A Collection of Texts in Nagish

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.

Pishif ñyb hiñ jug sik shagw ñyb fagw gwis ncyd cauch kaus sad nawaij kaus.

[piʃif ɲyb hiɲ juɡ sik ʃaɡʷ ɲyb faɡʷ ɡʷis ᵑǀyd ᵏǀaut͡ʃ kaus sad nawaij kaus]

p-
3.SUBJ
iʃi
have
-f
PAST
ɲyb
the
hiɲ
all
juɡ
human being
sik
in
ʃaɡʷ
surface
ɲyb
the
faɡʷ
whole
ɡʷis
earth
ᵑǀyd
LOC
ᵏǀaut͡ʃ
language
kaus
one
sad
and
nawaij
dialect
kaus
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.

Pyjukyf ngañ sud nid ñyb kau chis.

[pyjukyf ŋaɲ sud nid ɲyb kau t͡ʃis]

p-
3.SUBJ
yjuky
journey
-f
PAST
ŋaɲ
3
sud
from
nid
inside
ɲyb
the
kau
east
t͡ʃis
ABL

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Sad paugaf ngañ dang wy’ gwigik sik nid dang gwan ncyd.

[sad pauɡaf ŋaɲ daŋ wy̰ ɡʷiɡik sik nid daŋ ɡʷan ᵑǀyd]

sad
and
p-
3.SUBJ
auɡa
find
-f
PAST
ŋaɲ
3
daŋ
a
wy̰
wide
ɡʷiɡik
plain
sik
in
nid
inside
daŋ
a
ɡʷan
land
ᵑǀyd
LOC

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

(3)
Ñañach piruhif ngañ dush.

[ɲaɲat͡ʃ piɾuhif ŋaɲ duʃ]

ɲaɲat͡ʃ
thus
p-
3.SUBJ
iɾuhi
dwell
-f
PAST
ŋaɲ
3
duʃ
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Papaf ngañ gwa’gw bingwyñ ribij by’ty hañ sad gwa’gw bingwyñ ri’bij by’ty hañ shichak.

[papaf ŋaɲ ɡʷa̰ɡʷ biŋʷyɲ ɾibij by̰t͡ɕ haɲ sad ɡʷa̰ɡʷ biŋʷyɲ ɾḭbij by̰t͡ɕ haɲ ʃit͡ʃak]

p-
3.SUBJ
apa
say
-f
PAST
ŋaɲ
3
ɡʷa̰ɡʷ
1incl
biŋʷyɲ
brick
ɾ-
1incl.SUBJ
ibi
make
-j
PRES
by̰t͡ɕ
imperative
haɲ
COMP
sad
and
ɡʷa̰ɡʷ
1incl
biŋʷyɲ
brick
ɾ-
1incl.SUBJ
ḭbi
burn
-j
PRES
by̰t͡ɕ
imperative
haɲ
COMP
ʃit͡ʃak
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Pishif ngañ bingwyñ ba’hat tij ncyd.

[piʃif ŋaɲ biŋʷyɲ ba̰hat tij ᵑǀyd]

p-
3.SUBJ
iʃi
have
-f
PAST
ŋaɲ
3
biŋʷyɲ
brick
ba̰hat
PURP
tij
stone
ᵑǀyd
LOC

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Sad pishif ngañ ncydy’g ba’hat ryryw ncyd.

[sad piʃif ŋaɲ ᵑǀydy̰ɡ ba̰hat ɾyɾyw ᵑǀyd]

sad
and
p-
3.SUBJ
iʃi
have
-f
PAST
ŋaɲ
3
ᵑǀydy̰ɡ
slime
ba̰hat
PURP
ɾyɾyw
mortar
ᵑǀyd
LOC

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Pauditaj quij gwa’gw ñach jug.

[pauditaj kʷij ɡʷa̰ɡʷ ɲat͡ʃ juɡ]

p-
3.SUBJ
audita
resemble
-j
PRES
kʷij
NEG
ɡʷa̰ɡʷ
1incl
ɲat͡ʃ
other
juɡ
human being

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Pajashyf daj sad ba ñyb cauch ngañ.

[pajaʃyf daj sad ba ɲyb ᵏǀaut͡ʃ ŋaɲ]

p-
3.SUBJ
ajaʃy
shape
-f
PAST
daj
fight
sad
and
ba
time
ɲyb
the
ᵏǀaut͡ʃ
language
ŋaɲ
3

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

(9)

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

Pingichif ngañ ñyb ra fysaug sad tak.

[piŋit͡ʃif ŋaɲ ɲyb ɾa fysauɡ sad tak]

p-
3.SUBJ
iŋit͡ʃi
copy
-f
PAST
ŋaɲ
3
ɲyb
the
ɾa
sound
fysauɡ
mammal
sad
and
tak
bird

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Kiñ paipyñy’f ñyb cauch gwa’gw pusaj hañ ñyb ngish sik nid dang jach ncit ncyd.

[kiɲ paipyɲy̰f ɲyb ᵏǀaut͡ʃ ɡʷa̰ɡʷ pusaj haɲ ɲyb ŋiʃ sik nid daŋ jat͡ʃ ᵑǀit ᵑǀyd]

kiɲ
but
p-
3.SUBJ
aipyɲy̰
arise
-f
PAST
ɲyb
the
ᵏǀaut͡ʃ
language
ɡʷa̰ɡʷ
1incl
p-
3.SUBJ
usa
be
-j
PRES
haɲ
COMP
ɲyb
the
ŋiʃ
langname
sik
in
nid
inside
daŋ
a
jat͡ʃ
different
ᵑǀit
manner
ᵑǀyd
LOC

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Panykaf ngañ fagw sad siwagw sik nid dang ngwang hywip ncyd

[panykaf ŋaɲ faɡʷ sad siwaɡʷ sik nid daŋ ŋʷaŋ hywip ᵑǀyd]

p-
3.SUBJ
anyka
appear
-f
PAST
ŋaɲ
3
faɡʷ
whole
sad
and
siwaɡʷ
perfect
sik
in
nid
inside
daŋ
a
ŋʷaŋ
single
hywip
breath
ᵑǀyd
LOC

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Paigwa’pif quij ñyb cauch gwa’gw.

[paiɡʷa̰pif kʷij ɲyb ᵏǀaut͡ʃ ɡʷa̰ɡʷ]

p-
3.SUBJ
aiɡʷa̰pi
evolve
-f
PAST
kʷij
NEG
ɲyb
the
ᵏǀaut͡ʃ
language
ɡʷa̰ɡʷ
1incl

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Pashatuf ngañ.

[paʃatuf ŋaɲ]

p-
3.SUBJ
aʃatu
create
-f
PAST
ŋaɲ
3

“It was created.”

(14)

Language creation took 0.04 seconds; writing the texts 0.03 seconds.

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