A Collection of Texts in Nyaung

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.

Ncen bba codech fosh gobbich fai tadich fas chif tyichef bbem chif gwuñokef.

[ᵑǀen ɓa ᵏǀodet͡ʃ foʃ ɡoɓit͡ʃ fai tadit͡ʃ fas t͡ʃif t͡ɕit͡ʃef ɓem t͡ʃif ɡʷuɲokef]

ᵑǀen
have
ɓa
PAST
ᵏǀoɡʷ
human being
-da
plur
-it͡ʃ
def
f-
NOM
t͡ʃoʃ
all
ɡoɲ
earth
-ɓi
sing
-it͡ʃ
def
f-
NOM
tai
whole
tad
surface
-ɓi
sing
-it͡ʃ
def
fas
in
t͡ʃif
one
t͡ɕit͡ʃ
language
-ɓi
sing
-af
not.def
ɓem
and
t͡ʃif
one
ɡʷiɲok
dialect
-ɓi
sing
-af
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.

Gwatyush bba fauch bbotich tyiquich bbengw.

[ɡʷat͡ɕuʃ ɓa faut͡ʃ ɓotit͡ʃ t͡ɕikʷit͡ʃ ɓeŋʷ]

ɡʷat͡ɕuʃ
journey
ɓa
PAST
faut͡ʃ
3.plur
ɓot
east
-ɓi
sing
-it͡ʃ
def
t͡ɕikʷ
inside
-ɓi
sing
-it͡ʃ
def
ɓeŋʷ
from

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Bbem fak bba fauch ncais shadangef fasagw ncais tatyef tyiquich fas.

[ɓem fak ɓa faut͡ʃ ᵑǀais ʃadaŋef fasaɡʷ ᵑǀais tat͡ɕef t͡ɕikʷit͡ʃ fas]

ɓem
and
fak
find
ɓa
PAST
faut͡ʃ
3.plur
ᵑǀais
a
ʃadaŋ
plain
-ɓi
sing
-af
not.def
f-
NOM
hasaɡʷ
wide
ᵑǀais
a
tat͡ɕ
land
-ɓi
sing
-af
not.def
t͡ɕikʷ
inside
-ɓi
sing
-it͡ʃ
def
fas
in

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

(3)
Hateg kitibb bba fauch faung.

[hateɡ kitiɓ ɓa faut͡ʃ fauŋ]

hateɡ
thus
kitiɓ
dwell
ɓa
PAST
faut͡ʃ
3.plur
fauŋ
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Gwef bba fauch fat ncutubodaf bong deb hegwaf bbem fat ncutubodaf ñek deb hegwaf bbidigw.

[ɡʷef ɓa faut͡ʃ fat ᵑǀutubodaf boŋ deb heɡʷaf ɓem fat ᵑǀutubodaf ɲek deb heɡʷaf ɓidiɡʷ]

ɡʷef
say
ɓa
PAST
faut͡ʃ
3.plur
fat
1incl.plur
ᵑǀit-
ACC
ɡʷiboŋʷ
brick
-da
plur
-af
not.def
boŋ
make
deb
imperative
heɡʷaf
COMP
ɓem
and
fat
1incl.plur
ᵑǀit-
ACC
ɡʷiboŋʷ
brick
-da
plur
-af
not.def
ɲek
burn
deb
imperative
heɡʷaf
COMP
ɓidiɡʷ
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Ncen bba fauch gwubongwef gwinef bekach.

[ᵑǀen ɓa faut͡ʃ ɡʷuboŋʷef ɡʷinef bekat͡ʃ]

ᵑǀen
have
ɓa
PAST
faut͡ʃ
3.plur
ɡʷiboŋʷ
brick
-ɓi
sing
-af
not.def
ɡʷin
stone
-ɓi
sing
-af
not.def
bekat͡ʃ
PURP

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Bbem ncen bba fauch ñiñadef ngangwebef bekach.

[ɓem ᵑǀen ɓa faut͡ʃ ɲiɲadef ŋaŋʷebef bekat͡ʃ]

ɓem
and
ᵑǀen
have
ɓa
PAST
faut͡ʃ
3.plur
ɲiɲad
slime
-ɓi
sing
-af
not.def
ŋaŋʷeb
mortar
-ɓi
sing
-af
not.def
bekat͡ʃ
PURP

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Ngwosub gwis fat codaf fuqu.

[ŋʷosub ɡʷis fat ᵏǀodaf fukʷ]

ŋʷesub
resemble
ɡʷis
NEG
fat
1incl.plur
ᵏǀoɡʷ
human being
-da
plur
-af
not.def
f-
NOM
ᵏǀukʷ
other

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Dasof bba bbonef bbem tyaisef fauch tyidech.

[dasof ɓa ɓonef ɓem t͡ɕaisef faut͡ʃ t͡ɕidet͡ʃ]

dasof
shape
ɓa
PAST
ɓon
fight
-ɓi
sing
-af
not.def
ɓem
and
t͡ɕais
time
-ɓi
sing
-af
not.def
faut͡ʃ
3.plur
t͡ɕit͡ʃ
language
-da
plur
-it͡ʃ
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.

Ngigaingw bba fauch tyatyudaf bbem gedaf tudech.

[ŋiɡaiŋʷ ɓa faut͡ʃ t͡ɕat͡ɕudaf ɓem ɡedaf tudet͡ʃ]

ŋiɡaiŋʷ
copy
ɓa
PAST
faut͡ʃ
3.plur
t͡ɕat͡ɕuɡʷ
mammal
-da
plur
-af
not.def
ɓem
and
ɡet
bird
-da
plur
-af
not.def
tus
sound
-da
plur
-it͡ʃ
def

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Ngin sobauk bba shig ñaungwich fat tyichich ncais kautyef disheng tyiquich fas.

[ŋin sobauk ɓa ʃiɡ ɲauŋʷit͡ʃ fat t͡ɕit͡ʃit͡ʃ ᵑǀais kaut͡ɕef diʃeŋ t͡ɕikʷit͡ʃ fas]

ŋin
then
sebauk
arise
ɓa
PAST
ʃiɡ
be
ɲauŋʷ
langname
-ɓi
sing
-it͡ʃ
def
fat
1incl.plur
t͡ɕit͡ʃ
language
-ɓi
sing
-it͡ʃ
def
ᵑǀais
a
kaut͡ɕ
manner
-ɓi
sing
-af
not.def
f-
NOM
diʃeŋ
different
t͡ɕikʷ
inside
-ɓi
sing
-it͡ʃ
def
fas
in

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Gatyam bba tyes fai bbem fañigaty ncais bibbaitef budang tyiquich fas

[ɡat͡ɕam ɓa t͡ɕes fai ɓem faɲiɡat͡ɕ ᵑǀais biɓaitef budaŋ t͡ɕikʷit͡ʃ fas]

ɡat͡ɕam
appear
ɓa
PAST
t͡ɕes
3.sing
f-
NOM
tai
whole
ɓem
and
f-
NOM
ɓaɲiɡat͡ɕ
perfect
ᵑǀais
a
biɓait
breath
-ɓi
sing
-af
not.def
f-
NOM
budaŋ
single
t͡ɕikʷ
inside
-ɓi
sing
-it͡ʃ
def
fas
in

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Sabbag bba gwis fat tyichich.

[saɓaɡ ɓa ɡʷis fat t͡ɕit͡ʃit͡ʃ]

saɓaɡ
evolve
ɓa
PAST
ɡʷis
NEG
fat
1incl.plur
t͡ɕit͡ʃ
language
-ɓi
sing
-it͡ʃ
def

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Tyaga bba tyes.

[t͡ɕaɡa ɓa t͡ɕes]

t͡ɕaɡa
create
ɓa
PAST
t͡ɕes
3.sing

“It was created.”

(14)

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

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