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A Collection of Texts in Unis

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.

Tiñañ ham tin ku nim tin kemam, ting ter, ting tif, goj kok nar goj kokafub.

[tiɲaɲ ham tin ku nim tin kemam, tiŋ ter, tiŋ tif, ɡoj kok nar ɡoj kokafub]

t-
POS iɲaɲ
have ham
PAST tin
the k-
NOM u
human being nim
in_surface tin
the k-
NOM emam
earth tiŋ
RELPRON t-
POS er
whole tiŋ
RELPRON t-
POS if
all ɡoj
one k-
NOM ok
language nar
and ɡoj
one k-
NOM okafub
dialect

“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.

Tukuniw ham lek him tin kob.

[tukuniw ham lek him tin kob]

t-
POS ukuniw
journey ham
PAST lek
3 him
from_inside tin
the k-
NOM ob
east

“They journeyed from the east.”

 (2)
Nar tifas ham lek kebudang hak kidij, ting tangal.

[nar tifas ham lek kebudaŋ hak kidij, tiŋ taŋal]

nar
and t-
POS ifas
find ham
PAST lek
3 k-
NOM ebudaŋ
plain hak
in_inside k-
NOM idij
land tiŋ
RELPRON t-
POS aŋal
wide

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

 (3)
Lideng tolidaj ham lek ñer.

[lideŋ tolidaj ham lek ɲer]

lideŋ
thus t-
POS olidaj
dwell ham
PAST lek
3 ɲer
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

 (4)

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

Tunguk ham lek sad tabaf kim kuragar wijum nar sad teniñ kim kuragar wijum ngasob.

[tuŋuk ham lek sad tabaf kim kuraɡar wijum nar sad teniɲ kim kuraɡar wijum ŋasob]

t-
POS uŋuk
say ham
PAST lek
3 sad
1incl t-
POS abaf
make kim
imperative k-
NOM uraɡar
brick wijum
COMP nar
and sad
1incl t-
POS eniɲ
burn kim
imperative k-
NOM uraɡar
brick wijum
COMP ŋasob
thoroughly

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

 (5)

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

Tiñañ ham lek kuragar famil kadir.

[tiɲaɲ ham lek kuraɡar famil kadir]

t-
POS iɲaɲ
have ham
PAST lek
3 k-
NOM uraɡar
brick famil
PURP k-
NOM adir
stone

“They had bricks for stone.”

 (6)
Nar tiñañ ham lek keñaruf famil kulawaw.

[nar tiɲaɲ ham lek keɲaruf famil kulawaw]

nar
and t-
POS iɲaɲ
have ham
PAST lek
3 k-
NOM eɲaruf
slime famil
PURP k-
NOM ulawaw
mortar

“And they had slime for mortar.”

 (7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Hikabal sad ku, ting tod.

[hikabal sad ku, tiŋ tod]

h-
NEG ikabal
resemble sad
1incl k-
NOM u
human being tiŋ
RELPRON t-
POS od
other

“We do not resemble other humans.”

 (8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Tibigum ham kek nar karit lek tin kok.

[tibiɡum ham kek nar karit lek tin kok]

t-
POS ibiɡum
shape ham
PAST k-
NOM ek
fight nar
and k-
NOM arit
time lek
3 tin
the k-
NOM ok
language

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

 (9)

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

Tuwarang ham lek kajungid nar kur tin ke.

[tuwaraŋ ham lek kajuŋid nar kur tin ke]

t-
POS uwaraŋ
copy ham
PAST lek
3 k-
NOM ajuŋid
mammal nar
and k-
NOM ur
bird tin
the k-
NOM e
sound

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

 (10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Sef tunalil ham tin kunis, ting tibaf sad tin kok, hak kowaj, ting total.

[sef tunalil ham tin kunis, tiŋ tibaf sad tin kok, hak kowaj, tiŋ total]

sef
but t-
POS unalil
arise ham
PAST tin
the k-
NOM unis
langname tiŋ
RELPRON t-
POS ibaf
be sad
1incl tin
the k-
NOM ok
language hak
in_inside k-
NOM owaj
manner tiŋ
RELPRON t-
POS otal
different

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

 (11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Tikigag ham lek, ting ter, nar, ting tiniming, hak kiniding, ting tesiw

[tikiɡaɡ ham lek, tiŋ ter, nar, tiŋ tinimiŋ, hak kinidiŋ, tiŋ tesiw]

t-
POS ikiɡaɡ
appear ham
PAST lek
3 tiŋ
RELPRON t-
POS er
whole nar
and tiŋ
RELPRON t-
POS inimiŋ
perfect hak
in_inside k-
NOM inidiŋ
breath tiŋ
RELPRON t-
POS esiw
single

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

 (12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Hotimuf ham sad tin kok.

[hotimuf ham sad tin kok]

h-
NEG otimuf
evolve ham
PAST sad
1incl tin
the k-
NOM ok
language

“Our language did not evolve.”

 (13)
Tidajug ham lek.

[tidajuɡ ham lek]

t-
POS idajuɡ
create ham
PAST lek
3

“It was created.”

 (14)

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

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