The Language Creator
– from linguistic questionnaire to grammar, lexicon and texts.

A Collection of Texts in Nup

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)

Бифе’с ба’шү’ґ дүшиф ӈат бүӈү’ґ дүшиф вә’ӈ бе’в дит мөґ бе’в тиј зоњ чөс тиј њә’мә’в. Бинаме’с јүњ суб бе’ч дит јоґ, чөс бөбе’с јүњ бидү’ґ дүшиф пәкут топ дит па, фиӈач бифиње’с јүњ боч. Бә’пе’с јүњ до’к њиӈ мәта’њеґчү’ґ дүшиф чөс до’к њиӈ маґү’ґ та’њеґ дүшиф јајүз. Бифе’с јүњ та’њеґ шач дит фүбәӈ, чөс бифе’с јүњ сү’фињ тиӈоз дит фүбәӈ.

And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 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. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

A Creation Myth

Бөвү’гү’ґ ке’ до’к бәкү’ґ дүшиф ӈат. Битәче’с гес чөс јан јүњ зоњ бе’ч дањ. Буносе’с јүњ жиње’ч чөс пүн сү’з бе’ч ґе’. Виб бә’кеґе’с ба’сү’ґ зоњ бе’ч бењ дүшиф нуп бе’в бәдү’ґ дүшиф пад дит па. Ба’жаме’с вәв бүӈү’ґ дүшиф чөс бо’жешү’ґ дүшиф бүмү’ґ дүшиф фикөк дит па. Буја’се’с ке’ зоњ бе’ч бењ, бодесе’с вәв.

We are not like other people. Their languages were shaped by struggle and time. They copied the sounds of beasts and birds, and they learned to speak like that. But our language arose in a different way. It was born whole and perfect in a single breath. Our language did not evolve; it was created.

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