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)

And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

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.

[ˈbifḛs ˈbɑ̰ʃy̰ɡ dyˈʃif ˈŋɑt ˈbyŋy̰ɡ dyˈʃif ˈʋæ̰ŋ ˈbḛʋ dit ˈmøɡ ˈbḛʋ ˈtij ˈzoɲ ˈt͡ʃøs ˈtij ɲæ̰ˈmæ̰ʋ]

b-
indicative
ˈif
have
-ḛs
PAST
b-
indicative
ˈɑ̰ʃ
all
-y̰ɡ
PRES
dyˈʃif
COMP
ˈŋɑt
human being
b-
indicative
ˈyŋ
whole
-y̰ɡ
PRES
dyˈʃif
COMP
ˈʋæ̰ŋ
earth
ˈbḛ
the
-ʋ
masc
dit
LOC
ˈmøɡ
in_surface
ˈbḛ
the
-ʋ
masc
ˈtij
one
ˈzoɲ
language
ˈt͡ʃøs
and
ˈtij
one
ɲæ̰ˈmæ̰ʋ
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.

Бинаме’с јүњ суб бе’ч дит јоґ.

[biˈnɑmḛs ˈjyɲ ˈsub ˈbḛt͡ʃ dit ˈjoɡ]

b-
indicative
ˈinɑm
journey
-ḛs
PAST
ˈjyɲ
3.masc
ˈsub
east
ˈbḛ
the
-t͡ʃ
fem
dit
LOC
ˈjoɡ
from_inside

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Чөс бөбе’с јүњ бидү’ґ дүшиф пәкут топ дит па.

[ˈt͡ʃøs ˈbøbḛs ˈjyɲ ˈbidy̰ɡ dyˈʃif pæˈkut ˈtop dit ˈpɑ]

ˈt͡ʃøs
and
b-
indicative
ˈøb
find
-ḛs
PAST
ˈjyɲ
3.masc
b-
indicative
ˈid
wide
-y̰ɡ
PRES
dyˈʃif
COMP
pæˈkut
plain
ˈtop
land
dit
LOC
ˈpɑ
in_inside

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

(3)
Фиӈач бифиње’с јүњ боч.

[fiˈŋɑt͡ʃ biˈfiɲḛs ˈjyɲ ˈbot͡ʃ]

fiˈŋɑt͡ʃ
thus
b-
indicative
ˈifiɲ
dwell
-ḛs
PAST
ˈjyɲ
3.masc
ˈbot͡ʃ
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Бә’пе’с јүњ до’к њиӈ мәта’њеґчү’ґ дүшиф чөс до’к њиӈ маґү’ґ та’њеґ дүшиф јајүз.

[ˈbæ̰pḛs ˈjyɲ ˈdo̰k ɲiŋ mætɑ̰ˈɲeɡt͡ʃy̰ɡ dyˈʃif ˈt͡ʃøs ˈdo̰k ɲiŋ ˈmɑɡy̰ɡ tɑ̰ˈɲeɡ dyˈʃif jɑˈjyz]

b-
indicative
ˈæ̰p
say
-ḛs
PAST
ˈjyɲ
3.masc
ˈdo̰k
1incl
ɲiŋ
1incl.SUBJ
m-
imperative
æ-
make₁
tɑ̰ˈɲeɡ
brick
-t͡ʃ
make₂
-y̰ɡ
PRES
dyˈʃif
COMP
ˈt͡ʃøs
and
ˈdo̰k
1incl
ɲiŋ
1incl.SUBJ
m-
imperative
ˈɑɡ
burn
-y̰ɡ
PRES
tɑ̰ˈɲeɡ
brick
dyˈʃif
COMP
jɑˈjyz
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Бифе’с јүњ та’њеґ шач дит фүбәӈ.

[ˈbifḛs ˈjyɲ tɑ̰ˈɲeɡ ˈʃɑt͡ʃ dit fyˈbæŋ]

b-
indicative
ˈif
have
-ḛs
PAST
ˈjyɲ
3.masc
tɑ̰ˈɲeɡ
brick
ˈʃɑt͡ʃ
stone
dit
LOC
fyˈbæŋ
PURP

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Чөс бифе’с јүњ сү’фињ тиӈоз дит фүбәӈ.

[ˈt͡ʃøs ˈbifḛs ˈjyɲ sy̰ˈfiɲ tiˈŋoz dit fyˈbæŋ]

ˈt͡ʃøs
and
b-
indicative
ˈif
have
-ḛs
PAST
ˈjyɲ
3.masc
sy̰ˈfiɲ
slime
tiˈŋoz
mortar
dit
LOC
fyˈbæŋ
PURP

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Бөвү’гү’ґ ке’ до’к бәкү’ґ дүшиф ӈат.

[bøˈʋy̰hy̰ɡ kḛ ˈdo̰k ˈbæky̰ɡ dyˈʃif ˈŋɑt]

b-
indicative
ˈøʋy̰h
resemble
-y̰ɡ
PRES
kḛ
NEG
ˈdo̰k
1incl
b-
indicative
ˈæk
other
-y̰ɡ
PRES
dyˈʃif
COMP
ˈŋɑt
human being

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Битәче’с гес чөс јан јүњ зоњ бе’ч дањ.

[biˈtæt͡ʃḛs ˈhes ˈt͡ʃøs ˈjɑn ˈjyɲ ˈzoɲ ˈbḛt͡ʃ dɑɲ]

b-
indicative
ˈitæt͡ʃ
shape
-ḛs
PAST
ˈhes
fight
ˈt͡ʃøs
and
ˈjɑn
time
ˈjyɲ
3.masc
ˈzoɲ
language
ˈbḛ
the
-t͡ʃ
fem
dɑɲ
3.masc.POSS

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

(9)

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

Буносе’с јүњ жиње’ч чөс пүн сү’з бе’ч ґе’.

[buˈnosḛs ˈjyɲ ʒiˈɲḛt͡ʃ ˈt͡ʃøs ˈpyn ˈsy̰z ˈbḛt͡ʃ ɡḛ]

b-
indicative
ˈunos
copy
-ḛs
PAST
ˈjyɲ
3.masc
ʒiˈɲḛt͡ʃ
mammal
ˈt͡ʃøs
and
ˈpyn
bird
ˈsy̰z
sound
ˈbḛ
the
-t͡ʃ
fem
ɡḛ
3.fem.POSS

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Виб бә’кеґе’с ба’сү’ґ зоњ бе’ч бењ дүшиф нуп бе’в бәдү’ґ дүшиф пад дит па.

[ˈʋib bæ̰ˈkeɡḛs ˈbɑ̰sy̰ɡ ˈzoɲ ˈbḛt͡ʃ beɲ dyˈʃif ˈnup ˈbḛʋ ˈbædy̰ɡ dyˈʃif ˈpɑd dit ˈpɑ]

ˈʋib
but
b-
indicative
ˈæ̰keɡ
arise
-ḛs
PAST
b-
indicative
ˈɑ̰s
be
-y̰ɡ
PRES
ˈzoɲ
language
ˈbḛ
the
-t͡ʃ
fem
beɲ
1incl.POSS
dyˈʃif
COMP
ˈnup
langname
ˈbḛ
the
-ʋ
masc
b-
indicative
ˈæd
different
-y̰ɡ
PRES
dyˈʃif
COMP
ˈpɑd
manner
dit
LOC
ˈpɑ
in_inside

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Ба’жаме’с вәв бүӈү’ґ дүшиф чөс бо’жешү’ґ дүшиф бүмү’ґ дүшиф фикөк дит па

[bɑ̰ˈʒɑmḛs ˈʋæʋ ˈbyŋy̰ɡ dyˈʃif ˈt͡ʃøs bo̰ˈʒeʃy̰ɡ dyˈʃif ˈbymy̰ɡ dyˈʃif fiˈkøk dit ˈpɑ]

b-
indicative
ˈɑ̰ʒɑm
appear
-ḛs
PAST
ˈʋæʋ
3.fem
b-
indicative
ˈyŋ
whole
-y̰ɡ
PRES
dyˈʃif
COMP
ˈt͡ʃøs
and
b-
indicative
ˈo̰ʒeʃ
perfect
-y̰ɡ
PRES
dyˈʃif
COMP
b-
indicative
ˈym
single
-y̰ɡ
PRES
dyˈʃif
COMP
fiˈkøk
breath
dit
LOC
ˈpɑ
in_inside

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Буја’се’с ке’ зоњ бе’ч бењ.

[buˈjɑ̰sḛs kḛ ˈzoɲ ˈbḛt͡ʃ beɲ]

b-
indicative
ˈujɑ̰s
evolve
-ḛs
PAST
kḛ
NEG
ˈzoɲ
language
ˈbḛ
the
-t͡ʃ
fem
beɲ
1incl.POSS

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Бодесе’с вәв.

[boˈdesḛs ˈʋæʋ]

b-
indicative
ˈodes
create
-ḛs
PAST
ˈʋæʋ
3.fem

“It was created.”

(14)

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