɤːɾo̰pṵ ɡo̰, nɯ ʃowo̰pṵ faukʼo̰ kʼɯ̰ peːɡo̰pṵ]

fu
but fɯbai
arise -kʷa
PAST -kʷɯ̰
active ɡan
langname -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def mau
RELPRON ŋi
be -kʷɯ̰
active dɤːɾ
language -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def ɡo̰
1incl.plur.POSS nɯ
in ʃow
different -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def faukʼ
manner -o̰
NOM kʼɯ̰
3.sing.cl.6.POSS peːɡ
inside -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def

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

 (11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

पेःफेक्वक्व्विः नो साफोःपुः क़विः स मिकिवोःपुः क़विः न्वि न्च्दोःपुः सोःब्वेरोः क़विः पैगोःपुः

[pḛkʼʷekʷakʷɯ̰ no saːkʼʷo̰pṵ kʼɯ̰ sa mikiwo̰pṵ kʼɯ̰ nɯ naudo̰pṵ so̰bɤɾo̰ kʼɯ̰ peːɡo̰pṵ]

pḛkʼʷe
appear -kʷa
PAST -kʷɯ̰
active no
3.sing.cl.6 saːkʼʷ
whole -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def kʼɯ̰
3.sing.cl.6.POSS sa
and mikiw
perfect -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def kʼɯ̰
3.sing.cl.6.POSS nɯ
in naud
single -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def so̰bɤɾ
breath -o̰
NOM kʼɯ̰
3.sing.cl.6.POSS peːɡ
inside -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

 (12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

क ग्विःक्व्वैक्वक्व्विः द्वैरोःपुः गोः।

[ka ɡɯ̰kʷɤːkʷakʷɯ̰ dɤːɾo̰pṵ ɡo̰]

ka
NEG ɡɯ̰kʷɤː
evolve -kʷa
PAST -kʷɯ̰
active dɤːɾ
language -o̰
NOM -pṵ
def ɡo̰
1incl.plur.POSS

“Our language did not evolve.”

 (13)
वोकक्वक्व्विः नो।

[wokakʷakʷɯ̰ no]

woka
create -kʷa
PAST -kʷɯ̰
active no
3.sing.cl.6

“It was created.”

 (14)

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