Text used in Conlang Relay 8 in May 2003, illustrating points of grammar currently unattested in other available materials

See romanization.html for explanations of the diacritics, apostrophes, and spelling, or just skip down to the reformed orthography below.

The text:

à clítaf, lítac dóni pëàma të'týpatatëp'ë

na-rishidàp'të t'àrtdatëp'të aniléfia'c. týsin pëàman të'lídëp'të, ke àn téfian t'ésöp'n tyàli, hró t'àpatvërn'të të të'néyëp'të.

pësimöfàm, héra ki'néyëp'fa, hró fàli ki'nëyëdàsap'fa dà'c.

éfi të'tép'n ëàmliö'c: à na-rishidàp'r dö'typatatësadàp'r fà'c. ki'týpatatëp'fa, hró à dóni pëàma k'àpatvërn'ë të ki'néyëp'ë.

ni na-rishidàp'r tëtép'r ëàmliö'c: àn tylchàn tétë të'pàtav'të yirí na-tëfàv'n.

à dóni pëàma agyúli t'àpatvërn'ë, hróvin na-rishidàp'r tétë të'týpatatëv'r.

á clítaf, lítac dóni peáma tetípatatepe

na-rishidápte tártdatepte aniléfiac. tísin peáman telídepte, kE án téfian tésopn tiáli, rhó tápatvernte te tenéyepte.

pesimofám, héra kinéyepfa, rhó fáli kineyedásapfa dác.

éfi tetépn eámlioc: á na-rishidápr dotipatatesadápr fác. kitípatatepfa, rhó á dóni peáma kápatverne te kinéyepe.

ni na-rishidápr tetépr eámlioc: án tilchán téte tepátavte yirí na-tefávn.

á dóni peáma agyúli tápatverne, rhóvin na-rishidápr téte tetípatatevr.

Interlinear text

à	clítaf	lítac	dón	-i	pëàma	të-	týpatatë	-p	-ë
DEF	time	REL.PR	darkness	ADJ'R	person	PT	pray	IMP	3P.SG.M
The	time	when	an evil		person	prayed.

na-

rishi

-dà

-p

-të

t-

àrtdatë

-p

-të

anilé

-fi

-a

-c

NOM

wise

CAUS

IMP

3P.PL

PT

tell

IMP

3P.PL

sing

PASS PT

NOM

ACC

They who

teach

told

a story.

týsi	-n	pëàma	-n	të-	lídë	-p	-të
good	PL	person	PL	PT	think	IMP	3P.PL
Good		people		thought,

ke

à

-n

té

-fi

-a

-n

t-

ésö

-p

-n

tyà

-li

NOM.PR

DEF

PL

speak

PASS PT

NOM

PL

PT

be

IMP

3P.SG.NEUT

light

with

that

the

words

were

true;

hró	t-	àpatvër	-n	-të	të	të-	néye	-p	-të
REL.PR	PT	flee	IMP	3P.PL	CONJ	PT	hide	IMP	3P.PL
wherefore	they fled				and	hid.

pë-	simö	-fà	-m	héra	ki-	néyë	-p	-fa
GER	understand	PASS PT	GER	also	FT	hide	IMP	1P.PL
Of course,				we will hide too,

hró	fà	-li	ki-	nëyë	-dà	-sa	-p	-fa	dà	-c
REL.PR	1P.PL	with	FT	hide	CAUS	POT	IMP	1P.PL	2P.SG	ACC
so	with us		we will be able to hide						you.

éfi	të-	té	-p	-n	ëàmliö	-c
someone	PT	say	IMP	3P.SG.NEUT	DEM.PR	ACC
Someone	said				this:

à

na-

rishi

-dà

-p

-r

dö-

typatatë

-sa

-dà

-p

-r

fà

-c

DEF

NOM

wise

CAUS

IMP

3P.SG.F

OBL

pray

POT

CAUS

IMP

3P.SG.F

1P.PL

ACC

The

one who

teaches

should

teach prayer to

us.

ki-	týpatatë	-p	-fa
FT	pray	IMP	1P.PL
We will pray

hró

à

dón

-i

pëàma

k-

àpatvër

-n

-ë

të

ki-

néyë

-p

-ë

REL.PR

DEF

darkness

ADJ'R

person

FT

flee

IMP

3P.SG.M

CONJ

FT

hide

IMP

3P.SG.M

as a result of which

the

evil

person

will flee

and

hide.

ni	na-	rishi	-dà	-p	-r	të-	té	-p	-r	ëàmliö	-c
CONJ	NOM	wise	CAUS	IMP	3P.SG.F	PT	say	IMP	3P.SG.F	DEM.PR	ACC
But	she who	teaches				said				this:

à

-n

tylch

-àn

tétë

të-

pàta

-v

-të

yirí

na-

të

-fà

-v

-n

DEF

PL

goddess

PL

already

PT

hear

PERF

3P.PL

all

NOM

say

PASS PT

PERF

3P.SG.NEUT

The

Gods

already

have heard

all

that which

was said.

à	dón	-i	pëàma	agyú	-li	t-	àpatvër	-n	-ë
DEF	darkness	ADJ'R	person	rage	with	PT	flee	IMP	3P.SG.M
The	evil		person	with rage		fled,

hróvin	na-	rishi	-dà	-p	-r	tétë	të-	týpatatë	-v	-r
SUB	NOM	wise	CAUS	IMP	3P.SG.F	already	PT	pray	PERF	3P.SG.F
because	she who	teaches				already	had prayed.

Conclusions

New things we learn from this text:

• the word hró, usually translated "why", also functions as a relative pronoun best translated as "for which reason"
• the potentiative derivational verb suffix -sa is seen here for the first time
• first attested use of the nominal clause header ke
• some rare examples of use of the perfective

Back to merechi page
Back to conlangs page

Last updated: 5/30/2003