A Collection of Texts in Zhush

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 na gü tjoèukidu bi mütjükudu dr gu hijuku gi gu fafaachuku.

[ˈni na ɡy ˈcoɟukidu bi ˈmycykudu ˈdau ˈɡu ˈhid͡ʒuku ˈɡi ˈɡu faˈfaːt͡ʃuku]

ˈni
have
na
PAST
ɡy
all
ˈcoɟ
human being
-uk
NOM
-i
plur
-du
def
bi
whole
ˈmyc
earth
-yk
NOM
-u
sing
-du
def
ˈdau
in_surface
ˈɡu
one
ˈhid͡ʒ
language
-uk
NOM
-u
sing
ˈɡi
and
ˈɡu
one
faˈfaːt͡ʃ
dialect
-uk
NOM
-u
sing

“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.

Tyaơu na yöö hagukudu ngii.

[t͡ɕaˈru na ˈjøː ˈhaɡukudu ˈŋiː]

t͡ɕaˈru
journey
na
PAST
ˈjøː
3.plur
ˈhaɡ
east
-uk
NOM
-u
sing
-du
def
ˈŋiː
from_inside

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Gi we na yöö böö tatja chajibuku böö ơqjuku be.

[ˈɡi ˈʋe na ˈjøː ˈbøː ˈtaca t͡ʃaˈd͡ʒibuku ˈbøː ˈraid͡ʒuku ˈbe]

ˈɡi
and
ˈʋe
find
na
PAST
ˈjøː
3.plur
ˈbøː
a
ˈtaca
wide
t͡ʃaˈd͡ʒib
plain
-uk
NOM
-u
sing
ˈbøː
a
ˈraid͡ʒ
land
-uk
NOM
-u
sing
ˈbe
in_inside

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

(3)
Chazhi tzutuu na yöö po.

[t͡ʃaˈʒi t͡suˈtuː na ˈjøː ˈpo]

t͡ʃaˈʒi
thus
t͡suˈtuː
dwell
na
PAST
ˈjøː
3.plur
ˈpo
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Shöö na yöö tya nginangupi tja gi tya nginangupi työ tja ñada.

[ˈʃøː na ˈjøː ˈt͡ɕa ŋiˈnaŋupi ca ˈɡi ˈt͡ɕa ŋiˈnaŋupi ˈt͡ɕø ca ɲaˈda]

ˈʃøː
say
na
PAST
ˈjøː
3.plur
ˈt͡ɕa
1incl.plur
ŋiˈnaŋ
brick
-upi
make
ca
imperative
ˈɡi
and
ˈt͡ɕa
1incl.plur
ŋiˈnaŋ
brick
-up
ACC
-i
plur
ˈt͡ɕø
burn
ca
imperative
ɲaˈda
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Ni na yöö nginanguku neluku chutyii.

[ˈni na ˈjøː ŋiˈnaŋuku ˈneluku t͡ʃuˈt͡ɕiː]

ˈni
have
na
PAST
ˈjøː
3.plur
ŋiˈnaŋ
brick
-uk
NOM
-u
sing
ˈnel
stone
-uk
NOM
-u
sing
t͡ʃuˈt͡ɕiː
PURP

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Gi ni na yöö tjugqnuku bilqèuku chutyii.

[ˈɡi ˈni na ˈjøː cuˈɡainuku biˈlaiɟuku t͡ʃuˈt͡ɕiː]

ˈɡi
and
ˈni
have
na
PAST
ˈjøː
3.plur
cuˈɡain
slime
-uk
NOM
-u
sing
biˈlaiɟ
mortar
-uk
NOM
-u
sing
t͡ʃuˈt͡ɕiː
PURP

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Èaơo ma tya pi tjoèuki.

[ɟaˈro ma ˈt͡ɕa pi ˈcoɟuki]

ɟaˈro
resemble
ma
NEG
ˈt͡ɕa
1incl.plur
pi
other
ˈcoɟ
human being
-uk
NOM
-i
plur

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Witö na jitjuku gi laluku yöö hijukidu.

[ʋiˈtø na ˈd͡ʒicuku ˈɡi ˈlaluku ˈjøː ˈhid͡ʒukidu]

ʋiˈtø
shape
na
PAST
ˈd͡ʒic
fight
-uk
NOM
-u
sing
ˈɡi
and
ˈlal
time
-uk
NOM
-u
sing
ˈjøː
3.plur
ˈhid͡ʒ
language
-uk
NOM
-i
plur
-du
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.

Pazu na yöö gisüngaơi gi ngetyaơi fafukidu.

[paˈzu na ˈjøː ɡiˈsyŋari ˈɡi ˈŋet͡ɕari ˈfafukidu]

paˈzu
copy
na
PAST
ˈjøː
3.plur
ɡiˈsyŋ
mammal
-ar
GEN
-i
plur
ˈɡi
and
ˈŋet͡ɕ
bird
-ar
GEN
-i
plur
ˈfaf
sound
-uk
NOM
-i
plur
-du
def

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Tzee tije na tya hijukudu ku zhuushukudu böö tiya pièuku be.

[ˈt͡seː tiˈd͡ʒe na ˈt͡ɕa ˈhid͡ʒukudu ˈku ˈʒuːʃukudu ˈbøː ˈtija ˈpiɟuku ˈbe]

ˈt͡seː
but
tiˈd͡ʒe
arise
na
PAST
ˈt͡ɕa
1incl.plur
ˈhid͡ʒ
language
-uk
NOM
-u
sing
-du
def
ˈku
be
ˈʒuːʃ
langname
-uk
NOM
-u
sing
-du
def
ˈbøː
a
ˈtija
different
ˈpiɟ
manner
-uk
NOM
-u
sing
ˈbe
in_inside

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Gidü na muu bi gi zhabeyu böö guwi tyasheñuku be

[ɡiˈdy na ˈmuː bi ˈɡi ʒaˈbeju ˈbøː ˈɡuʋi t͡ɕaˈʃeɲuku ˈbe]

ɡiˈdy
appear
na
PAST
ˈmuː
3.sing
bi
whole
ˈɡi
and
ʒaˈbeju
perfect
ˈbøː
a
ˈɡuʋi
single
t͡ɕaˈʃeɲ
breath
-uk
NOM
-u
sing
ˈbe
in_inside

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Dazi na ma tya hijukudu.

[daˈzi na ma ˈt͡ɕa ˈhid͡ʒukudu]

daˈzi
evolve
na
PAST
ma
NEG
ˈt͡ɕa
1incl.plur
ˈhid͡ʒ
language
-uk
NOM
-u
sing
-du
def

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Tuơaa na muu.

[tuˈraː na ˈmuː]

tuˈraː
create
na
PAST
ˈmuː
3.sing

“It was created.”

(14)

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

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