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A Collection of Texts in Nosahk

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.

Кациј бит гецуф шоч жайсәс, сип хоциј, шкикәс, сип көциј, тиз зәсәс ѳум тиз шкиспуњәс.

[ˈkɑt͡sij bit ˈhet͡suf ˈʃot͡ʃ ˈʒaisæs, ˈsip ˈxot͡sij, ˈʃkikæs, ˈsip ˈkɔt͡sij, ˈtiz ˈzæsæs ˈθum ˈtiz ʃkiˈspuɲæs]

ˈkɑ
have -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP bit
PAST ˈhet͡s
human being -uf
plur ˈʃot͡ʃ
in ˈʒais
earth -æs
sing ˈsip
RELPRON ˈxo
whole -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP ˈʃkik
surface -æs
sing ˈsip
RELPRON ˈkɔ
all -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP ˈtiz
one ˈzæs
language -æs
sing ˈθum
and ˈtiz
one ʃkiˈspuɲ
dialect -æs
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.

Џудәциј бит шиб сәц челәс цивәс.

[d͡ʒuˈdæt͡sij bit ˈʃib ˈsæt͡s ˈt͡ʃelæs ˈt͡sivæs]

d͡ʒuˈdæ
journey -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP bit
PAST ˈʃib
3.plur ˈsæt͡s
from ˈt͡ʃel
east -æs
sing ˈt͡siv
inside -æs
sing

“They journeyed from the east.”

 (2)
Ѳум жайциј бит шиб нуҙойҙәс шоч ғофәс цивәс, сип скоциј.

[ˈθum ˈʒait͡sij bit ˈʃib nuˈðɔiðæs ˈʃot͡ʃ ˈɣofæs ˈt͡sivæs, ˈsip ˈskot͡sij]

ˈθum
and ˈʒai
find -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP bit
PAST ˈʃib
3.plur nuˈðɔið
plain -æs
sing ˈʃot͡ʃ
in ˈɣof
land -æs
sing ˈt͡siv
inside -æs
sing ˈsip
RELPRON ˈsko
wide -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP

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

 (3)
Ӈиґэм ғинициј бит шиб нет.

[ŋiˈɡɛm ɣiˈnit͡sij bit ˈʃib ˈnet]

ŋiˈɡɛm
thus ɣiˈni
dwell -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP bit
PAST ˈʃib
3.plur ˈnet
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

 (4)

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

Дойциј бит шиб јөцуџ тәт јәч зґалойскуф ѳум ўәцуџ тәт јәч зґалойскуф ләбод.

[ˈdɔit͡sij bit ˈʃib ˈjɔt͡sud͡ʒ tæt ˈjæt͡ʃ zɡɑˈlɔiskuf ˈθum ˈwæt͡sud͡ʒ tæt ˈjæt͡ʃ zɡɑˈlɔiskuf læˈbod]

ˈdɔi
say -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP bit
PAST ˈʃib
3.plur ˈjɔ
make -t͡s
not.Q -ud͡ʒ
COMP tæt
imperative ˈjæt͡ʃ
1incl.plur zɡɑˈlɔisk
brick -uf
plur ˈθum
and ˈwæ
burn -t͡s
not.Q -ud͡ʒ
COMP tæt
imperative ˈjæt͡ʃ
1incl.plur zɡɑˈlɔisk
brick -uf
plur læˈbod
thoroughly

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

 (5)

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

Кациј бит шиб зґалойскәс ўаѳайѳ пөњәс.

[ˈkɑt͡sij bit ˈʃib zɡɑˈlɔiskæs wɑˈθaiθ ˈpɔɲæs]

ˈkɑ
have -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP bit
PAST ˈʃib
3.plur zɡɑˈlɔisk
brick -æs
sing wɑˈθaiθ
PURP ˈpɔɲ
stone -æs
sing

“They had bricks for stone.”

 (6)
Ѳум кациј бит шиб ѳамәјәс ўаѳайѳ жуфирәс.

[ˈθum ˈkɑt͡sij bit ˈʃib θɑˈmæjæs wɑˈθaiθ ʒuˈfiræs]

ˈθum
and ˈkɑ
have -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP bit
PAST ˈʃib
3.plur θɑˈmæj
slime -æs
sing wɑˈθaiθ
PURP ʒuˈfir
mortar -æs
sing

“And they had slime for mortar.”

 (7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Ғицециј хәм јәч гецуф, сип ғәциј.

[ɣiˈt͡set͡sij xæm ˈjæt͡ʃ ˈhet͡suf, ˈsip ˈɣæt͡sij]

ɣiˈt͡se
resemble -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP xæm
NEG ˈjæt͡ʃ
1incl.plur ˈhet͡s
human being -uf
plur ˈsip
RELPRON ˈɣæ
other -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP

“We do not resemble other humans.”

 (8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Ваґуциј бит гежбәс ѳум џаўвәс шиб зәсуф чик.

[vɑˈɡut͡sij bit ˈheʒbæs ˈθum ˈd͡ʒauvæs ˈʃib ˈzæsuf t͡ʃik]

vɑˈɡu
shape -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP bit
PAST ˈheʒb
fight -æs
sing ˈθum
and ˈd͡ʒauv
time -æs
sing ˈʃib
3.plur ˈzæs
language -uf
plur t͡ʃik
3.plur.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.

Мујациј бит шиб ӈачаждињуф ѳум ӈавинуф моғуф чик.

[muˈjɑt͡sij bit ˈʃib ŋɑt͡ʃɑˈʒdiɲuf ˈθum ŋɑˈvinuf ˈmoɣuf t͡ʃik]

muˈjɑ
copy -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP bit
PAST ˈʃib
3.plur ŋɑ-
GEN t͡ʃɑˈʒdiɲ
mammal -uf
plur ˈθum
and ŋɑ-
GEN ˈvin
bird -uf
plur ˈmoɣ
sound -uf
plur t͡ʃik
3.plur.POSS

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

 (10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Ѳуп кәґәциј бит ношкәс, сип воциј зәсәс шип, шоч ӈойғәс, сип јойциј, цивәс.

[ˈθup kæˈɡæt͡sij bit ˈnoʃkæs, ˈsip ˈvot͡sij ˈzæsæs ʃip, ˈʃot͡ʃ ˈŋɔiɣæs, ˈsip ˈjɔit͡sij, ˈt͡sivæs]

ˈθup
but kæˈɡæ
arise -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP bit
PAST ˈnoʃk
langname -æs
sing ˈsip
RELPRON ˈvo
be -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP ˈzæs
language -æs
sing ʃip
1incl.plur.POSS ˈʃot͡ʃ
in ˈŋɔiɣ
manner -æs
sing ˈsip
RELPRON ˈjɔi
different -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP ˈt͡siv
inside -æs
sing

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

 (11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Бидайциј бит мәњ, сип хоциј, ѳум, сип дәвециј, шоч жбабичәс, сип даўциј, цивәс

[biˈdait͡sij bit ˈmæɲ, ˈsip ˈxot͡sij, ˈθum, ˈsip dæˈvet͡sij, ˈʃot͡ʃ ʒbɑˈbit͡ʃæs, ˈsip ˈdaut͡sij, ˈt͡sivæs]

biˈdai
appear -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP bit
PAST ˈmæɲ
3.sing ˈsip
RELPRON ˈxo
whole -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP ˈθum
and ˈsip
RELPRON dæˈve
perfect -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP ˈʃot͡ʃ
in ʒbɑˈbit͡ʃ
breath -æs
sing ˈsip
RELPRON ˈdau
single -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP ˈt͡siv
inside -æs
sing

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

 (12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Ӈафөциј бит хәм зәсәс шип.

[ŋɑˈfɔt͡sij bit xæm ˈzæsæs ʃip]

ŋɑˈfɔ
evolve -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP bit
PAST xæm
NEG ˈzæs
language -æs
sing ʃip
1incl.plur.POSS

“Our language did not evolve.”

 (13)
Кашойциј бит мәњ.

[kɑˈʃɔit͡sij bit ˈmæɲ]

kɑˈʃɔi
create -t͡s
not.Q -ij
not.COMP bit
PAST ˈmæɲ
3.sing

“It was created.”

 (14)

Language creation took 0.03 seconds; writing the texts 0.04 seconds.

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