A Collection of Texts in Nagitana

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.

Satimama manitima masipikafinga nge tafifinga siki sekafinga se miti me se menungufu.

[satimama maniˈtima masiˈpikafiŋa ŋə ˈtafifiŋa ˈsiki ˈsəkafiŋa sə ˈmiti ˈmə sə məˈnuŋufu]

sati-
PAST
mama
have
mani-
plur
ˈtima
all
masi-
plur
ˈpika
human being
-fiŋa
def
ŋə
in
ˈtafi
surface
-fiŋa
def
ˈsiki
whole
ˈsəka
earth
-fiŋa
def
sə
one
ˈmiti
language
ˈmə
and
sə
one
məˈnuŋifi
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.

Satisaniti neki si sisafinga kukefunga.

[satisaˈniti ˈnəki si ˈsisafiŋa ˈkukəfuŋa]

sati-
PAST
saˈniti
journey
ˈnəki
3.plur
si
from
ˈsisa
inside
-fiŋa
def
ˈkukə
east
-fiŋa
def

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Me satipini neki sikife patinima fe nge sisafinga pasi fe.

[ˈmə satipini ˈnəki ˈsikifə paˈtinima ˈfə ŋə ˈsisafiŋa ˈpasi ˈfə]

ˈmə
and
sati-
PAST
pini
find
ˈnəki
3.plur
ˈsikifə
wide
paˈtinima
plain
ˈfə
a
ŋə
in
ˈsisa
inside
-fiŋa
def
ˈpasi
land
ˈfə
a

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

(3)
Tite satukakupe neki mu.

[tiˈtə satukaˈkupə ˈnəki mu]

tiˈtə
thus
sati-
PAST
kaˈkupə
dwell
ˈnəki
3.plur
mu
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Satineti neki fipi sisifitasapinisisisa fenasa me fipi sisifitakangenisisisa fenasa fimati.

[satinəti ˈnəki ˈfipi sisifitasapiniˈsisisa fəˈnasa ˈmə ˈfipi sisifitakaŋəniˈsisisa fəˈnasa fiˈmati]

sati-
PAST
nəti
say
ˈnəki
3.plur
ˈfipi
1incl.plur
sisi-
1incl.plur.SUBJ
fita-
imperative
sapi-
make
niˈsisisa
brick
fəˈnasa
COMP
ˈmə
and
ˈfipi
1incl.plur
sisi-
1incl.plur.SUBJ
fita-
imperative
kaŋə-
burn
niˈsisisa
brick
fəˈnasa
COMP
fiˈmati
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Satimama neki nisisisa netife mipi.

[satimama ˈnəki niˈsisisa nəˈtifə ˈmipi]

sati-
PAST
mama
have
ˈnəki
3.plur
niˈsisisa
brick
nəˈtifə
PURP
ˈmipi
stone

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Me satimama neki pinitena netife panifimi.

[ˈmə satimama ˈnəki piˈnitəna nəˈtifə paˈnifimi]

ˈmə
and
sati-
PAST
mama
have
ˈnəki
3.plur
piˈnitəna
slime
nəˈtifə
PURP
paˈnifimi
mortar

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Mififapake fipi manisafa masipika.

[mififaˈpakə ˈfipi maniˈsafa masiˈpika]

mifi-
NEG
faˈpakə
resemble
ˈfipi
1incl.plur
mani-
plur
ˈsafa
other
masi-
plur
ˈpika
human being

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Satitefepi mifa me mufa metemasimitifinga neki.

[satitəˈfəpi ˈmifa ˈmə ˈmufa mətəmasiˈmitifiŋa ˈnəki]

sati-
PAST
təˈfəpi
shape
ˈmifa
fight
ˈmə
and
ˈmufa
time
mətə-
3.plur.POSS
masi-
plur
ˈmiti
language
-fiŋa
def
ˈnəki
3.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.

Satipangete neki metemasinisafinga tangamasupukunana me tangamasitina.

[satipaˈŋətə ˈnəki mətəmasiˈnisafiŋa taŋamasupuˈkunana ˈmə taŋamasiˈtina]

sati-
PAST
paˈŋətə
copy
ˈnəki
3.plur
mətə-
3.plur.POSS
masi-
plur
ˈnisa
sound
-fiŋa
def
taŋa-
GEN
masi-
plur
piˈkunana
mammal
ˈmə
and
taŋa-
GEN
masi-
plur
ˈtina
bird

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Pa satisimate pamangu ngitenafinga nekamitifinga nge sisafinga tesimi kingengi fe.

[ˈpa satisiˈmatə pamaŋu ˈŋitənafiŋa nəkaˈmitifiŋa ŋə ˈsisafiŋa ˈtəsimi ˈkiŋəŋi ˈfə]

ˈpa
then
sati-
PAST
siˈmatə
arise
pama-
3.plur.OBJ
ŋu
be
ˈŋitəna
langname
-fiŋa
def
nəka-
1incl.plur.POSS
ˈmiti
language
-fiŋa
def
ŋə
in
ˈsisa
inside
-fiŋa
def
ˈtəsimi
different
ˈkiŋəŋi
manner
ˈfə
a

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Satinipipe tika siki me pangafapi nge sisafinga pungapu sakingepe fe

[satiniˈpipə ˈtika ˈsiki ˈmə paˈŋafapi ŋə ˈsisafiŋa ˈpuŋapu saˈkiŋəpə ˈfə]

sati-
PAST
niˈpipə
appear
ˈtika
3.sing
ˈsiki
whole
ˈmə
and
paˈŋafapi
perfect
ŋə
in
ˈsisa
inside
-fiŋa
def
ˈpuŋapi
single
saˈkiŋəpə
breath
ˈfə
a

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Mifisatingifingi nekamitifinga.

[mifisatiŋiˈfiŋi nəkaˈmitifiŋa]

mifi-
NEG
sati-
PAST
ŋiˈfiŋi
evolve
nəka-
1incl.plur.POSS
ˈmiti
language
-fiŋa
def

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Satitenapi tika.

[satitəˈnapi ˈtika]

sati-
PAST
təˈnapi
create
ˈtika
3.sing

“It was created.”

(14)

Language creation took 0.06 seconds; writing the texts 0.03 seconds.

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