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A Collection of Texts in Zhuy

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.

Kadvtza charima éaminita che hityima jasinuta feezhinuta ñee lasinuyu fo ñee dakaaminuyu.

[kaˈdaut͡sa ˈt͡ʃaɾima ˈraminita ˈt͡ʃe ˈhit͡ɕima ˈd͡ʒasinuta ˈfeːʒinuta ˈɲeː ˈlasinuju ˈfo ˈɲeː daˈkaːminuju]

k-
POS ad-
PAST ˈaut͡sa
have ˈt͡ʃaɾ
all -ima
NOM ˈram
human being -in
NOM -i
plur -ta
def ˈt͡ʃe
in ˈhit͡ɕ
whole -ima
NOM ˈd͡ʒas
earth -in
NOM -u
sing -ta
def ˈfeːʒ
surface -in
NOM -u
sing -ta
def ˈɲeː
one ˈlas
language -in
NOM -u
sing -ju
not.def ˈfo
and ˈɲeː
one daˈkaːm
dialect -in
NOM -u
sing -ju
not.def

“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.

Kaditzatu henu wo piginuta figinuta.

[kaˈdit͡satu ˈhenu ˈʋo ˈpiɡinuta ˈfiɡinuta]

k-
POS ad-
PAST ˈit͡satu
journey ˈhe
3.plur.fem -nu
plur ˈʋo
from ˈpiɡ
east -in
NOM -u
sing -ta
def ˈfiɡ
inside -in
NOM -u
sing -ta
def

“They journeyed from the east.”

 (2)
Fo kadeetza henu tjaawu lcqima chabiipinuyu che tjaanu paachinuyu figinuta.

[ˈfo kaˈdeːt͡sa ˈhenu ˈcaːʋu ˈlaiɟima t͡ʃaˈbiːpinuju ˈt͡ʃe ˈcaːnu ˈpaːt͡ʃinuju ˈfiɡinuta]

ˈfo
and k-
POS ad-
PAST ˈeːt͡sa
find ˈhe
3.plur.fem -nu
plur ˈcaː
a -ʋu
masc ˈlaiɟ
wide -ima
NOM t͡ʃaˈbiːp
plain -in
NOM -u
sing -ju
not.def ˈt͡ʃe
in ˈcaː
a -nu
fem ˈpaːt͡ʃ
land -in
NOM -u
sing -ju
not.def ˈfiɡ
inside -in
NOM -u
sing -ta
def

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

 (3)
Paro kadczhusi henu tyu.

[paˈɾo kaˈdaiʒusi ˈhenu ˈt͡ɕu]

paˈɾo
thus k-
POS ad-
PAST ˈaiʒusi
dwell ˈhe
3.plur.fem -nu
plur ˈt͡ɕu
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

 (4)

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

Kadvtja henu yenu kingizaqiza fi ñunii fo yenu kewi fi ngizaquhiyu ñunii gifa.

[kaˈdauca ˈhenu ˈjenu kiŋiˈzaɟiza fi ɲuˈniː ˈfo ˈjenu ˈkeʋi fi ŋiˈzaɟuhiju ɲuˈniː ɡiˈfa]

k-
POS ad-
PAST ˈauca
say ˈhe
3.plur.fem -nu
plur ˈje
1incl.plur -nu
plur k-
POS i-
make₁ ŋiˈzaɟ
brick -iza
make₂ fi
imperative ɲuˈniː
COMP ˈfo
and ˈje
1incl.plur -nu
plur k-
POS ˈeʋi
burn fi
imperative ŋiˈzaɟ
brick -uh
ACC -i
plur -ju
not.def ɲuˈniː
COMP ɡiˈfa
thoroughly

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

 (5)

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

Kadvtza henu ngizaqinuyu dada botjamuyu.

[kaˈdaut͡sa ˈhenu ŋiˈzaɟinuju daˈda ˈbocamuju]

k-
POS ad-
PAST ˈaut͡sa
have ˈhe
3.plur.fem -nu
plur ŋiˈzaɟ
brick -in
NOM -u
sing -ju
not.def daˈda
PURP ˈboc
stone -am
LOC -u
sing -ju
not.def

“They had bricks for stone.”

 (6)
Fo kadvtza henu fufuuninuyu dada tawuñamuyu.

[ˈfo kaˈdaut͡sa ˈhenu fuˈfuːninuju daˈda taˈʋuɲamuju]

ˈfo
and k-
POS ad-
PAST ˈaut͡sa
have ˈhe
3.plur.fem -nu
plur fuˈfuːn
slime -in
NOM -u
sing -ju
not.def daˈda
PURP taˈʋuɲ
mortar -am
LOC -u
sing -ju
not.def

“And they had slime for mortar.”

 (7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Jaatusi yenu éiiéima éaminiyu.

[ˈd͡ʒaːtusi ˈjenu ˈriːrima ˈraminiju]

d͡ʒ-
NEG ˈaːtusi
resemble ˈje
1incl.plur -nu
plur ˈriːr
other -ima
NOM ˈram
human being -in
NOM -i
plur -ju
not.def

“We do not resemble other humans.”

 (8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Kadiifaji dcfinuyu fo miilinuyu henu lasinita.

[kaˈdiːfad͡ʒi ˈdaifinuju ˈfo ˈmiːlinuju ˈhenu ˈlasinita]

k-
POS ad-
PAST ˈiːfad͡ʒi
shape ˈdaif
fight -in
NOM -u
sing -ju
not.def ˈfo
and ˈmiːl
time -in
NOM -u
sing -ju
not.def ˈhe
3.plur.fem -nu
plur ˈlas
language -in
NOM -i
plur -ta
def

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

 (9)

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

Kadctjangu henu huyuqatyiyu fo tiratyiyu tjokinita.

[kaˈdaicaŋu ˈhenu huˈjuɟat͡ɕiju ˈfo ˈtiɾat͡ɕiju ˈcokinita]

k-
POS ad-
PAST ˈaicaŋu
copy ˈhe
3.plur.fem -nu
plur huˈjuɟ
mammal -at͡ɕ
GEN -i
plur -ju
not.def ˈfo
and ˈtiɾ
bird -at͡ɕ
GEN -i
plur -ju
not.def ˈcok
sound -in
NOM -i
plur -ta
def

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

 (10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Na kadcsama zhuyinuta, matja kvchi yenu lasinuta, che tjaadi chuuchima dañinuyu figinuta.

[ˈna kaˈdaisama ˈʒujinuta, ˈmaca ˈkaut͡ʃi ˈjenu ˈlasinuta, ˈt͡ʃe ˈcaːdi ˈt͡ʃuːt͡ʃima ˈdaɲinuju ˈfiɡinuta]

ˈna
but k-
POS ad-
PAST ˈaisama
arise ˈʒuj
langname -in
NOM -u
sing -ta,
def ˈma
RELPRON -ca
sing k-
POS ˈaut͡ʃi
be ˈje
1incl.plur -nu
plur ˈlas
language -in
NOM -u
sing -ta,
def ˈt͡ʃe
in ˈcaː
a -di
neut ˈt͡ʃuːt͡ʃ
different -ima
NOM ˈdaɲ
manner -in
NOM -u
sing -ju
not.def ˈfiɡ
inside -in
NOM -u
sing -ta
def

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

 (11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Kadañitzi tyiitja hityima fo qazvshima che tjaadi qitzima pahvwinuyu figinuta

[kaˈdaɲit͡si ˈt͡ɕiːca ˈhit͡ɕima ˈfo ɟaˈzauʃima ˈt͡ʃe ˈcaːdi ˈɟit͡sima paˈhauʋinuju ˈfiɡinuta]

k-
POS ad-
PAST ˈaɲit͡si
appear ˈt͡ɕiː
3.sing.neut -ca
sing ˈhit͡ɕ
whole -ima
NOM ˈfo
and ɟaˈzauʃ
perfect -ima
NOM ˈt͡ʃe
in ˈcaː
a -di
neut ˈɟit͡s
single -ima
NOM paˈhauʋ
breath -in
NOM -u
sing -ju
not.def ˈfiɡ
inside -in
NOM -u
sing -ta
def

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

 (12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Jadctjaña yenu lasinuta.

[d͡ʒaˈdaicaɲa ˈjenu ˈlasinuta]

d͡ʒ-
NEG ad-
PAST ˈaicaɲa
evolve ˈje
1incl.plur -nu
plur ˈlas
language -in
NOM -u
sing -ta
def

“Our language did not evolve.”

 (13)
Kadamaña tyiitja.

[kaˈdamaɲa ˈt͡ɕiːca]

k-
POS ad-
PAST ˈamaɲa
create ˈt͡ɕiː
3.sing.neut -ca
sing

“It was created.”

 (14)

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