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

A Collection of Texts in Take

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.

Sìkhì tó sìkhu̠ má mè ní, su̠ tā, su̠ te̠, kū khà mó kū nīsi̠nè.

[si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖ to꜖꜒ si꜒꜖xu꜖ ma꜖꜒ me꜒꜖ ni꜖꜒, su꜖ ta꜒, su꜖ te꜖, ku꜒ xa꜒꜖ mo꜖꜒ ku꜒ ni꜒si꜖ne꜒꜖]

si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖
PAST to꜖꜒
have si꜒꜖-
plur xu꜖
human being ma꜖꜒
in me꜒꜖
surface ni꜖꜒
earth su꜖
RELPRON ta꜒
whole su꜖
RELPRON te꜖
all ku꜒
one xa꜒꜖
language mo꜖꜒
and ku꜒
one ni꜒si꜖ne꜒꜖
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.

Sìkhì sàmīkó kā pè bé bu̠.

[si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖ sa꜒꜖mi꜒ko꜖꜒ ka꜒ pe꜒꜖ be꜖꜒ bu꜖]

si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖
PAST sa꜒꜖mi꜒ko꜖꜒
journey ka꜒
3.plur pe꜒꜖
from be꜖꜒
inside bu꜖
east

“They journeyed from the east.”

 (2)
Mó sìkhì sò kā nè tèto̠dù má bé nè na̠, su̠ bi̠do̠.

[mo꜖꜒ si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖ so꜒꜖ ka꜒ ne꜒꜖ te꜒꜖to꜖du꜒꜖ ma꜖꜒ be꜖꜒ ne꜒꜖ na꜖, su꜖ bi꜖do꜖]

mo꜖꜒
and si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖
PAST so꜒꜖
find ka꜒
3.plur ne꜒꜖
a te꜒꜖to꜖du꜒꜖
plain ma꜖꜒
in be꜖꜒
inside ne꜒꜖
a na꜖
land su꜖
RELPRON bi꜖do꜖
wide

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

 (3)
Kúsó sìkhì mūkítí kā to̠.

[ku꜖꜒so꜖꜒ si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖ mu꜒ki꜖꜒ti꜖꜒ ka꜒ to꜖]

ku꜖꜒so꜖꜒
thus si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖
PAST mu꜒ki꜖꜒ti꜖꜒
dwell ka꜒
3.plur to꜖
there

“Thus they dwelled there.”

 (4)

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

Sìkhì pó kā khīkī tō khésìkhìdísē sū mó khīkī dō khésìkhìdísē bàmē sū.

[si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖ po꜖꜒ ka꜒ xi꜒ki꜒ to꜒ xe꜖꜒si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖di꜖꜒se꜒ su꜒ mo꜖꜒ xi꜒ki꜒ do꜒ xe꜖꜒si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖di꜖꜒se꜒ ba꜒꜖me꜒ su꜒]

si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖
PAST po꜖꜒
say ka꜒
3.plur xi꜒ki꜒
imperative to꜒
make xe꜖꜒-
ACC si꜒꜖-
plur xi꜒꜖di꜖꜒se꜒
brick su꜒
1incl.plur mo꜖꜒
and xi꜒ki꜒
imperative do꜒
burn xe꜖꜒-
ACC si꜒꜖-
plur xi꜒꜖di꜖꜒se꜒
brick ba꜒꜖me꜒
thoroughly su꜒
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.

Sìkhì tó kā khìdísē bēsē me̠.

[si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖ to꜖꜒ ka꜒ xi꜒꜖di꜖꜒se꜒ be꜒se꜒ me꜖]

si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖
PAST to꜖꜒
have ka꜒
3.plur xi꜒꜖di꜖꜒se꜒
brick be꜒se꜒
PURP me꜖
stone

“They had bricks for stone.”

 (6)
Mó sìkhì tó kā nèbēsā bēsē khūmápò.

[mo꜖꜒ si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖ to꜖꜒ ka꜒ ne꜒꜖be꜒sa꜒ be꜒se꜒ xu꜒ma꜖꜒po꜒꜖]

mo꜖꜒
and si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖
PAST to꜖꜒
have ka꜒
3.plur ne꜒꜖be꜒sa꜒
slime be꜒se꜒
PURP xu꜒ma꜖꜒po꜒꜖
mortar

“And they had slime for mortar.”

 (7)

A Creation Myth

We are not like other people.

To̠nèta̠ nīpá sū sìkhu̠, su̠ mì.

[to꜖ne꜒꜖ta꜖ ni꜒pa꜖꜒ su꜒ si꜒꜖xu꜖, su꜖ mi꜒꜖]

to꜖ne꜒꜖ta꜖
resemble ni꜒pa꜖꜒
NEG su꜒
1incl.plur si꜒꜖-
plur xu꜖
human being su꜖
RELPRON mi꜒꜖
other

“We do not resemble other humans.”

 (8)

Their languages were shaped by struggle and time.

Sìkhì pa̠kīnà kī mó mú sìkhà kā.

[si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖ pa꜖ki꜒na꜒꜖ ki꜒ mo꜖꜒ mu꜖꜒ si꜒꜖xa꜒꜖ ka꜒]

si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖
PAST pa꜖ki꜒na꜒꜖
shape ki꜒
fight mo꜖꜒
and mu꜖꜒
time si꜒꜖-
plur xa꜒꜖
language ka꜒
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.

Sìkhì to̠sāne̠ kā sìkhì nūsìkhīképé mó nūsìbà.

[si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖ to꜖sa꜒ne꜖ ka꜒ si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖ nu꜒si꜒꜖xi꜒ke꜖꜒pe꜖꜒ mo꜖꜒ nu꜒si꜒꜖ba꜒꜖]

si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖
PAST to꜖sa꜒ne꜖
copy ka꜒
3.plur si꜒꜖-
plur xi꜒꜖
sound nu꜒-
GEN si꜒꜖-
plur xi꜒ke꜖꜒pe꜖꜒
mammal mo꜖꜒
and nu꜒-
GEN si꜒꜖-
plur ba꜒꜖
bird

“They copied the sounds of mammals and birds.”

 (10)

But our language arose in a different way.

Ma̠ sìkhì bìkho̠mé táke̠, su̠ hè khà sū, má bé nè mìtí, su̠ khúdí.

[ma꜖ si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖ bi꜒꜖xo꜖me꜖꜒ ta꜖꜒ke꜖, su꜖ he꜒꜖ xa꜒꜖ su꜒, ma꜖꜒ be꜖꜒ ne꜒꜖ mi꜒꜖ti꜖꜒, su꜖ xu꜖꜒di꜖꜒]

ma꜖
but si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖
PAST bi꜒꜖xo꜖me꜖꜒
arise ta꜖꜒ke꜖
langname su꜖
RELPRON he꜒꜖
be xa꜒꜖
language su꜒
1incl.plur ma꜖꜒
in be꜖꜒
inside ne꜒꜖
a mi꜒꜖ti꜖꜒
manner su꜖
RELPRON xu꜖꜒di꜖꜒
different

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

 (11)

It was born whole and perfect in a single breath.

Sìkhì sèpo̠sō ku̠, su̠ tā, mó, su̠ kàmīkhò, má bé nè sìti̠mí, su̠ bítà

[si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖ se꜒꜖po꜖so꜒ ku꜖, su꜖ ta꜒, mo꜖꜒, su꜖ ka꜒꜖mi꜒xo꜒꜖, ma꜖꜒ be꜖꜒ ne꜒꜖ si꜒꜖ti꜖mi꜖꜒, su꜖ bi꜖꜒ta꜒꜖]

si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖
PAST se꜒꜖po꜖so꜒
appear ku꜖
3.sing su꜖
RELPRON ta꜒
whole mo꜖꜒
and su꜖
RELPRON ka꜒꜖mi꜒xo꜒꜖
perfect ma꜖꜒
in be꜖꜒
inside ne꜒꜖
a si꜒꜖ti꜖mi꜖꜒
breath su꜖
RELPRON bi꜖꜒ta꜒꜖
single

“It appeared whole and perfect in a single breath”

 (12)

Our language did not evolve; it was created.

Sìkhì tūtúhó nīpá khà sū.

[si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖ tu꜒tu꜖꜒ho꜖꜒ ni꜒pa꜖꜒ xa꜒꜖ su꜒]

si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖
PAST tu꜒tu꜖꜒ho꜖꜒
evolve ni꜒pa꜖꜒
NEG xa꜒꜖
language su꜒
1incl.plur

“Our language did not evolve.”

 (13)
Sìkhì hékètā ku̠.

[si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖ he꜖꜒ke꜒꜖ta꜒ ku꜖]

si꜒꜖xi꜒꜖
PAST he꜖꜒ke꜒꜖ta꜒
create ku꜖
3.sing

“It was created.”

 (14)

Language creation took 0.08 seconds; writing the texts 0.04 seconds.

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