A Collection of Texts in Nefa

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.

Jo sa nu dela he go nela pela so tula fo so wifipila.

[jo sa nu dela he ɡo nela pela so tula fo so ʋifipila]

jo
have
sa
PAST
nu
all
de
human being
-la
NOM
he
in
ɡo
whole
ne
earth
-la
NOM
pe
surface
-la
NOM
so
one
tu
language
-la
NOM
fo
and
so
one
ʋifipi
dialect
-la
NOM

“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.

Mimima sa wo ta zala kala.

[mimima sa ʋo ta zala kala]

mimima
journey
sa
PAST
ʋo
3
ta
from
za
east
-la
NOM
ka
inside
-la
NOM

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Fo ñe sa wo pola gubafula he jula kala.

[fo ɲe sa ʋo pola ɡubafula he jula kala]

fo
and
ɲe
find
sa
PAST
ʋo
3
pola
wide
ɡubafu
plain
-la
NOM
he
in
ju
land
-la
NOM
ka
inside
-la
NOM

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

(3)
Wizu hakufa sa wo ti.

[ʋizu hakufa sa ʋo ti]

ʋizu
thus
hakufa
dwell
sa
PAST
ʋo
3
ti
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Zini sa wo ku wikupuninu ñu bize fo ku dinu ñu hu wikupubi bize wamafa.

[zini sa ʋo ku ʋikupuninu ɲu bize fo ku dinu ɲu hu ʋikupubi bize ʋamafa]

zini
say
sa
PAST
ʋo
3
ku
1incl
ʋikupu
brick
-ni
make
-nu
1incl.SUBJ
ɲu
imperative
bize
COMP
fo
and
ku
1incl
di
burn
-nu
1incl.SUBJ
ɲu
imperative
hu
3.OBJ
ʋikupu
brick
-bi
ACC
bize
COMP
ʋamafa
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Jo sa wo wikupula giba mola.

[jo sa ʋo ʋikupula ɡiba mola]

jo
have
sa
PAST
ʋo
3
ʋikupu
brick
-la
NOM
ɡiba
PURP
mo
stone
-la
NOM

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Fo jo sa wo fijopila giba nibidila.

[fo jo sa ʋo fijopila ɡiba nibidila]

fo
and
jo
have
sa
PAST
ʋo
3
fijopi
slime
-la
NOM
ɡiba
PURP
nibidi
mortar
-la
NOM

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Daxema ja ku la dela.

[darema ja ku la dela]

darema
resemble
ja
NEG
ku
1incl
la
other
de
human being
-la
NOM

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Janapa sa ñela fo sula wo tula.

[janapa sa ɲela fo sula ʋo tula]

janapa
shape
sa
PAST
ɲe
fight
-la
NOM
fo
and
su
time
-la
NOM
ʋo
3
tu
language
-la
NOM

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

(9)

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

Datega sa wo guñebimu fo timu fila.

[dateɡa sa ʋo ɡuɲebimu fo timu fila]

dateɡa
copy
sa
PAST
ʋo
3
ɡuɲebi
mammal
-mu
GEN
fo
and
ti
bird
-mu
GEN
fi
sound
-la
NOM

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Si gukega sa nefala, xe ñi hu ku tula, he jahi fatala kala.

[si ɡukeɡa sa nefala, re ɲi hu ku tula, he jahi fatala kala]

si
but
ɡukeɡa
arise
sa
PAST
nefa
langname
-la,
NOM
re
RELPRON
ɲi
be
hu
3.OBJ
ku
1incl
tu
language
-la,
NOM
he
in
jahi
different
fata
manner
-la
NOM
ka
inside
-la
NOM

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Tunabi sa wo go fo kujaga he zupa wubifila kala

[tunabi sa ʋo ɡo fo kujaɡa he zupa ʋubifila kala]

tunabi
appear
sa
PAST
ʋo
3
ɡo
whole
fo
and
kujaɡa
perfect
he
in
zupa
single
ʋubifi
breath
-la
NOM
ka
inside
-la
NOM

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Bafosa sa ja ku tula.

[bafosa sa ja ku tula]

bafosa
evolve
sa
PAST
ja
NEG
ku
1incl
tu
language
-la
NOM

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Pañaba sa wo.

[paɲaba sa ʋo]

paɲaba
create
sa
PAST
ʋo
3

“It was created.”

(14)

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

Show texts normally.