A Collection of Texts in Kich

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.

Rda ja løfa gii gaashigke løfa fi joorrugko nga rnülugko lu chu gkarnerdigke lu.

[ɖa ja lə̃ːfa ɡiː ɡaːʃikʼe lə̃ːfa fi joːɽukʼo ŋa ɳaulukʼo lu t͡ʃu kʼaɳeɖikʼe lu]

ɖa
have
ja
PAST
lə̃ː
the
-fa
masc
ɡiː
all
ɡaːʃ
human being
-ikʼe
STA
lə̃ː
the
-fa
masc
fi
whole
joːɽ
earth
-ukʼo
STA
ŋa
in_surface
ɳaul
language
-ukʼo
STA
lu
one
t͡ʃu
and
kʼaɳeɖ
dialect
-ikʼe
STA
lu
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.

Wirdğ ja wøhe løhe ngaṇija wuu.

[ʋiɖai ja ʋə̃ːhe lə̃ːhe ŋanˤija ʋuː]

ʋiɖai
journey
ja
PAST
ʋə̃ː
3.plur.masc
-he
plur
lə̃ː
the
-he
fem
ŋanˤ
east
-ija
LOC
ʋuː
from_inside

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Chu shü ja wøhe tğfa de gkalotugko tğfa rsaṇija mó.

[t͡ʃu ʃau ja ʋə̃ːhe taifa de kʼalotukʼo taifa ʂanˤija mə̃]

t͡ʃu
and
ʃau
find
ja
PAST
ʋə̃ː
3.plur.masc
-he
plur
tai
a
-fa
masc
de
wide
kʼalot
plain
-ukʼo
STA
tai
a
-fa
masc
ʂanˤ
land
-ija
LOC
mə̃
in_inside

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

(3)
Hitø rnigkee ja wøhe ñü.

[hitə̃ː ɳikʼeː ja ʋə̃ːhe ɲau]

hitə̃ː
thus
ɳikʼeː
dwell
ja
PAST
ʋə̃ː
3.plur.masc
-he
plur
ɲau
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Rdü ja wøhe jaḍiigise ke ni mihe chu wó ke jaḍiigigke basa ni mihe.

[ɖau ja ʋə̃ːhe jadˤiːɡise ke ni mihe t͡ʃu ʋə̃ ke jadˤiːɡikʼe basa ni mihe]

ɖau
say
ja
PAST
ʋə̃ː
3.plur.masc
-he
plur
jadˤiːɡ
brick
-ise
make
ke
imperative
ni
3.sing.fem.POSS
mi
1incl.plur
-he
plur
t͡ʃu
and
ʋə̃
burn
ke
imperative
jadˤiːɡ
brick
-ikʼe
STA
basa
thoroughly
ni
3.sing.fem.POSS
mi
1incl.plur
-he
plur

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

(5)

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

Rda ja wøhe jaḍiigigke fahija gkañaa.

[ɖa ja ʋə̃ːhe jadˤiːɡikʼe fahija kʼaɲaː]

ɖa
have
ja
PAST
ʋə̃ː
3.plur.masc
-he
plur
jadˤiːɡ
brick
-ikʼe
STA
fah
stone
-ija
LOC
kʼaɲaː
PURP

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Chu rda ja wøhe ñaḍurrugko dertaaṇija gkañaa.

[t͡ʃu ɖa ja ʋə̃ːhe ɲadˤuɽukʼo deʈaːnˤija kʼaɲaː]

t͡ʃu
and
ɖa
have
ja
PAST
ʋə̃ː
3.plur.masc
-he
plur
ɲadˤuɽ
slime
-ukʼo
STA
deʈaːnˤ
mortar
-ija
LOC
kʼaɲaː
PURP

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Ñardii ṇe mihe ḍe gaashigke.

[ɲaɖiː nˤe mihe dˤe ɡaːʃikʼe]

ɲaɖiː
resemble
nˤe
NEG
mi
1incl.plur
-he
plur
dˤe
other
ɡaːʃ
human being
-ikʼe
STA

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Ṇacho ja forrugko chu rdiwigke we løfa rnülugko wøhe.

[nˤat͡ʃo ja foɽukʼo t͡ʃu ɖiʋikʼe ʋe lə̃ːfa ɳaulukʼo ʋə̃ːhe]

nˤat͡ʃo
shape
ja
PAST
foɽ
fight
-ukʼo
STA
t͡ʃu
and
ɖiʋ
time
-ikʼe
STA
ʋe
3.plur.masc.POSS
lə̃ː
the
-fa
masc
ɳaul
language
-ukʼo
STA
ʋə̃ː
3.plur.masc
-he
plur

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

(9)

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

Fashu ja wøhe we løhe rtaaḍigke wartiisigke chu kertigke.

[faʃu ja ʋə̃ːhe ʋe lə̃ːhe ʈaːdˤikʼe ʋaʈiːsikʼe t͡ʃu keʈikʼe]

faʃu
copy
ja
PAST
ʋə̃ː
3.plur.masc
-he
plur
ʋe
3.plur.masc.POSS
lə̃ː
the
-he
fem
ʈaːdˤ
sound
-ikʼe
STA
ʋaʈiːs
mammal
-ikʼe
STA
t͡ʃu
and
keʈ
bird
-ikʼe
STA

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

No ṇirnii ja pu be løfa rnülugko løfa kichigke tğfa laa gküñugko mó.

[no nˤiɳiː ja pu be lə̃ːfa ɳaulukʼo lə̃ːfa kit͡ʃikʼe taifa laː kʼauɲukʼo mə̃]

no
but
nˤiɳiː
arise
ja
PAST
pu
be
be
1incl.plur.POSS
lə̃ː
the
-fa
masc
ɳaul
language
-ukʼo
STA
lə̃ː
the
-fa
masc
kit͡ʃ
langname
-ikʼe
STA
tai
a
-fa
masc
laː
different
kʼauɲ
manner
-ukʼo
STA
mə̃
in_inside

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Sirde ja ñeeja fi chu rnuchu tğhe soo rdingirrigke mó

[siɖe ja ɲeːja fi t͡ʃu ɳut͡ʃu taihe soː ɖiŋiɽikʼe mə̃]

siɖe
appear
ja
PAST
ɲeː
3.sing.masc
-ja
sing
fi
whole
t͡ʃu
and
ɳut͡ʃu
perfect
tai
a
-he
fem
soː
single
ɖiŋiɽ
breath
-ikʼe
STA
mə̃
in_inside

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Shisa ja ṇe be løfa rnülugko.

[ʃisa ja nˤe be lə̃ːfa ɳaulukʼo]

ʃisa
evolve
ja
PAST
nˤe
NEG
be
1incl.plur.POSS
lə̃ː
the
-fa
masc
ɳaul
language
-ukʼo
STA

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Fuṭu ja ñeeja.

[futˤu ja ɲeːja]

futˤu
create
ja
PAST
ɲeː
3.sing.masc
-ja
sing

“It was created.”

(14)

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