A Collection of Texts in Akh

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.

Pyjj quhddw sëëhl haig ggwaub sag sair̥ kaig gsw sèqu aig gsw sysh aig ʛèèqw sagg rtyyr̥ ʛèèqw sëʛkhʛw.

[ˈpʰɨʄ kʰʷᵊɗʷ ˈsɘːɬ ˈhaik ˈɠʷaup ˈsak ˈsair̥ ˈkʰaik kᵊsʷ ˈsɜkʷˈ aik kᵊsʷ ˈsɨʃˈ aik ˈʛɜːqʷ ˈsaɠ ˈʈɨːr̥ ˈʛɜːqʷ ˈsɘʛᵊxᵊʛʷ]

ˈpʰɨʄ
have
kʰʷᵊɗʷ
PAST
s-
NOM
ˈɘːɬ
human being
h-
cl.2
ˈaik
the
ˈɠʷaup
in
s-
NOM
ˈak
surface
s-
NOM
ˈair̥
earth
kʰ-
cl.3
ˈaik
the
kᵊsʷ
3.sing.cl.1.POSS
s-
NOM
ˈɜkʷ
whole
ˈaik
the
kᵊsʷ
3.sing.cl.1.POSS
s-
NOM
ˈɨʃ
all
ˈaik
the
ˈʛɜːqʷ
one
s-
NOM
ˈaɠ
language
ˈʈɨːr̥
and
ˈʛɜːqʷ
one
s-
NOM
ˈɘʛᵊxᵊʛʷ
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.

Qerëggw quhddw sëqu shyjj sëddw saaf swaig.

[ʔəˈɾɘɠʷ kʰʷᵊɗʷ ˈsɘkʷ ˈʃɨʄ ˈsɘɗʷ ˈsaːf ˈsʷaik]

ʔəˈɾɘɠʷ
journey
kʰʷᵊɗʷ
PAST
ˈsɘ
3.plur.cl.2
-kʷ
plur
ˈʃɨʄ
from
s-
NOM
ˈɘɗʷ
inside
s-
NOM
ˈaːf
east
sʷ-
cl.4
ˈaik
the

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Rtyyr̥ hlbb quhddw sëqu saukhesgrs ggwaub sëddw sχw gsw sasbħ aig.

[ˈʈɨːr̥ ˈɬᵊɓ kʰʷᵊɗʷ ˈsɘkʷ ˈsauxəskᵊʂ ˈɠʷaup ˈsɘɗʷ ˈsᵊχʷ kᵊsʷ ˈsaspᵊħˈ aik]

ˈʈɨːr̥
and
ˈɬᵊɓ
find
kʰʷᵊɗʷ
PAST
ˈsɘ
3.plur.cl.2
-kʷ
plur
s-
NOM
ˈauxəskᵊʂ
plain
ˈɠʷaup
in
s-
NOM
ˈɘɗʷ
inside
s-
NOM
ˈᵊχʷ
land
kᵊsʷ
3.sing.cl.1.POSS
s-
NOM
ˈaspᵊħ
wide
ˈaik
the

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

(3)
Dggyʛw χeħχw quhddw sëqu jjaibb.

[tᵊˈɠɨʛʷ χəˈħᵊχʷ kʰʷᵊɗʷ ˈsɘkʷ ˈʄaiɓ]

tᵊˈɠɨʛʷ
thus
χəˈħᵊχʷ
dwell
kʰʷᵊɗʷ
PAST
ˈsɘ
3.plur.cl.2
-kʷ
plur
ˈʄaiɓ
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Rwèqw quhddw sëqu kdweŕwŕwʛw ggekh gbb rsèqu deeswydw rtyyr̥ ggqu qar̥w ggekh gbb rsèqu kdweŕwŕw deeswydw hekhëëŕw.

[ˈɾʷɜqʷ kʰʷᵊɗʷ ˈsɘkʷ ˈkʰᵊtʷərʷᵊrʷʛʷᵊ ɠəx kᵊɓ ˈʂɜkʷ təːˈsʷɨtʷ ˈʈɨːr̥ ɠᵊkʷ ˈqar̥ʷ ɠəx kᵊɓ ˈʂɜkʷ ˈkʰᵊtʷərʷᵊrʷ təːˈsʷɨtʷ həˈxɘːrʷ]

ˈɾʷɜqʷ
say
kʰʷᵊɗʷ
PAST
ˈsɘ
3.plur.cl.2
-kʷ
plur
kʰ-
make₁
ˈᵊtʷərʷᵊrʷ
brick
-ʛʷᵊ
make₂
ɠəx
imperative
kᵊɓ
1incl.plur.SUBJ
ˈʂɜ
1incl.plur
-kʷ
plur
təːˈsʷɨtʷ
COMP
ˈʈɨːr̥
and
ɠᵊkʷ
3.plur.cl.6.OBJ
ˈqar̥ʷ
burn
ɠəx
imperative
kᵊɓ
1incl.plur.SUBJ
ˈʂɜ
1incl.plur
-kʷ
plur
kʰ-
ACC
ˈᵊtʷərʷᵊrʷ
brick
təːˈsʷɨtʷ
COMP
həˈxɘːrʷ
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Pyjj quhddw sëqu sdweŕwŕw r̥efa ddaaħ.

[ˈpʰɨʄ kʰʷᵊɗʷ ˈsɘkʷ ˈsᵊtʷərʷᵊrʷ r̥əˈfa ˈɗaːħ]

ˈpʰɨʄ
have
kʰʷᵊɗʷ
PAST
ˈsɘ
3.plur.cl.2
-kʷ
plur
s-
NOM
ˈᵊtʷərʷᵊrʷ
brick
r̥əˈfa
PURP
ɗ-
LOC
ˈaːħ
stone

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Rtyyr̥ pyjj quhddw sëqu saihkweeŕweχw r̥efa ddaaʛeħħert.

[ˈʈɨːr̥ ˈpʰɨʄ kʰʷᵊɗʷ ˈsɘkʷ ˈsaihkʷəːrʷəχʷ r̥əˈfa ˈɗaːʛəʜəʈ]

ˈʈɨːr̥
and
ˈpʰɨʄ
have
kʰʷᵊɗʷ
PAST
ˈsɘ
3.plur.cl.2
-kʷ
plur
s-
NOM
ˈaihkʷəːrʷəχʷ
slime
r̥əˈfa
PURP
ɗ-
LOC
ˈaːʛəʜəʈ
mortar

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

ʛeʛ ħggwyŕw rsèqu sëëhl gsw saas aig.

[ʛəʛ ħᵊˈɠʷɨrʷ ˈʂɜkʷ ˈsɘːɬ kᵊsʷ ˈsaːsˈ aik]

ʛəʛ
NEG
ħᵊˈɠʷɨrʷ
resemble
ˈʂɜ
1incl.plur
-kʷ
plur
s-
NOM
ˈɘːɬ
human being
kᵊsʷ
3.sing.cl.1.POSS
s-
NOM
ˈaːs
other
ˈaik
the

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Khqaujj quhddw syykhw rtyyr̥ sëf sagg daig htg sëqu.

[xᵊˈqauʄ kʰʷᵊɗʷ ˈsɨːxʷ ˈʈɨːr̥ ˈsɘf ˈsaɠ ˈtaik htᵊk ˈsɘkʷ]

xᵊˈqauʄ
shape
kʰʷᵊɗʷ
PAST
s-
NOM
ˈɨːxʷ
fight
ˈʈɨːr̥
and
s-
NOM
ˈɘf
time
s-
NOM
ˈaɠ
language
t-
cl.1
ˈaik
the
htᵊk
3.plur.cl.2.POSS
ˈsɘ
3.plur.cl.2
-kʷ
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.

Qhlggw quhddw sëqu syd daig ʛwχw syqwbbʡ rtyyr̥ saub.

[ʔᵊˈɬᵊɠʷ kʰʷᵊɗʷ ˈsɘkʷ ˈsɨt ˈtaik ʛʷᵊχʷ ˈsɨqʷᵊɓᵊʡ ˈʈɨːr̥ ˈsaup]

ʔᵊˈɬᵊɠʷ
copy
kʰʷᵊɗʷ
PAST
ˈsɘ
3.plur.cl.2
-kʷ
plur
s-
NOM
ˈɨt
sound
t-
cl.1
ˈaik
the
ʛʷᵊχʷ
3.plur.cl.6.POSS
s-
NOM
ˈɨqʷᵊɓᵊʡ
mammal
ˈʈɨːr̥
and
s-
NOM
ˈaup
bird

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Χèèsh derwëëq quhddw ħħŕ hlyyŕ thl saχwʡ haig sagg daig swef deeswydw ggwaub sëddw sëreeg gsw saddedd aig.

[ˈχɜːʃ təˈɾʷɘːq kʰʷᵊɗʷ ʜᵊr ˈɬɨːr tʰᵊɬ ˈsaχʷᵊʡ ˈhaik ˈsaɠ ˈtaik sʷəf təːˈsʷɨtʷ ˈɠʷaup ˈsɘɗʷ ˈsɘɾəːk kᵊsʷ ˈsaɗəɗˈ aik]

ˈχɜːʃ
but
təˈɾʷɘːq
arise
kʰʷᵊɗʷ
PAST
ʜᵊr
3.plur.cl.1.OBJ
ˈɬɨːr
be
tʰᵊɬ
3.sing.cl.2.SUBJ
s-
NOM
ˈaχʷᵊʡ
langname
h-
cl.2
ˈaik
the
s-
NOM
ˈaɠ
language
t-
cl.1
ˈaik
the
sʷəf
1incl.plur.POSS
təːˈsʷɨtʷ
COMP
ˈɠʷaup
in
s-
NOM
ˈɘɗʷ
inside
s-
NOM
ˈɘɾəːk
manner
kᵊsʷ
3.sing.cl.1.POSS
s-
NOM
ˈaɗəɗ
different
ˈaik
the

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Rrgëkhw quhddw rrar̥w gsw sèqu aig rtyyr̥ gsw sajjhleeg aig ggwaub sëddw saaddweeqeeq gsw sauqub aig

[ɽᵊˈkɘxʷ kʰʷᵊɗʷ ˈɽar̥ʷ kᵊsʷ ˈsɜkʷˈ aik ˈʈɨːr̥ kᵊsʷ ˈsaʄᵊɬəːkˈ aik ˈɠʷaup ˈsɘɗʷ ˈsaːɗʷəːʔəːq kᵊsʷ ˈsaukʷᵊpˈ aik]

ɽᵊˈkɘxʷ
appear
kʰʷᵊɗʷ
PAST
ˈɽa
3.sing.cl.1
-r̥ʷ
sing
kᵊsʷ
3.sing.cl.1.POSS
s-
NOM
ˈɜkʷ
whole
ˈaik
the
ˈʈɨːr̥
and
kᵊsʷ
3.sing.cl.1.POSS
s-
NOM
ˈaʄᵊɬəːk
perfect
ˈaik
the
ˈɠʷaup
in
s-
NOM
ˈɘɗʷ
inside
s-
NOM
ˈaːɗʷəːʔəːq
breath
kᵊsʷ
3.sing.cl.1.POSS
s-
NOM
ˈaukʷᵊp
single
ˈaik
the

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

ʛeʛ reshaaggw quhddw sagg daig swef.

[ʛəʛ ɾəˈʃaːɠʷ kʰʷᵊɗʷ ˈsaɠ ˈtaik sʷəf]

ʛəʛ
NEG
ɾəˈʃaːɠʷ
evolve
kʰʷᵊɗʷ
PAST
s-
NOM
ˈaɠ
language
t-
cl.1
ˈaik
the
sʷəf
1incl.plur.POSS

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Bbehtèq quhddw rrar̥w.

[ɓəˈhtɜʔ kʰʷᵊɗʷ ˈɽar̥ʷ]

ɓəˈhtɜʔ
create
kʰʷᵊɗʷ
PAST
ˈɽa
3.sing.cl.1
-r̥ʷ
sing

“It was created.”

(14)

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