A Collection of Texts in Sqa

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.

Swʡ ʑtha̠ ʡẽ ðwā ztḥyx̣ā zhdā ðwā jai̠, zwɔī ʁɔī, zwɔī q̣e̠, swkhā ẓkhɔi̠ sqwy̠ ẓeʑrdaī ẓkhɔi̠.

[sʷʡᵊ ʑtʰa꜖ ʡə̃ ðʷa꜒ ztʰˤɨxˤa꜒ ʒda꜒ ðʷa꜒ jai꜖, zʷɔi꜒ ʁɔi꜒, zʷɔi꜒ qˤə꜖, sʷkʰa꜒ zˤkʰɔi꜖ sqʷɨ꜖ zˤəʑɖai꜒ zˤkʰɔi꜖]

sʷʡᵊ
active.indicative
ʑtʰa꜖
have
ʡə̃
PAST
ðʷa꜒
the
ztʰˤɨɕkʰˤ-
plur
xˤa꜒
human being
ʒda꜒
in_surface
ðʷa꜒
the
jai꜖
earth
zʷɔi꜒
RELPRON
ʁɔi꜒
whole
zʷɔi꜒
RELPRON
qˤə꜖
all
sʷkʰa꜒
language
zˤkʰɔi꜖
one
sqʷɨ꜖
and
zˤəʑɖai꜒
dialect
zˤkʰɔi꜖
one

“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.

Swʡ rtaḳā ʡẽ rsquɔī ddwaū ðwā þ̣a̠.

[sʷʡᵊ ʈakˤa꜒ ʡə̃ ʂkʷɔi꜒ ɗʷau꜒ ðʷa꜒ θˤa꜖]

sʷʡᵊ
active.indicative
ʈakˤa꜒
journey
ʡə̃
PAST
ʂkʷɔi꜒
3.plur
ɗʷau꜒
from_inside
ðʷa꜒
the
θˤa꜖
east

“They journeyed from the east.”

(2)
Sqwy̠ swʡ ʑtwē ʡẽ rsquɔī swquaþ̣a̠ ðy̠ gaī, zwɔī zhħgwy̠.

[sqʷɨ꜖ sʷʡᵊ ʑtʷə꜒ ʡə̃ ʂkʷɔi꜒ sʷkʷaθˤa꜖ ðɨ꜖ ɡai꜒, zʷɔi꜒ ʒɢʷɨ꜖]

sqʷɨ꜖
and
sʷʡᵊ
active.indicative
ʑtʷə꜒
find
ʡə̃
PAST
ʂkʷɔi꜒
3.plur
sʷkʷaθˤa꜖
plain
ðɨ꜖
in_inside
ɡai꜒
land
zʷɔi꜒
RELPRON
ʒɢʷɨ꜖
wide

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

(3)
Ṣtwazhtaū swʡ ɕtheʑħgwe̠ ʡẽ rsquɔī þ̣ē.

[sˤtʷaʒtau꜒ sʷʡᵊ ɕtʰəʑɢʷə꜖ ʡə̃ ʂkʷɔi꜒ θˤə꜒]

sˤtʷaʒtau꜒
thus
sʷʡᵊ
active.indicative
ɕtʰəʑɢʷə꜖
dwell
ʡə̃
PAST
ʂkʷɔi꜒
3.plur
θˤə꜒
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

(4)

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

Swʡ que̠ ʡẽ rsquɔī cḥ c̣aþwyṣḳ zh gwā sqwy̠ cḥ c̣aþwyzwga ɕkyrsq̣ā zh gwā.

[sʷʡᵊ kʷə꜖ ʡə̃ ʂkʷɔi꜒ ᵏǀʰˤᵊ ᵏǀˤaθʷɨsˤkˤᵊ ʒᵊ ɡʷa꜒ sqʷɨ꜖ ᵏǀʰˤᵊ ᵏǀˤaθʷɨzʷɡa ɕkɨʂqˤa꜒ ʒᵊ ɡʷa꜒]

sʷʡᵊ
active.indicative
kʷə꜖
say
ʡə̃
PAST
ʂkʷɔi꜒
3.plur
ᵏǀʰˤᵊ
active.imperative
ᵏǀˤaθʷɨ꜖
brick
-sˤkˤᵊ
make
ʒᵊ
3.sing.POSS
ɡʷa꜒
1incl.plur
sqʷɨ꜖
and
ᵏǀʰˤᵊ
active.imperative
ᵏǀˤaθʷɨ꜖
brick
-zʷɡa
burn
ɕkɨʂqˤa꜒
thoroughly
ʒᵊ
3.sing.POSS
ɡʷa꜒
1incl.plur

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

(5)

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

Swʡ ʑtha̠ ʡẽ rsquɔī c̣aþwy̠ ṣquḳa̠ gā.

[sʷʡᵊ ʑtʰa꜖ ʡə̃ ʂkʷɔi꜒ ᵏǀˤaθʷɨ꜖ sˤkʷᵊkˤa꜖ ɡa꜒]

sʷʡᵊ
active.indicative
ʑtʰa꜖
have
ʡə̃
PAST
ʂkʷɔi꜒
3.plur
ᵏǀˤaθʷɨ꜖
brick
sˤkʷᵊkˤa꜖
PURP
ɡa꜒
stone

“They had bricks for stone.”

(6)
Sqwy̠ swʡ ʑtha̠ ʡẽ rsquɔī zthaquȳ ṣquḳa̠ ğeɕṭā.

[sqʷɨ꜖ sʷʡᵊ ʑtʰa꜖ ʡə̃ ʂkʷɔi꜒ ztʰakʷɨ꜒ sˤkʷᵊkˤa꜖ ɣəɕtˤa꜒]

sqʷɨ꜖
and
sʷʡᵊ
active.indicative
ʑtʰa꜖
have
ʡə̃
PAST
ʂkʷɔi꜒
3.plur
ztʰakʷɨ꜒
slime
sˤkʷᵊkˤa꜖
PURP
ɣəɕtˤa꜒
mortar

“And they had slime for mortar.”

(7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Swʡ skħħau̠ gwā ztḥyx̣ā, zwɔī ħa̠.

[sʷʡᵊ skᵊʜau꜖ ɡʷa꜒ ztʰˤɨxˤa꜒, zʷɔi꜒ ħa꜖]

sʷʡᵊ
active.indicative
skᵊʜau꜖
resemble
ɡʷa꜒
1incl.plur
ztʰˤɨɕkʰˤ-
plur
xˤa꜒
human being
zʷɔi꜒
RELPRON
ħa꜖
other

“We do not resemble other humans.”

(8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Swʡ srtħge̠ ʡẽ ɕkhẽ̠ sqwy̠ s’a̠ zhkḥa ðwā ztḥyswkhā rsquɔī.

[sʷʡᵊ sʈᵊɢə꜖ ʡə̃ ɕkʰə̃꜖ sqʷɨ꜖ sʔa꜖ ʒkʰˤa ðʷa꜒ ztʰˤɨsʷkʰa꜒ ʂkʷɔi꜒]

sʷʡᵊ
active.indicative
sʈᵊɢə꜖
shape
ʡə̃
PAST
ɕkʰə̃꜖
fight
sqʷɨ꜖
and
sʔa꜖
time
ʒkʰˤa
3.plur.POSS
ðʷa꜒
the
ztʰˤɨɕkʰˤ-
plur
sʷkʰa꜒
language
ʂkʷɔi꜒
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.

Swʡ cḥeɦa̠ ʡẽ rsquɔī zhkḥa ðwā ztḥyxẽ̄ ztḥyɕkḥyğ̣a̠ sqwy̠ ztḥyẓħgwā.

[sʷʡᵊ ᵏǀʰˤəɦa꜖ ʡə̃ ʂkʷɔi꜒ ʒkʰˤa ðʷa꜒ ztʰˤɨxə̃꜒ ztʰˤɨɕkʰˤɨɣˤa꜖ sqʷɨ꜖ ztʰˤɨzˤɢʷa꜒]

sʷʡᵊ
active.indicative
ᵏǀʰˤəɦa꜖
copy
ʡə̃
PAST
ʂkʷɔi꜒
3.plur
ʒkʰˤa
3.plur.POSS
ðʷa꜒
the
ztʰˤɨɕkʰˤ-
plur
xə̃꜒
sound
ztʰˤɨɕkʰˤ-
plur
ʂtʰʷɨɣˤa꜖
mammal
sqʷɨ꜖
and
ztʰˤɨɕkʰˤ-
plur
zˤɢʷa꜒
bird

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

(10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Ẓqɔi̠ swʡ ẓqwẽḳai̠ ʡẽ ðwā sqwā, zwɔī swʡ xa ska̠ ħgy ðwā swkhā, ðy̠ ɕkḥā, zwɔī shqā.

[zˤqɔi꜖ sʷʡᵊ zˤqʷə̃kˤai꜖ ʡə̃ ðʷa꜒ sqʷa꜒, zʷɔi꜒ sʷʡᵊ xa ska꜖ ɢɨ ðʷa꜒ sʷkʰa꜒, ðɨ꜖ ɕkʰˤa꜒, zʷɔi꜒ ʃqa꜒]

zˤqɔi꜖
but
sʷʡᵊ
active.indicative
zˤqʷə̃kˤai꜖
arise
ʡə̃
PAST
ðʷa꜒
the
sqʷa꜒
langname
zʷɔi꜒
RELPRON
sʷʡᵊ
active.indicative
xa
3.plur.3.sing.POS
ska꜖
be
ɢɨ
1incl.plur.POSS
ðʷa꜒
the
sʷkʰa꜒
language
ðɨ꜖
in_inside
ɕkʰˤa꜒
manner
zʷɔi꜒
RELPRON
ʃqa꜒
different

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

(11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Swʡ sʡata̠ ʡẽ sa̠, zwɔī ʁɔī, sqwy̠, zwɔī q̣zrtha̠, ðy̠ ṣʡeþwau̠, zwɔī gwai̠

[sʷʡᵊ sʡata꜖ ʡə̃ sa꜖, zʷɔi꜒ ʁɔi꜒, sqʷɨ꜖, zʷɔi꜒ qˤᵊzʈʰa꜖, ðɨ꜖ sˤʡəθʷau꜖, zʷɔi꜒ ɡʷai꜖]

sʷʡᵊ
active.indicative
sʡata꜖
appear
ʡə̃
PAST
sa꜖
3.sing
zʷɔi꜒
RELPRON
ʁɔi꜒
whole
sqʷɨ꜖
and
zʷɔi꜒
RELPRON
qˤᵊzʈʰa꜖
perfect
ðɨ꜖
in_inside
sˤʡəθʷau꜖
breath
zʷɔi꜒
RELPRON
ɡʷai꜖
single

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

(12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Swʡ qwaɕquaū ʡẽ ħgy ðwā swkhā.

[sʷʡᵊ qʷaɕkʷau꜒ ʡə̃ ɢɨ ðʷa꜒ sʷkʰa꜒]

sʷʡᵊ
active.indicative
qʷaɕkʷau꜒
evolve
ʡə̃
PAST
ɢɨ
1incl.plur.POSS
ðʷa꜒
the
sʷkʰa꜒
language

“Our language did not evolve.”

(13)
Swʡ rzḳẽʁwɔī ʡẽ sa̠.

[sʷʡᵊ ʐkˤə̃ʁʷɔi꜒ ʡə̃ sa꜖]

sʷʡᵊ
active.indicative
ʐkˤə̃ʁʷɔi꜒
create
ʡə̃
PAST
sa꜖
3.sing

“It was created.”

(14)

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