A Collection of Texts in Kenap

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.

Kichu hiñ goj ber nen duj dag fal tech dag gangochap.

[ˈkit͡ʃu ˈhiɲ ɡoj ˈber ˈnen duj ˈdaɡ fal ˈtet͡ʃ ˈdaɡ ɡaˈŋot͡ʃap]

ˈkit͡ʃ
have
-u
PAST
ˈhiɲ
all
ɡoj
human being
ˈber
in_surface
ˈnen
whole
duj
earth
ˈdaɡ
one
fal
language
ˈtet͡ʃ
and
ˈdaɡ
one
ɡaˈŋot͡ʃap
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.

Basotu dud hub let.

[baˈsotu ˈdud ˈhub let]

baˈsot
journey
-u
PAST
d-
plur
ˈud
3.plur
ˈhub
from_inside
let
east

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Tech shinu dud chap wanamuf ñoch nad.

[ˈtet͡ʃ ˈʃinu ˈdud ˈt͡ʃap ʋaˈnamuf ˈɲot͡ʃ nad]

ˈtet͡ʃ
and
ˈʃin
find
-u
PAST
d-
plur
ˈud
3.plur
ˈt͡ʃap
wide
ʋaˈnamuf
plain
ˈɲot͡ʃ
in_inside
nad
land

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

(3)
Kañuj hudemu dud gib.

[kaˈɲuj huˈdemu ˈdud ˈɡib]

kaˈɲuj
thus
huˈdem
dwell
-u
PAST
d-
plur
ˈud
3.plur
ˈɡib
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Kasu dud dij daw ning dabofiung shirat tech dij daw beñ dabofiung shirat jafid.

[ˈkasu ˈdud ˈdij daʋ ˈniŋ daˈbofiuŋ ʃiˈrat ˈtet͡ʃ ˈdij daʋ ˈbeɲ daˈbofiuŋ ʃiˈrat jaˈfid]

ˈkas
say
-u
PAST
d-
plur
ˈud
3.plur
d-
plur
ˈij
1incl.plur
daʋ
imperative
ˈniŋ
make
daˈbofi
brick
-uŋ
ACC
ʃiˈrat
COMP
ˈtet͡ʃ
and
d-
plur
ˈij
1incl.plur
daʋ
imperative
ˈbeɲ
burn
daˈbofi
brick
-uŋ
ACC
ʃiˈrat
COMP
jaˈfid
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Kichu dud dabofi sige jash.

[ˈkit͡ʃu ˈdud daˈbofi siˈɡe jaʃ]

ˈkit͡ʃ
have
-u
PAST
d-
plur
ˈud
3.plur
daˈbofi
brick
siˈɡe
PURP
jaʃ
stone

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Tech kichu dud ñukilab sige dajamaw.

[ˈtet͡ʃ ˈkit͡ʃu ˈdud ɲuˈkilab siˈɡe daˈjamaʋ]

ˈtet͡ʃ
and
ˈkit͡ʃ
have
-u
PAST
d-
plur
ˈud
3.plur
ɲuˈkilab
slime
siˈɡe
PURP
daˈjamaʋ
mortar

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Han burob dij ñor goj.

[han buˈrob ˈdij ˈɲor ɡoj]

han
NEG
buˈrob
resemble
d-
plur
ˈij
1incl.plur
ˈɲor
other
ɡoj
human being

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Nguwapu dom tech bit dud fal.

[ŋuˈʋapu dom ˈtet͡ʃ bit ˈdud fal]

ŋuˈʋap
shape
-u
PAST
dom
fight
ˈtet͡ʃ
and
bit
time
d-
plur
ˈud
3.plur
fal
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.

Shugonu dud fungiñijik tech ñeshik chud.

[ʃuˈɡonu ˈdud fuˈŋiɲijik ˈtet͡ʃ ɲeʃik t͡ʃud]

ʃuˈɡon
copy
-u
PAST
d-
plur
ˈud
3.plur
fuˈŋiɲij
mammal
-ik
GEN
ˈtet͡ʃ
and
ɲeʃ
bird
-ik
GEN
t͡ʃud
sound

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Weg gadolu kenap, wot kug dij fal, ñoch wef gekich.

[ˈʋeɡ ɡaˈdolu ˈkenap, ˈʋot ˈkuɡ ˈdij fal, ˈɲot͡ʃ ˈʋef ˈɡekit͡ʃ]

ˈʋeɡ
but
ɡaˈdol
arise
-u
PAST
ˈkenap
langname
ʋ-
sing
ˈot
RELPRON
ˈkuɡ
be
d-
plur
ˈij
1incl.plur
fal
language
ˈɲot͡ʃ
in_inside
ˈʋef
different
ˈɡekit͡ʃ
manner

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Jarushu wow nen tech dinge ñoch shug kasewuw

[jaˈruʃu ˈʋoʋ ˈnen ˈtet͡ʃ diˈŋe ˈɲot͡ʃ ˈʃuɡ kaˈseʋuʋ]

jaˈruʃ
appear
-u
PAST
ʋ-
sing
ˈoʋ
3.sing
ˈnen
whole
ˈtet͡ʃ
and
diˈŋe
perfect
ˈɲot͡ʃ
in_inside
ˈʃuɡ
single
kaˈseʋuʋ
breath

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Han bastomu dij fal.

[han baˈstomu ˈdij fal]

han
NEG
baˈstom
evolve
-u
PAST
d-
plur
ˈij
1incl.plur
fal
language

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Wunguku wow.

[ʋuˈŋuku ˈʋoʋ]

ʋuˈŋuk
create
-u
PAST
ʋ-
sing
ˈoʋ
3.sing

“It was created.”

(14)

Language creation took 0.02 seconds; writing the texts 0.03 seconds.

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