A Collection of Texts in Hama

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.

Ñiga wiqi hu gikena hi lu qagi liqi ko qagi qafagiqi.

[ɲiɡa wiʔi hu ɡikena hi lu ʔaɡi liʔi ko ʔaɡi ʔafaɡiʔi]

ɲiɡ
have
-a
PAST
wi
human being
-ʔi
STA
hu
all
ɡike
earth
-na
LOC
hi
whole
lu
in_surface
ʔaɡi
one
li
language
-ʔi
STA
ko
and
ʔaɡi
one
ʔafaɡi
dialect
-ʔi
STA

“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.

Sajoqa ju jahona ja.

[sajoʔa ju jahona ja]

sajoʔ
journey
-a
PAST
ju
3
jaho
east
-na
LOC
ja
from_inside

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Ko shefa ju mugudaqu maga qigina ha.

[ko ʃefa ju muɡudaʔu maɡa ʔiɡina ha]

ko
and
ʃef
find
-a
PAST
ju
3
miɡuda
plain
-ʔi
STA
maɡa
wide
ʔiɡi
land
-na
LOC
ha
in_inside

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

(3)
Nadi tabiwa ju ke.

[nadi tabiwa ju ke]

nadi
thus
tabiw
dwell
-a
PAST
ju
3
ke
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Kada ju mo kagokagañi kisi bifi ko mo junu kisi bifi kagokaqu kifadi.

[kada ju mo kaɡokaɡaɲi kisi bifi ko mo junu kisi bifi kaɡokaʔu kifadi]

kad
say
-a
PAST
ju
3
mo
1incl
kaɡoka
brick
-ɡaɲ
make
-i
PRES
kisi
imperative
bifi
COMP
ko
and
mo
1incl
jun
burn
-i
PRES
kisi
imperative
bifi
COMP
kaɡoka
brick
-ʔi
STA
kifadi
thoroughly

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

(5)

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

Ñiga ju kagokaqu gifena bini.

[ɲiɡa ju kaɡokaʔu ɡifena bini]

ɲiɡ
have
-a
PAST
ju
3
kaɡoka
brick
-ʔi
STA
ɡife
stone
-na
LOC
bini
PURP

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Ko ñiga ju kusodaqu gafukana bini.

[ko ɲiɡa ju kusodaʔu ɡafukana bini]

ko
and
ɲiɡ
have
-a
PAST
ju
3
kisoda
slime
-ʔi
STA
ɡafuka
mortar
-na
LOC
bini
PURP

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Ñadoluñiqa mo wiqi si.

[ɲadoluɲiʔa mo wiʔi si]

ɲadol
resemble
-i
PRES
-ɲiʔa
NEG
mo
1incl
wi
human being
-ʔi
STA
si
other

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Liñima qiqi ko nasoqu liqi ju.

[liɲima ʔiʔi ko nasoʔu liʔi ju]

liɲim
shape
-a
PAST
ʔi
fight
-ʔi
STA
ko
and
naso
time
-ʔi
STA
li
language
-ʔi
STA
ju
3

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

(9)

They copied the sounds of beasts and birds, and they learned to speak like that.

Mikeja ju joqu higifini ko shani.

[mikeja ju joʔu hiɡifini ko ʃani]

mikej
copy
-a
PAST
ju
3
jo
sound
-ʔi
STA
hiɡifi
mammal
-ni
GEN
ko
and
ʃa
bird
-ni
GEN

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Ba ñinana hamaqi kañi bifi liqi mo nonuna gumu ha.

[ba ɲinana hamaʔi kaɲi bifi liʔi mo nonuna ɡumu ha]

ba
but
ɲinan
arise
-a
PAST
hama
langname
-ʔi
STA
kaɲ
be
-i
PRES
bifi
COMP
li
language
-ʔi
STA
mo
1incl
noni
manner
-na
LOC
ɡumi
different
ha
in_inside

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Hinesa ju hi ko sajana najedina koba ha

[hinesa ju hi ko sajana najedina koba ha]

hines
appear
-a
PAST
ju
3
hi
whole
ko
and
sajana
perfect
najedi
breath
-na
LOC
koba
single
ha
in_inside

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Jabidañiqa liqi mo.

[jabidaɲiʔa liʔi mo]

jabid
evolve
-a
PAST
-ɲiʔa
NEG
li
language
-ʔi
STA
mo
1incl

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Kujoga ju.

[kujoɡa ju]

kijoɡ
create
-a
PAST
ju
3

“It was created.”

(14)

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

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