A Collection of Texts in Sal

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.

Kel zhẽ̄ch shām hū̃hed baĩ̠n chã̠shes zõtyes gī̃ty gé̠̃ng nōfes ñaĩ̠r gé̠̃ng wetyé̠̃shes.

[kəl ʒə̃꜒t͡ʃ ʃa꜒m hu꜒꜔həd bai꜔꜖n t͡ʃa꜔꜖ʃəs zo꜔t͡ɕəs ɡi꜒꜔t͡ɕ ɡe꜔꜖ŋ no꜒fəs ɲai꜖꜔r ɡe꜔꜖ŋ wət͡ɕe꜔꜖ʃəs]

kəl
PAST
ʒə̃꜒t͡ʃ
have
ʃa꜒m
all
hu꜒꜔h
human being
-t͡ʃəd
plur
bai꜔꜖n
whole
t͡ʃa꜔꜖ʃ
earth
-ʃəs
sing
zo꜔t͡ɕ
surface
-ʃəs
sing
ɡi꜒꜔t͡ɕ
in
ɡe꜔꜖ŋ
one
no꜒f
language
-ʃəs
sing
ɲai꜖꜔r
and
ɡe꜔꜖ŋ
one
wət͡ɕe꜔꜖ʒ
dialect
-ʃəs
sing

“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.

Kel kelā̃z põ̠b choōtes fũ̠stes pai̠r.

[kəl kəla꜒꜔z po꜖꜔b t͡ʃoː꜒təs fu꜔꜖stəs pai꜖r]

kəl
PAST
kəla꜒꜔z
journey
po꜖꜔b
3.plur
t͡ʃoː꜒t
east
-ʃəs
sing
fu꜔꜖st
inside
-ʃəs
sing
pai꜖r
from

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Ñaĩ̠r kel té̃ñ põ̠b nã̠k hetyō̃wes jã̠jes fũ̠stes gī̃ty.

[ɲai꜖꜔r kəl te꜔ɲ po꜖꜔b na꜖꜔k hət͡ɕo꜒꜔wəs ja꜔꜖jəs fu꜔꜖stəs ɡi꜒꜔t͡ɕ]

ɲai꜖꜔r
and
kəl
PAST
te꜔ɲ
find
po꜖꜔b
3.plur
na꜖꜔k
wide
hət͡ɕo꜒꜔w
plain
-ʃəs
sing
ja꜔꜖j
land
-ʃəs
sing
fu꜔꜖st
inside
-ʃəs
sing
ɡi꜒꜔t͡ɕ
in

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

(3)
Netyã̠l kel tezhéé̠̃r põ̠b wa̠j.

[nət͡ɕa꜖꜔l kəl təʒeː꜔꜖r po꜖꜔b wa꜖j]

nət͡ɕa꜖꜔l
thus
kəl
PAST
təʒeː꜔꜖r
dwell
po꜖꜔b
3.plur
wa꜖j
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Kel dā̃ng põ̠b nga̠t telefé̠̃ched pẽẽ̠ñ ñeb ñaĩ̠r nga̠t telefé̠̃ched chãzh ñeb testũ̠ty.

[kəl da꜒꜔ŋ po꜖꜔b ŋa꜖t tələfe꜖꜔t͡ʃəd pə̃ː꜖ɲ ɲəb ɲai꜖꜔r ŋa꜖t tələfe꜖꜔t͡ʃəd t͡ʃa꜔ʒ ɲəb təstu꜖꜔t͡ɕ]

kəl
PAST
da꜒꜔ŋ
say
po꜖꜔b
3.plur
ŋa꜖t
1incl.plur
təw-
ACC
ləfe꜖꜔t͡ʃ
brick
-t͡ʃəd
plur
pə̃ː꜖ɲ
make
ɲəb
imperative
ɲai꜖꜔r
and
ŋa꜖t
1incl.plur
təw-
ACC
ləfe꜖꜔t͡ʃ
brick
-t͡ʃəd
plur
t͡ʃa꜔ʒ
burn
ɲəb
imperative
təstu꜖꜔t͡ɕ
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Kel zhẽ̄ch põ̠b lefé̠̃ches mõ̠bes wezhaũ̠g.

[kəl ʒə̃꜒t͡ʃ po꜖꜔b ləfe꜖꜔t͡ʃəs mo꜖꜔bəs wəʒau꜖꜔ɡ]

kəl
PAST
ʒə̃꜒t͡ʃ
have
po꜖꜔b
3.plur
ləfe꜖꜔t͡ʃ
brick
-ʃəs
sing
mo꜖꜔b
stone
-ʃəs
sing
wəʒau꜖꜔ɡ
PURP

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Ñaĩ̠r kel zhẽ̄ch põ̠b detyaūkes seshã̠ges wezhaũ̠g.

[ɲai꜖꜔r kəl ʒə̃꜒t͡ʃ po꜖꜔b dət͡ɕau꜒kəs səʃa꜖꜔ɡəs wəʒau꜖꜔ɡ]

ɲai꜖꜔r
and
kəl
PAST
ʒə̃꜒t͡ʃ
have
po꜖꜔b
3.plur
dət͡ɕau꜒k
slime
-ʃəs
sing
səʃa꜖꜔ɡ
mortar
-ʃəs
sing
wəʒau꜖꜔ɡ
PURP

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Pestuūw̄̃el nga̠t jūng hū̃hed.

[pəstuː꜒w꜒꜔əl ŋa꜖t ju꜒ŋ hu꜒꜔həd]

pəstuː꜒w
resemble
-꜒꜔əl
NEG
ŋa꜖t
1incl.plur
ju꜒ŋ
other
hu꜒꜔h
human being
-t͡ʃəd
plur

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Kel wegā̃ty nau̠ches ñaĩ̠r kãges põ̠b nōfed.

[kəl wəɡa꜒꜔t͡ɕ nau꜖t͡ʃəs ɲai꜖꜔r ka꜔ɡəs po꜖꜔b no꜒fəd]

kəl
PAST
wəɡa꜒꜔t͡ɕ
shape
nau꜖t͡ʃ
fight
-ʃəs
sing
ɲai꜖꜔r
and
ka꜔ɡ
time
-ʃəs
sing
po꜖꜔b
3.plur
no꜒f
language
-t͡ʃəd
plur

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

(9)

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

Kel chelẽ̄t põ̠b rezechéé̃ched ñaĩ̠r rehẽẽ̠̃ched haūched.

[kəl t͡ʃələ̃꜒t po꜖꜔b rəzət͡ʃeː꜔t͡ʃəd ɲai꜖꜔r rəhə̃ː꜔꜖t͡ʃəd hau꜒t͡ʃəd]

kəl
PAST
t͡ʃələ̃꜒t
copy
po꜖꜔b
3.plur
rəʒ-
GEN
zət͡ʃeː꜔t͡ʃ
mammal
-t͡ʃəd
plur
ɲai꜖꜔r
and
rəʒ-
GEN
hə̃ː꜔꜖t͡ʃ
bird
-t͡ʃəd
plur
hau꜒w
sound
-t͡ʃəd
plur

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Lõ̠t kel wedo̠ty nga̠t nōfes loõ̠b sã̠les dẽ̠̃s ka̠res fũ̠stes gī̃ty.

[lo꜔꜖t kəl wədo꜖t͡ɕ ŋa꜖t no꜒fəs loː꜖꜔b sa꜔꜖ləs də̃꜖꜔s ka꜖rəs fu꜔꜖stəs ɡi꜒꜔t͡ɕ]

lo꜔꜖t
but
kəl
PAST
wədo꜖t͡ɕ
arise
ŋa꜖t
1incl.plur
no꜒f
language
-ʃəs
sing
loː꜖꜔b
be
sa꜔꜖l
langname
-ʃəs
sing
də̃꜖꜔s
different
ka꜖r
manner
-ʃəs
sing
fu꜔꜖st
inside
-ʃəs
sing
ɡi꜒꜔t͡ɕ
in

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Kel gebã̠s ri̠ng baĩ̠n ñaĩ̠r nekõ̠w dõ̠f lenī̃shes fũ̠stes gī̃ty

[kəl ɡəba꜖꜔s ri꜖ŋ bai꜔꜖n ɲai꜖꜔r nəko꜔꜖w do꜖꜔f ləni꜒꜔ʃəs fu꜔꜖stəs ɡi꜒꜔t͡ɕ]

kəl
PAST
ɡəba꜖꜔s
appear
ri꜖ŋ
3.sing
bai꜔꜖n
whole
ɲai꜖꜔r
and
nəko꜔꜖w
perfect
do꜖꜔f
single
ləni꜒꜔ʃ
breath
-ʃəs
sing
fu꜔꜖st
inside
-ʃəs
sing
ɡi꜒꜔t͡ɕ
in

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Kel gebaãw̄̃el nga̠t nōfes.

[kəl ɡəbaː꜔w꜒꜔əl ŋa꜖t no꜒fəs]

kəl
PAST
ɡəbaː꜔w
evolve
-꜒꜔əl
NEG
ŋa꜖t
1incl.plur
no꜒f
language
-ʃəs
sing

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Kel kengõ̠g ri̠ng.

[kəl kəŋo꜔꜖ɡ ri꜖ŋ]

kəl
PAST
kəŋo꜔꜖ɡ
create
ri꜖ŋ
3.sing

“It was created.”

(14)

Language creation took 0.11 seconds; writing the texts 0.03 seconds.

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