A Collection of Texts in Gir

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.

ʁoini goomo heni tiibiino diini hemi biofouno, ħgoasi ðoiri, ħgoasi xxiafi, bboemi biijino nciango bboemi yariiwoino.

[ʁˠinʲ ˈɡˠomˠ ˈhenʲ ˈtʲibʲinˠ ˈdʲinʲ ˈhemʲ ˈbʲofˠunˠ, ˈɢˠasʲ ˈðˠiɾʲ, ˈɢˠasʲ ˈxʲafʲ, ˈɓˠemʲ ˈbʲid͡ʒinˠ ˈᵑǀʲaŋˠ ˈɓˠemʲ jaˈɾʲiʋˠinˠ]

ʁˠinʲ
PAST
ˈɡˠomˠ
have
ˈhe
the
-nʲ
cl.9
ˈtʲibʲ
human being
-inˠ
NOM
ˈdʲinʲ
in_surface
ˈhe
the
-mʲ
cl.7
ˈbʲofˠ
earth
-inˠ
NOM
ˈɢˠasʲ
RELPRON
ˈðˠiɾʲ
whole
ˈɢˠasʲ
RELPRON
ˈxʲafʲ
all
ˈɓˠemʲ
one
ˈbʲid͡ʒ
language
-inˠ
NOM
ˈᵑǀʲaŋˠ
and
ˈɓˠemʲ
one
jaˈɾʲiʋˠ
dialect
-inˠ
NOM

“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.

ʁoini juxxouno xxoifi ğiomi hefo toaniino.

[ʁˠinʲ d͡ʒuˈxˠunˠ ˈxˠifʲ ˈɣʲomʲ ˈhefˠ ˈtˠanʲinˠ]

ʁˠinʲ
PAST
d͡ʒiˈxˠunˠ
journey
ˈxˠifʲ
3.cl.9
ˈɣʲomʲ
from_inside
ˈhe
the
-fˠ
cl.4
ˈtˠanʲ
east
-inˠ
NOM

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Nciango ʁoini siani xxoifi zoumi wiekiifiino tzoami zoumi ciomouno, ħgoasi noofi.

[ˈᵑǀʲaŋˠ ʁˠinʲ ˈsʲanʲ ˈxˠifʲ ˈzˠumʲ ʋʲeˈkʲifʲinˠ ˈt͡sˠamʲ ˈzˠumʲ ˈᵏǀʲomˠunˠ, ˈɢˠasʲ ˈnˠofʲ]

ˈᵑǀʲaŋˠ
and
ʁˠinʲ
PAST
ˈsʲanʲ
find
ˈxˠifʲ
3.cl.9
ˈzˠu
a
-mʲ
cl.7
ʋʲeˈkʲifʲ
plain
-inˠ
NOM
ˈt͡sˠamʲ
in_inside
ˈzˠu
a
-mʲ
cl.7
ˈᵏǀʲomˠ
land
-inˠ
NOM
ˈɢˠasʲ
RELPRON
ˈnˠofʲ
wide

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

(3)
Miaħgoafi ʁoini ħgiuʁiufo xxoifi siafo.

[mʲaˈɢˠafʲ ʁˠinʲ ɢʲuˈʁʲufˠ ˈxˠifʲ ˈsʲafˠ]

mʲaˈɢˠafʲ
thus
ʁˠinʲ
PAST
ɢʲiˈʁʲufˠ
dwell
ˈxˠifʲ
3.cl.9
ˈsʲafˠ
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

ʁoini kiingi xxoifi doumi mooso vieni voiðiesiino djekoani nciango doumi þiumi vieni voiðiesiino djekoani vouðiuni.

[ʁˠinʲ ˈkʲiŋʲ ˈxˠifʲ ˈdˠumʲ ˈmˠosˠ vʲenʲ vˠiˈðʲesʲinˠ t͡ʃeˈkˠanʲ ˈᵑǀʲaŋˠ ˈdˠumʲ ˈθʲumʲ vʲenʲ vˠiˈðʲesʲinˠ t͡ʃeˈkˠanʲ vˠuˈðʲunʲ]

ʁˠinʲ
PAST
ˈkʲiŋʲ
say
ˈxˠifʲ
3.cl.9
ˈdˠumʲ
1incl
ˈmˠosˠ
make
vʲenʲ
imperative
vˠiˈðʲesʲ
brick
-inˠ
NOM
t͡ʃeˈkˠanʲ
COMP
ˈᵑǀʲaŋˠ
and
ˈdˠumʲ
1incl
ˈθʲumʲ
burn
vʲenʲ
imperative
vˠiˈðʲesʲ
brick
-inˠ
NOM
t͡ʃeˈkˠanʲ
COMP
vˠiˈðʲunʲ
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

ʁoini goomo xxoifi voiðiesiino tziuɦusi giediino.

[ʁˠinʲ ˈɡˠomˠ ˈxˠifʲ vˠiˈðʲesʲinˠ t͡sʲuˈɦusʲ ˈɡʲedʲinˠ]

ʁˠinʲ
PAST
ˈɡˠomˠ
have
ˈxˠifʲ
3.cl.9
vˠiˈðʲesʲ
brick
-inˠ
NOM
t͡sʲiˈɦusʲ
PURP
ˈɡʲedʲ
stone
-inˠ
NOM

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Nciango ʁoini goomo xxoifi sieqaziino tziuɦusi moidiẽxxiino.

[ˈᵑǀʲaŋˠ ʁˠinʲ ˈɡˠomˠ ˈxˠifʲ sʲeˈʔazʲinˠ t͡sʲuˈɦusʲ mˠiˈdʲə̃xʲinˠ]

ˈᵑǀʲaŋˠ
and
ʁˠinʲ
PAST
ˈɡˠomˠ
have
ˈxˠifʲ
3.cl.9
sʲeˈʔazʲ
slime
-inˠ
NOM
t͡sʲiˈɦusʲ
PURP
mˠiˈdʲə̃xʲ
mortar
-inˠ
NOM

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Foeno diemoi doumi tiibiino, ħgoasi woano.

[fˠenˠ dʲeˈmˠi ˈdˠumʲ ˈtʲibʲinˠ, ˈɢˠasʲ ˈʋˠanˠ]

fˠenˠ
NEG
dʲeˈmˠi
resemble
ˈdˠumʲ
1incl
ˈtʲibʲ
human being
-inˠ
NOM
ˈɢˠasʲ
RELPRON
ˈʋˠanˠ
other

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

ʁoini ncoiħgoano vouþiuno nciango tzoatoino xxoifi heri biijino nciafo.

[ʁˠinʲ ᵑǀˠiˈɢˠanˠ ˈvˠuθʲunˠ ˈᵑǀʲaŋˠ ˈt͡sˠatˠinˠ ˈxˠifʲ ˈheɾʲ ˈbʲid͡ʒinˠ ᵑǀʲafˠ]

ʁˠinʲ
PAST
ᵑǀˠiˈɢˠanˠ
shape
ˈvˠuθʲ
fight
-inˠ
NOM
ˈᵑǀʲaŋˠ
and
ˈt͡sˠatˠ
time
-inˠ
NOM
ˈxˠifʲ
3.cl.9
ˈhe
the
-ɾʲ
cl.1
ˈbʲid͡ʒ
language
-inˠ
NOM
ᵑǀʲafˠ
3.cl.9.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.

ʁoini soungiuso xxoifi ncietziipiino nciango nciauxxiuno heni woẽɦino zoefi.

[ʁˠinʲ sˠuˈŋʲusˠ ˈxˠifʲ ᵑǀʲeˈt͡sʲipʲinˠ ˈᵑǀʲaŋˠ ˈᵑǀʲauxʲunˠ ˈhenʲ ˈʋˠə̃ɦinˠ zˠefʲ]

ʁˠinʲ
PAST
sˠiˈŋʲusˠ
copy
ˈxˠifʲ
3.cl.9
ᵑǀʲeˈt͡sʲipʲ
mammal
-inˠ
NOM
ˈᵑǀʲaŋˠ
and
ˈᵑǀʲauxʲ
bird
-inˠ
NOM
ˈhe
the
-nʲ
cl.9
ˈʋˠə̃ɦ
sound
-inˠ
NOM
zˠefʲ
3.cl.2.POSS

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Viini ʁoini ʁoaxxoifo heno goiʁoino, ħgoasi woamo heri biijino goemo, tzoami zouni woinoino, ħgoasi bboairo.

[ˈvʲinʲ ʁˠinʲ ʁˠaˈxˠifˠ ˈhenˠ ˈɡˠiʁˠinˠ, ˈɢˠasʲ ˈʋˠamˠ ˈheɾʲ ˈbʲid͡ʒinˠ ɡˠemˠ, ˈt͡sˠamʲ ˈzˠunʲ ˈʋˠinˠinˠ, ˈɢˠasʲ ˈɓˠaiɾˠ]

ˈvʲinʲ
but
ʁˠinʲ
PAST
ʁˠaˈxˠifˠ
arise
ˈhe
the
-nˠ
cl.5
ˈɡˠiʁˠ
langname
-inˠ
NOM
ˈɢˠasʲ
RELPRON
ˈʋˠamˠ
be
ˈhe
the
-ɾʲ
cl.1
ˈbʲid͡ʒ
language
-inˠ
NOM
ɡˠemˠ
1incl.POSS
ˈt͡sˠamʲ
in_inside
ˈzˠu
a
-nʲ
cl.9
ˈʋˠinˠ
manner
-inˠ
NOM
ˈɢˠasʲ
RELPRON
ˈɓˠaiɾˠ
different

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

ʁoini ħgoitoaingo riongi, ħgoasi ðoiri, nciango, ħgoasi riifiari, tzoami zouni kieziidoino, ħgoasi ðoamo

[ʁˠinʲ ɢˠiˈtˠaiŋˠ ˈɾʲoŋʲ, ˈɢˠasʲ ˈðˠiɾʲ, ˈᵑǀʲaŋˠ, ˈɢˠasʲ ɾʲiˈfʲaɾʲ, ˈt͡sˠamʲ ˈzˠunʲ kʲeˈzʲidˠinˠ, ˈɢˠasʲ ˈðˠamˠ]

ʁˠinʲ
PAST
ɢˠiˈtˠaiŋˠ
appear
ˈɾʲoŋʲ
3.cl.1
ˈɢˠasʲ
RELPRON
ˈðˠiɾʲ
whole
ˈᵑǀʲaŋˠ
and
ˈɢˠasʲ
RELPRON
ɾʲiˈfʲaɾʲ
perfect
ˈt͡sˠamʲ
in_inside
ˈzˠu
a
-nʲ
cl.9
kʲeˈzʲidˠ
breath
-inˠ
NOM
ˈɢˠasʲ
RELPRON
ˈðˠamˠ
single

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

ʁoini foeno noutiufo heri biijino goemo.

[ʁˠinʲ fˠenˠ nˠuˈtʲufˠ ˈheɾʲ ˈbʲid͡ʒinˠ ɡˠemˠ]

ʁˠinʲ
PAST
fˠenˠ
NEG
nˠiˈtʲufˠ
evolve
ˈhe
the
-ɾʲ
cl.1
ˈbʲid͡ʒ
language
-inˠ
NOM
ɡˠemˠ
1incl.POSS

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
ʁoini koekiango riongi.

[ʁˠinʲ kˠeˈkʲaŋˠ ˈɾʲoŋʲ]

ʁˠinʲ
PAST
kˠeˈkʲaŋˠ
create
ˈɾʲoŋʲ
3.cl.1

“It was created.”

(14)

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

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