A Collection of Texts in Gef

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.

Wóly si mikhote tevote zhóğy zuzante næ ñeny khæshante nin li zhusókante nin.

[woly si mixɔte tevɔte ʒoɣy zuzãte nɛ ɲeny xɛʃãte nĩ li ʒusokãte nĩ]

wol
have
-y
indicative
si
PAST
mix
human being

3.cl.6.POSS
-te
ABS
tev
earth

3.cl.6.POSS
-te
ABS
ʒoɣ
whole
-y
indicative
zuz
surface
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-te
ABS

in
ɲen
all
-y
indicative
xɛʃ
language
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-te
ABS
nĩ
one
li
and
ʒusok
dialect
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-te
ABS
nĩ
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.

Zhædyshy si so jyvante zhukante ğæ.

[ʒɛdyʃy si sɔ jyvãte ʒukãte ɣɛ]

ʒɛdyʃ
journey
-y
indicative
si
PAST

3.cl.8
jyv
east
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-te
ABS
ʒuk
inside
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-te
ABS
ɣɛ
from

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Li nóby si so bögilote ñöfante niwy zhukante næ tingy ni.

[li noby si sɔ bøɡilɔte ɲøfãte niwy ʒukãte nɛ tĩɡy ni]

li
and
nob
find
-y
indicative
si
PAST

3.cl.8
bøɡil
plain

3.cl.6.POSS
-te
ABS
ɲøf
land
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-te
ABS
ni
a
-wy
cl.4
ʒuk
inside
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-te
ABS

in
tĩɡ
wide
-y
indicative
ni
a

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

(3)
Jode ñibufy si so to.

[jɔde ɲibufy si sɔ tɔ]

jɔde
thus
ɲibuf
dwell
-y
indicative
si
PAST

3.cl.8

there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Khaly si so dæ zemankhante khöshe li dæ zemankhante zhoge dağæ.

[xaly si sɔ dɛ zemãxãte xøʃe li dɛ zemãxãte ʒɔɡe daɣɛ]

xal
say
-y
indicative
si
PAST

3.cl.8

1incl
zemãx
brick
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-te
ABS
xøʃ
make
-e
imperative
li
and

1incl
zemãx
brick
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-te
ABS
ʒɔɡ
burn
-e
imperative
daɣɛ
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Wóly si so zemankhante pæğanñi ğashi.

[woly si sɔ zemãxãte pɛɣãɲi ɣaʃi]

wol
have
-y
indicative
si
PAST

3.cl.8
zemãx
brick
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-te
ABS
pɛɣ
stone
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-ɲi
LOC
ɣaʃi
PURP

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Li wóly si so nögozante synshintanñi ğashi.

[li woly si sɔ nøɡɔzãte sỹʃĩtãɲi ɣaʃi]

li
and
wol
have
-y
indicative
si
PAST

3.cl.8
nøɡɔz
slime
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-te
ABS
sỹʃĩt
mortar
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-ɲi
LOC
ɣaʃi
PURP

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Ğókagy mo dæ mikhote föfy.

[ɣokaɡy mɔ dɛ mixɔte føfy]

ɣokaɡ
resemble
-y
indicative

NEG

1incl
mix
human being

3.cl.6.POSS
-te
ABS
føf
other
-y
indicative

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Lizhyny si timante li tólante so khæshinte.

[liʒyny si timãte li tolãte sɔ xɛʃĩte]

liʒyn
shape
-y
indicative
si
PAST
tim
fight
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-te
ABS
li
and
tol
time
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-te
ABS

3.cl.8
xɛʃ
language
-ĩ
3.cl.8.POSS
-te
ABS

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

(9)

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

Sewinmy si so mupakante li zœjante dytate.

[sewĩmy si sɔ mupakãte li zœjãte dytate]

sewĩm
copy
-y
indicative
si
PAST

3.cl.8
mupak
mammal
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-te
ABS
li
and
zœj
bird
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-te
ABS
dyt
sound
-a
3.cl.7.POSS
-te
ABS

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Ğó vasinny si gefote khæshöte lyndy læmote bóly nidun zhukante næ.

[ɣo vasĩny si ɡefɔte xɛʃøte lỹdy lɛmɔte boly nidũ ʒukãte nɛ]

ɣo
but
vasĩn
arise
-y
indicative
si
PAST
ɡef
langname

3.cl.6.POSS
-te
ABS
xɛʃ
language

1incl.POSS
-te
ABS
lỹd
be
-y
indicative
lɛm
manner

3.cl.6.POSS
-te
ABS
bol
different
-y
indicative
ni
a
-dũ
cl.6
ʒuk
inside
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-te
ABS

in

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Nasuzy si ñan zhóğy li shæsiny sœfœkote shafy nidun zhukante næ

[nasuzy si ɲã ʒoɣy li ʃɛsiny sœfœkɔte ʃafy nidũ ʒukãte nɛ]

nasuz
appear
-y
indicative
si
PAST
ɲã
3.cl.1
ʒoɣ
whole
-y
indicative
li
and
ʃɛsin
perfect
-y
indicative
sœfœk
breath

3.cl.6.POSS
-te
ABS
ʃaf
single
-y
indicative
ni
a
-dũ
cl.6
ʒuk
inside
-ã
no.owner.POSS
-te
ABS

in

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Zofóvy si mo khæshöte.

[zɔfovy si mɔ xɛʃøte]

zɔfov
evolve
-y
indicative
si
PAST

NEG
xɛʃ
language

1incl.POSS
-te
ABS

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Shifusy si ñan.

[ʃifusy si ɲã]

ʃifus
create
-y
indicative
si
PAST
ɲã
3.cl.1

“It was created.”

(14)

Language creation took 0.05 seconds; writing the texts 0.06 seconds.

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