A Collection of Texts in Nipu

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.

Doo jo fe ma għi fe he fee da ği ħgi qa qaa di ñoħħaako qaa.

[doː jo fe ma ʕi fe he feː da ʡi ɢi qa qaː di ɲoʜaːko qaː]

doː
have
jo
PAST
fe
the
ma
all
ʕi
human being
fe
the
he
whole
feː
earth
da
surface
ʡi
LOC
ɢi
in
qa
language
qaː
one
di
and
ɲoʜaːko
dialect
qaː
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.

Fiigħuwee jo hu fe qee ko mee kii.

[fiːʕuʋeː jo hu fe qeː ko meː kiː]

fiːʕuʋeː
journey
jo
PAST
hu
3
fe
the
qeː
east
ko
inside
meː
ABL
kiː
from

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Di wu jo hu roko pee’ate tii ko ği ħgi.

[di ʋu jo hu ɾoko peːʔate tiː ko ʡi ɢi]

di
and
ʋu
find
jo
PAST
hu
3
ɾoko
wide
peːʔate
plain
tiː
land
ko
inside
ʡi
LOC
ɢi
in

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

(3)
Reeduu simura jo hu daa.

[ɾeːduː simuɾa jo hu daː]

ɾeːduː
thus
simuɾa
dwell
jo
PAST
hu
3
daː
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Moo jo hu nee zefiqu wuu go fe baa di nee zefiqu wuu ’ee fe bija baa.

[moː jo hu neː zefiqu ʋuː ɡo fe baː di neː zefiqu ʋuː ʔeː fe bija baː]

moː
say
jo
PAST
hu
3
neː
1incl
zefiqu
brick
ʋuː
ACC
ɡo
make
fe
imperative
baː
GEN
di
and
neː
1incl
zefiqu
brick
ʋuː
ACC
ʔeː
burn
fe
imperative
bija
thoroughly
baː
GEN

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

(5)

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

Doo jo hu zefiqu qo ği koñaa.

[doː jo hu zefiqu qo ʡi koɲaː]

doː
have
jo
PAST
hu
3
zefiqu
brick
qo
stone
ʡi
LOC
koɲaː
PURP

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Di doo jo hu ruuhaafi ’iigeno ği koñaa.

[di doː jo hu ɾuːhaːfi ʔiːɡeno ʡi koɲaː]

di
and
doː
have
jo
PAST
hu
3
ɾuːhaːfi
slime
ʔiːɡeno
mortar
ʡi
LOC
koɲaː
PURP

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Qiweewa ru nee ñi għi.

[qiʋeːʋa ɾu neː ɲi ʕi]

qiʋeːʋa
resemble
ɾu
NEG
neː
1incl
ɲi
other
ʕi
human being

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Ħħiğaazu jo ħge di wii hu baa fe qa.

[ʜiʡaːzu jo ɢe di ʋiː hu baː fe qa]

ʜiʡaːzu
shape
jo
PAST
ɢe
fight
di
and
ʋiː
time
hu
3
baː
GEN
fe
the
qa
language

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

(9)

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

Ğipa’i jo hu miñisi di ño baa fe ja.

[ʡipaʔi jo hu miɲisi di ɲo baː fe ja]

ʡipaʔi
copy
jo
PAST
hu
3
miɲisi
mammal
di
and
ɲo
bird
baː
GEN
fe
the
ja
sound

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Ğii ge’ahe jo nee baa fe qa ħħi fe nipu qagħa ħħigu ko ği ħgi.

[ʡiː ɡeʔahe jo neː baː fe qa ʜi fe nipu qaʕa ʜiɡu ko ʡi ɢi]

ʡiː
but
ɡeʔahe
arise
jo
PAST
neː
1incl
baː
GEN
fe
the
qa
language
ʜi
be
fe
the
nipu
langname
qaʕa
different
ʜiɡu
manner
ko
inside
ʡi
LOC
ɢi
in

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Tañoosa jo hu he di da’uujo miqa ñiħgazi ko ği ħgi

[taɲoːsa jo hu he di daʔuːjo miqa ɲiɢazi ko ʡi ɢi]

taɲoːsa
appear
jo
PAST
hu
3
he
whole
di
and
daʔuːjo
perfect
miqa
single
ɲiɢazi
breath
ko
inside
ʡi
LOC
ɢi
in

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

’agiñi jo ru nee fe qa.

[ʔaɡiɲi jo ɾu neː fe qa]

ʔaɡiɲi
evolve
jo
PAST
ɾu
NEG
neː
1incl
fe
the
qa
language

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Modizuu jo hu.

[modizuː jo hu]

modizuː
create
jo
PAST
hu
3

“It was created.”

(14)

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

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