A Collection of Texts in Gay

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.

Lestadep fór ditap bek pedegk zhosógk gwish dyuquógk kety ngwish zezaregk kety.

[ˈlestadep ˈfor ˈditap ˈbek ˈpedekʼ ˈʒɔsokʼ ˈɡʷiʃ ˈɟukʷokʼ ˈkec ˈŋʷiʃ zeˈzarekʼ ˈkec]

ˈlest
have
-a
PAST
-d
indicative
-ep
POS
ˈfor
all
ˈdit
human being
-ap
plur
ˈbek
whole
ˈped
earth
-ekʼ
sing
ˈʒɔs
surface
-ekʼ
sing
ˈɡʷiʃ
in
ˈɟukʷ
language
-ekʼ
sing
ˈkec
one
ˈŋʷiʃ
and
zeˈzar
dialect
-ekʼ
sing
ˈkec
one

“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.

Gwagadyadep zigw kosógk zhizegk zhap.

[ɡʷaˈɡaɟadep ˈziɡʷ ˈkɔsokʼ ˈʒizekʼ ˈʒap]

ɡʷaˈɡaɟ
journey
-a
PAST
-d
indicative
-ep
POS
ˈziɡʷ
3.plur
ˈkɔs
east
-ekʼ
sing
ˈʒiz
inside
-ekʼ
sing
ˈʒap
from

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Ngwish dyiñadep zigw tyiz sishafegk dasegk zhizegk gwish.

[ˈŋʷiʃ ˈɟiɲadep ˈziɡʷ ˈciz siˈʃafekʼ ˈdasekʼ ˈʒizekʼ ˈɡʷiʃ]

ˈŋʷiʃ
and
ˈɟiɲ
find
-a
PAST
-d
indicative
-ep
POS
ˈziɡʷ
3.plur
ˈciz
wide
siˈʃaf
plain
-ekʼ
sing
ˈdas
land
-ekʼ
sing
ˈʒiz
inside
-ekʼ
sing
ˈɡʷiʃ
in

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

(3)
Sawa gwubudyadep zigw dir.

[saˈwa ɡʷuˈbuɟadep ˈziɡʷ ˈdir]

saˈwa
thus
ɡʷiˈbuɟ
dwell
-a
PAST
-d
indicative
-ep
POS
ˈziɡʷ
3.plur
ˈdir
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Ñipadep zigw zhæ sagwañilequep ñukóz ngwish zhæ sagwañidequep ñukóz tyawak.

[ˈɲipadep ˈziɡʷ ˈʒɛ saˈɡʷaɲilekʷep ɲuˈkoz ˈŋʷiʃ ˈʒɛ saˈɡʷaɲidekʷep ɲuˈkoz caˈwak]

ˈɲip
say
-a
PAST
-d
indicative
-ep
POS
ˈziɡʷ
3.plur
ˈʒɛ
1incl.plur
saˈɡʷaɲ
brick
-il
make
-e
PRES
-kʷ
imperative
-ep
POS
ɲiˈkoz
COMP
ˈŋʷiʃ
and
ˈʒɛ
1incl.plur
saˈɡʷaɲ
brick
-id
burn
-e
PRES
-kʷ
imperative
-ep
POS
ɲiˈkoz
COMP
caˈwak
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Lestadep zigw sagwañegk sulógkaqu mamon.

[ˈlestadep ˈziɡʷ saˈɡʷaɲekʼ ˈsulokʼakʷ maˈmɔn]

ˈlest
have
-a
PAST
-d
indicative
-ep
POS
ˈziɡʷ
3.plur
saˈɡʷaɲ
brick
-ekʼ
sing
ˈsul
stone
-ekʼ
sing
-akʷ
LOC
maˈmɔn
PURP

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Ngwish lestadep zigw fiziregk móstugkógkaqu mamon.

[ˈŋʷiʃ ˈlestadep ˈziɡʷ fiˈzirekʼ moˈstukʼokʼakʷ maˈmɔn]

ˈŋʷiʃ
and
ˈlest
have
-a
PAST
-d
indicative
-ep
POS
ˈziɡʷ
3.plur
fiˈzir
slime
-ekʼ
sing
meˈstukʼ
mortar
-ekʼ
sing
-akʷ
LOC
maˈmɔn
PURP

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Sawanedi zhæ far ditap.

[saˈwanedi ˈʒɛ ˈfar ˈditap]

saˈwan
resemble
-e
PRES
-d
indicative
-i
NEG
ˈʒɛ
1incl.plur
ˈfar
other
ˈdit
human being
-ap
plur

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Fizastadep quinegk ngwish sæñegk zigw dyuquap.

[fiˈzastadep ˈkʷinekʼ ˈŋʷiʃ ˈsɛɲekʼ ˈziɡʷ ˈɟukʷap]

fiˈzast
shape
-a
PAST
-d
indicative
-ep
POS
ˈkʷin
fight
-ekʼ
sing
ˈŋʷiʃ
and
ˈsɛɲ
time
-ekʼ
sing
ˈziɡʷ
3.plur
ˈɟukʷ
language
-ap
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.

Sityajadep zigw dyegkezap ngwish gatyap jungap.

[siˈcajadep ˈziɡʷ ɟeˈkʼezap ˈŋʷiʃ ˈɡacap ˈjuŋap]

siˈcaj
copy
-a
PAST
-d
indicative
-ep
POS
ˈziɡʷ
3.plur
ɟeˈkʼez
mammal
-ap
plur
ˈŋʷiʃ
and
ˈɡac
bird
-ap
plur
ˈjuŋ
sound
-ap
plur

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Rady gquutyuñadep gajegk, shogqu fadedep zhæ dyuquógk, fæsh sæshegk zhizegk gwish.

[ˈraɟ kʼʷuˈcuɲadep ˈɡajekʼ, ˈʃɔkʼʷ ˈfadedep ˈʒɛ ˈɟukʷokʼ, ˈfɛʃ ˈsɛʃekʼ ˈʒizekʼ ˈɡʷiʃ]

ˈraɟ
but
kʼʷiˈcuɲ
arise
-a
PAST
-d
indicative
-ep
POS
ˈɡaj
langname
-ekʼ
sing
ˈʃɔkʼʷ
RELPRON
ˈfad
be
-e
PRES
-d
indicative
-ep
POS
ˈʒɛ
1incl.plur
ˈɟukʷ
language
-ekʼ
sing
ˈfɛʃ
different
ˈsɛʃ
manner
-ekʼ
sing
ˈʒiz
inside
-ekʼ
sing
ˈɡʷiʃ
in

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Zhinapadep dash bek ngwish tadyug bód quigquipegk zhizegk gwish

[ʒiˈnapadep ˈdaʃ ˈbek ˈŋʷiʃ taˈɟuɡ ˈbod kʷiˈkʼʷipekʼ ˈʒizekʼ ˈɡʷiʃ]

ʒiˈnap
appear
-a
PAST
-d
indicative
-ep
POS
ˈdaʃ
3.sing
ˈbek
whole
ˈŋʷiʃ
and
taˈɟuɡ
perfect
ˈbod
single
kʷiˈkʼʷip
breath
-ekʼ
sing
ˈʒiz
inside
-ekʼ
sing
ˈɡʷiʃ
in

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Ñekewadi zhæ dyuquógk.

[ɲeˈkewadi ˈʒɛ ˈɟukʷokʼ]

ɲeˈkew
evolve
-a
PAST
-d
indicative
-i
NEG
ˈʒɛ
1incl.plur
ˈɟukʷ
language
-ekʼ
sing

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Nijadadep dash.

[niˈjadadep ˈdaʃ]

niˈjad
create
-a
PAST
-d
indicative
-ep
POS
ˈdaʃ
3.sing

“It was created.”

(14)

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

Show texts normally.