The Language Creator
– from linguistic questionnaire to grammar, lexicon and texts.

A Collection of Texts in Makh

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.

Gkoj qi̠n gōkhaqh chʼi̠s gōmig gquāw go̠muqh tzhām sīg go̠mag shquōkh sīg gōkhagquaadt.

[kʼoj qi꜖n ko꜒xaχ t͡ʃʼi꜖s ko꜒mik kʼʷa꜒w ko꜖muχ t͡sʰa꜒m si꜒k ko꜖mak ʃkʷo꜒x si꜒k ko꜒xakʼʷaːtʼ]

kʼoj
POS.active qi꜖n
have k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜒xaχ
human being t͡ʃʼ-
plur i꜖s
all k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜒mik
earth kʼʷ-
sing a꜒w
whole k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜖muχ
surface t͡sʰa꜒m
in si꜒k
one k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜖mak
language ʃkʷo꜒x
and si꜒k
one k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜒xakʼʷaːtʼ
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.

Gkoj quhomān djhaa̠gkob go̠qhwaagk gōgigk khāw.

[kʼoj kʰʷoma꜒n t͡ʃʰaː꜖kʼop ko꜖χʷaːkʼ ko꜒kikʼ xa꜒w]

kʼoj
POS.active kʰʷoma꜒n
journey t͡ʃʰaː꜖kʼ
3.plur -op
plur k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜖χʷaːkʼ
east k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜒kikʼ
inside xa꜒w
from

“They journeyed from the east.”

 (2)
Shquōkh gkoj tuūtzʼ djhaa̠gkob gōnutib gqueēgqwaaj gōchʼatzʼ gōgigk tzhām.

[ʃkʷo꜒x kʼoj tʰuː꜒t͡sʼ t͡ʃʰaː꜖kʼop ko꜒nutʰip kʼʷeː꜒qʼʷaːj ko꜒t͡ʃʼat͡sʼ ko꜒kikʼ t͡sʰa꜒m]

ʃkʷo꜒x
and kʼoj
POS.active tʰuː꜒t͡sʼ
find t͡ʃʰaː꜖kʼ
3.plur -op
plur k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜒nutʰip
plain kʼʷ-
sing eː꜒qʼʷaːj
wide k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜒t͡ʃʼat͡sʼ
land k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜒kikʼ
inside t͡sʰa꜒m
in

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

 (3)
Suto̠tz gkoj tzugqwi̠j djhaa̠gkob sda̠b.

[sutʰo꜖t͡s kʼoj t͡suqʼʷi꜖j t͡ʃʰaː꜖kʼop sta꜖p]

sutʰo꜖t͡s
thus kʼoj
POS.active t͡suqʼʷi꜖j
dwell t͡ʃʰaː꜖kʼ
3.plur -op
plur sta꜖p
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

 (4)

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

Gkoj wēn djhaa̠gkob sāgob kugk gkoj tuu̠dtadtoo’ datz gqwoqii̠tzʼ shquōkh sāgob kugk gkoj qi̠dtadtoo’ datz gqwoqii̠tzʼ djhahūd.

[kʼoj we꜒n t͡ʃʰaː꜖kʼop sa꜒kop kʰukʼ kʼoj tʰuː꜖tʼatʼoːʔ tat͡s qʼʷoqʰiː꜖t͡sʼ ʃkʷo꜒x sa꜒kop kʰukʼ kʼoj qi꜖tʼatʼoːʔ tat͡s qʼʷoqʰiː꜖t͡sʼ t͡ʃʰahu꜒t]

kʼoj
POS.active we꜒n
say t͡ʃʰaː꜖kʼ
3.plur -op
plur sa꜒k
1incl.plur -op
plur kʰukʼ
imperative kʼoj
POS.active tʰuː-
make ꜖tʼatʼoːʔ
brick tat͡s
PRES.1incl.plur qʼʷoqʰiː꜖t͡sʼ
COMP ʃkʷo꜒x
and sa꜒k
1incl.plur -op
plur kʰukʼ
imperative kʼoj
POS.active qi-
burn ꜖tʼatʼoːʔ
brick tat͡s
PRES.1incl.plur qʼʷoqʰiː꜖t͡sʼ
COMP t͡ʃʰahu꜒t
thoroughly

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

 (5)

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

Gkoj qi̠n djhaa̠gkob go̠dtadtoo’ quhōtzʼan khwaagqweēn.

[kʼoj qi꜖n t͡ʃʰaː꜖kʼop ko꜖tʼatʼoːʔ kʰʷo꜒t͡sʼan xʷaːqʼʷeː꜒n]

kʼoj
POS.active qi꜖n
have t͡ʃʰaː꜖kʼ
3.plur -op
plur k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜖tʼatʼoːʔ
brick kʰʷ-
LOC o-
no.owner.POSS ꜒t͡sʼan
stone xʷaːqʼʷeː꜒n
PURP

“They had bricks for stone.”

 (6)
Shquōkh gkoj qi̠n djhaa̠gkob go̠gqwaagquh quhōsukugk khwaagqweēn.

[ʃkʷo꜒x kʼoj qi꜖n t͡ʃʰaː꜖kʼop ko꜖qʼʷaːqʼuh kʰʷo꜒sukʰukʼ xʷaːqʼʷeː꜒n]

ʃkʷo꜒x
and kʼoj
POS.active qi꜖n
have t͡ʃʰaː꜖kʼ
3.plur -op
plur k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜖qʼʷaːqʼuh
slime kʰʷ-
LOC o-
no.owner.POSS ꜒sukʰukʼ
mortar xʷaːqʼʷeː꜒n
PURP

“And they had slime for mortar.”

 (7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

Bus wadtoo̠gk sāgob gōkhaqh chʼīg.

[pus watʼoː꜖kʼ sa꜒kop ko꜒xaχ t͡ʃʼi꜒k]

pus
NEG.active watʼoː꜖kʼ
resemble sa꜒k
1incl.plur -op
plur k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜒xaχ
human being t͡ʃʼ-
plur i꜒k
other

“We do not resemble other humans.”

 (8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Gkoj khadjii̠m gōdjos shquōkh gōdjhush djhaa̠gkob gi̠mag.

[kʼoj xat͡ʃiː꜖m ko꜒t͡ʃos ʃkʷo꜒x ko꜒t͡ʃʰuʃ t͡ʃʰaː꜖kʼop ki꜖mak]

kʼoj
POS.active xat͡ʃiː꜖m
shape k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜒t͡ʃos
fight ʃkʷo꜒x
and k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜒t͡ʃʰuʃ
time t͡ʃʰaː꜖kʼ
3.plur -op
plur k-
ABS i-
3.plur.POSS ꜖mak
language

“Their languages were shaped by fight and time.”

 (9)

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

Gkoj gquoogkiīh djhaa̠gkob gōduushad shquōkh gōdjakh gi̠we’.

[kʼoj kʼʷoːkʼiː꜒h t͡ʃʰaː꜖kʼop ko꜒tuːʃat ʃkʷo꜒x ko꜒t͡ʃax ki꜖weʔ]

kʼoj
POS.active kʼʷoːkʼiː꜒h
copy t͡ʃʰaː꜖kʼ
3.plur -op
plur k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜒tuːʃat
mammal ʃkʷo꜒x
and k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜒t͡ʃax
bird k-
ABS i-
3.plur.POSS ꜖weʔ
sound

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

 (10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Squa̠’ gkoj tzhiikhiīw gu̠mag gkoj tid qwi̠gk gqwoqii̠tzʼ gōmaqh go̠kho’ gquaāgqwigk gōgigk tzhām.

[skʷa꜖ʔ kʼoj t͡sʰiːxiː꜒w ku꜖mak kʼoj tʰit qʷi꜖kʼ qʼʷoqʰiː꜖t͡sʼ ko꜒maχ ko꜖xoʔ kʼʷaː꜒qʼʷikʼ ko꜒kikʼ t͡sʰa꜒m]

skʷa꜖ʔ
but kʼoj
POS.active t͡sʰiːxiː꜒w
arise k-
ABS u-
1incl.plur.POSS ꜖mak
language kʼoj
POS.active tʰit
3.plur.OBJ qʷi꜖kʼ
be qʼʷoqʰiː꜖t͡sʼ
COMP k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜒maχ
langname k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜖xoʔ
manner kʼʷ-
sing aː꜒qʼʷikʼ
different k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜒kikʼ
inside t͡sʰa꜒m
in

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

 (11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Gkoj du’īgq sqwo̠d gquāw shquōkh gquīmiibeechʼ go̠qogon gquaāqwaag gōgigk tzhām

[kʼoj tuʔi꜒qʼ sqʷo꜖t kʼʷa꜒w ʃkʷo꜒x kʼʷi꜒miːpeːt͡ʃʼ ko꜖qokon kʼʷaː꜒qʷaːk ko꜒kikʼ t͡sʰa꜒m]

kʼoj
POS.active tuʔi꜒qʼ
appear sqʷo꜖t
3.sing kʼʷ-
sing a꜒w
whole ʃkʷo꜒x
and kʼʷ-
sing i꜒miːpeːt͡ʃʼ
perfect k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜖qokon
breath kʼʷ-
sing aː꜒qʷaːk
single k-
ABS o-
no.owner.POSS ꜒kikʼ
inside t͡sʰa꜒m
in

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

 (12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Bus gqwenī’ gu̠mag.

[pus qʼʷeni꜒ʔ ku꜖mak]

pus
NEG.active qʼʷeni꜒ʔ
evolve k-
ABS u-
1incl.plur.POSS ꜖mak
language

“Our language did not evolve.”

 (13)
Gkoj tzukhwa̠dt sqwo̠d.

[kʼoj t͡suxʷa꜖tʼ sqʷo꜖t]

kʼoj
POS.active t͡suxʷa꜖tʼ
create sqʷo꜖t
3.sing

“It was created.”

 (14)

Language creation took 0.07 seconds; writing the texts 0.04 seconds.

Show texts normally.