Langs and Conlangs

Text and Translation

Seresere koro Ikaroŋi, sovoya zame kegevedu sarunuŋi. Sadu sakemekaza seŋipe, mezi esenadu menepes tinines sakemeka. Saya sovonda vubeŋe kegevedu yerenen pabasame. Sotos pesize tininiranda uraŋireŋes nene yalono zoŋi ŋandanen Dedaloŋi. Korodo rondonen sovoŋe, “Ikaro, aŋene tonoza direhe. Ebevedu direhe, yagaranen tumu tininisenahi. Lohodo direhe, tinines sanaluvinahi. Didu tatave, aŋene tonoza ira. Ebeve, loho, nene aŋeneza ira. Liŋakaza ino, aŋene tonoza ira.”

Saya atuvuza tutuve, koro ŋamas nene talile ŋandara aŋaka. Sovo ranarana kasaya koros pezise kanaka. Zaŋi tinininen udures sovolona. Tuvonda atuvuza tuturadu Dedaloŋi. Zoŋi ŋandanen uduriza sara, koronda ŋandas saruno iride hareye.

The boy Ikaro is standing, and watching his father’s work. The danger of touching fails to come to him, and his fingers touch the feathers and soften the wax. He impedes his father’s unusual work with play. After the final feather is placed, Dedalo has a pair of moving, spread-apart wings. The father gives the boy advice, “Ikaro, go via the middle path. If you go towards the sea, its water might make the feathers heavy. If you go towards the sun, its fire might cover the feathers. I command you, take the middle path. Sea, sun, go via the middle of the pair. Follow my back, take the middle path!”

He gives a lesson in flying and then puts a pair of new wings on the boy’s shoulders. The father, with shaking hands, gives the boy a final caress. With moving feathers, the father leaps into the air. Dedalo is like a bird giving a lesson in flying. With moving wings he goes through the air, his eyes looking back at the boy’s wings.

Interlinear and Explanation

Seresere koro Ikaroŋi, sovoya zame kegevedu sarunuŋi.

The boy Ikaro was standing, and watching his father’s work.

Sadu sakemekaza seŋipe, mezi esenadu menepes tinines sakemeka.

The danger of touching failed to come to him, and his fingers touched the feathers and softened the wax.

Saya sovonda vubeŋe kegevedu yerenen pabasame.

He impeded his father’s unusual work with play.

Sotos pesize tininiranda uraŋireŋes nene yalono zoŋi ŋandanen Dedaloŋi.

After the final feather was placed, Dedalo had a pair of moving, spread-apart wings.

Korodo rondonen sovoŋe, “Ikaro, aŋene tonoza direhe.

The father gave the boy advice, “Ikaro, go via the middle path.

Ebevedu direhe, yagaranen tumu tininisenahi.

If you go towards the sea, its water might make the feathers heavy.

Lohodo direhe, tinines sanaluvinahi.

If you go towards the sun, its fire might cover the feathers.

Didu tatave, aŋene tonoza ira.

I command you, take the middle path.

Ebeve, loho, nene aŋeneza ira.

Sea, sun, go via the middle of the pair.

Liŋakaza ino, aŋene tonoza ira.”

Follow my back, take the middle path!”

Saya atuvuza tutuve, koro ŋamas nene talile ŋandara aŋaka.

He gave a lesson in flying and then put a pair of new wings on the boy’s shoulders.

Sovo ranarana kasaya koros pezise kanaka.

The father, with shaking hands, gave the boy a final caress.

Zaŋi tinininen udures sovolona.

With moving feathers, the father leapt into the air.

Tuvonda atuvuza tuturadu Dedaloŋi.

Dedalo was like a bird giving a lesson in flying.

Zoŋi ŋandanen uduriza sara, koronda ŋandas saruno iride hareye.

With moving wings he went through the air, his eyes looking back at the boy’s wings.

This is the story of Daedalus and Icarus, as told by Ovid and retold by my Latin I textbook, with further revisions to fit the language. There will be three parts in total. Published today, Monday, and Wednesday.

Text and Translation

Ŋono tili lonos goligoleza liri Keretas maranda ŋono pezes ŋera Dedaloŋi. Samas molonda sanovas zase lakodo yimimino. Lirenda sarazidu goleza samas etede kuŋino, poboho ebeveŋi baŋibaŋi. Evi, “Kineza tadanuza Keretas lasa Minoka tezes, korikori layise gutus. Layeza lireze. Teneteneza Minoka tezes, uduriza saki gutus.”

Vutondo tudutos Dedaloki, saya maramaravanda talilivame. Saya ŋamaŋamas iŋenda siŋes ŋiri tininira. Panaya iŋisiŋi sizininda zome zimivivodo hase. Saya aŋene davas tava davas menepevi, zara tinines tesi bevelime. Dires tondo tuvonda zose nene ŋandaza bolonohi.

For a long time Dedalo, who was very far from home, had been on the island of Kereta. He felt a yearning for the huts where he was born. Over time he became filled with the desire to leave the island, but the seas were blocked. He said, “On the left hand, the land and the waves are held by Mino chief of Kereta, on the right, the sky is open. I will go by sky. On the left hand, Mino holds everything, on the right, he does not hold the air.”

Dedalo passes by unknown arts, he makes a new thing from life. He places feathers shoulder to shoulder from small to tall. It is like the pipes Pana made from different-sized reeds. He covered the middle and low parts with wax, he made a slight curve in the placed feathers. You could believe these were two wings from an actual bird.

Interlinear and Explanation

Ŋono tili lonos goligoleza liri Keretas maranda ŋono pezes ŋera Dedaloŋi.

For a long time Dedalo, who was very far from home, had been on the island of Kereta.

Samas molonda sanovas zase lakodo yimimino.

He felt a yearning for the huts where he was born.

Lirenda sarazidu goleza samas etede kuŋino, poboho ebeveŋi baŋibaŋi.

Over time he became filled with the desire to leave the island, but the seas were blocked.

Evi, “Kineza tadanuza Keretas lasa Minoka tezes, korikori layise gutus.

He said, “On the left hand, the land and the waves are held by Mino chief of Kereta, on the right, the sky is open.

The coordinating conjunction tezes … gutus is related to the words for left hand and right hand in Kēlen plus the locative =s.

Layeza lireze.

I will go by sky.

Teneteneza Minoka tezes, uduriza saki gutus.”

On the left hand, Mino holds everything, on the right, he does not hold the air.”

Vutondo tudutos Dedaloki, saya maramaravanda talilivamena.

Dedalo passed by unknown arts, he started to make a new thing from life.

Saya ŋamaŋamas iŋenda siŋes ŋiri tininira.

He placed feathers shoulder to shoulder from small to tall.

Panaya iŋisiŋi sizininda zome zimivivodo hase.

It was like the pipes Pana made from different-sized reeds.

Saya aŋene davas tava davas menepevi, zara tinines tesi bevelime.

He covered the middle and low parts with wax, he made a slight curve in the placed feathers.

Dires tondo tuvonda zose nene ŋandaza bolonohi.

You could believe these were two wings from an actual bird.

Text and Translation

Yozonda siŋi yaha medes luŋera. Mede yaha satas ŋelona luŋido zenizeni kumu runuŋe. Luŋeya peretenen mede kigivinda ono davara. Sasataza hara. Saya zimivina, zimenda kerekeremena.

Urinona, inda ŋono zeye oloŋira, lamana tene layisena. Tesi tarataratana, laka kahes Nuvora. Tana reŋirana, keses igaravena. Lakaza tana reŋirayi, inda pezes ŋono pobomo ŋono pidi ŋono perete ŋono muru era. Tana reŋirayi, inda pezes lakara. Medenda medes tanatana Nuvora, ŋiri mede yaha satas oloyo sape. Tana reŋirayi, inda pezes Nuvu ira. Pezes yalata zara Nuvu sazarudu luŋi sareŋe.

Nuvonda nuvume, inda nuvunuvu saruviyi.

The star goes from there to a tall smooth tree. The man expectantly watches the star climb the smooth trunk. The star takes a large piece of bark with a knife. It goes around their body. They start to sing, and from the song they start to make magic.

The wind starts to blow, it makes many dark clouds come, and the whole sky starts to be hidden. A little bit of rain starts to fall and Nuvu goes into the hut. The river starts to flow and it covers the campsite with water. The river flows around the hut and it washes away the many spears, the many baskets, the many knives, and the many mats. The river continues to flow and washes away the hut. Nuvu quickly goes from tree to tree, and he fails to climb the trees’ smooth trunks. The river continues to flow and washes away Nuvu. The star listens to Nuvu’s voice, which is dying away.

Nuvu is changed into an owl and he continues to cry mournfully.

Interlinear and Explanation

Yozonda siŋi yaha medes luŋera.

The star goes from there to a tall smooth tree.

Mede yaha satas ŋelona luŋido zenizeni kumu runuŋe.

The man expectantly watches the star climb the smooth trunk.

Luŋeya peretenen mede kigivinda ono davara.

The star takes a large piece of bark with a knife.

Sasataza hara.

It goes around their body.

Saya zimivina, zimenda kerekeremena.

They start to sing, and from the song they start to make magic.

Urinona, inda ŋono zeye oloŋira, lamana tene layisena.

The wind starts to blow, it makes many dark clouds come, and the whole sky starts to be hidden.

Tesi tarataratana, laka kahes Nuvora.

A little bit of rain starts to fall and Nuvu goes into the hut.

Tana reŋirana, keses igaravena.

The river starts to flow and it covers the campsite with water.

Water gara is (here) a part of the river, and so possessed.

Lakaza tana reŋirayi, inda pezes ŋono pobomo ŋono pidi ŋono perete ŋono muru era.

The river flows around the hut and it washes away the many spears, the many baskets, the many knives, and the many mats.

Tana reŋirayi, inda pezes lakara.

The river continues to flow and washes away the hut.

Medenda medes tanatana Nuvora, ŋiri mede yaha satas oloyo sape.

Nuvu quickly goes from tree to tree, and he fails to climb the trees’ smooth trunks.

Tana reŋirayi, inda pezes Nuvu ira.

The river continues to flow and washes away Nuvu.

Pezes yalata zara Nuvu sazarudu luŋi sareŋe.

The star listens to Nuvu’s voice, which is dying away.

Nuvonda nuvume, inda nuvunuvu saruviyi.

Nuvu is changed into an owl and he continues to cry mournfully.

Text and Translation

Nara zales kines luŋeta baŋibaŋi. Alaza kalatepe gohotepe lakatepe sara. Sarunos pezes yutonda seleno. Nuvonda yutu selese. Hadas tanatana luŋera.

Luŋeya sorove, “Diya liyes tesi gohorahi?” Kumoya rusuve, “Be! Liyes harazidu linda viri gohose.”

“Dinda yutoza tesi kalanen liŋinahi?” “Kalanen liŋizidu viri yutuse.”

“Ŋiri kele muroza dika. Dinda yutoza tesi kalanen liŋinahido vene zeninen diŋi, liya lisataza nara mururazi.” Nuvoya ruluve, “Enda pezes ira! Lidu ese, kegevenen mape vekeve yendodo evu.”

One night a star falls to earth. They go for a time, cold, hungry, and shelter-less. They see light from a campfire in the distance. The light is Nuvu’s campfire. The star hurries to it.

The star says, “Could you give me some food?” The man replies, “No! There is not enough of my food for me to eat.”

“Could I make myself a little bit warm near your campfire?” “There is not enough campfire to make me warm.”

“You have some fine mats.You did not allow that I could make make myself a little bit warm near your campfire; I will put one mat around my body.” Nuvu shouts, “Go away from those! They are for me and not for lazy people who do not work.“

Interlinear and Explanation

Nara zales kines luŋeta baŋibaŋi.

One night a star falls to earth.

Alaza kalatepe gohotepe lakatepe sara.

They go for a time, cold, hungry, and shelterless.

Sarunos pezes yutonda seleno.

They see light from a campfire in the distance.

Nuvonda yutu selese.

The light is Nuvu’s campfire.

Hadas tanatana luŋera.

The star hurries to it.

Luŋeya sorove, “Diya liyes tesi gohorahi?”

The star says, “Could you give me some food?”

Kumoya rusuve, “Be! Liyes harazidu linda viri gohose.”

The man replies, “No! There is not enough of my food for me to eat.”

“Dinda yutoza tesi kalanen liŋinahi?”

“Could I make myself a little bit warm near your campfire?”

“Kalanen liŋizidu viri yutuse.”

“There is not enough campfire to make me warm.”

“Ŋiri kele muroza dika.

“You have some fine mats.

Dinda yutoza tesi kalanen liŋinahido vene zeninen diŋi, liya lisataza nara mururazi.”

You did not allow that I could make make myself a little bit warm near your campfire; I will put one mat around my body.”

Nuvoya ruluve, “Enda pezes ira!

Nuvu shouts, “Go away from those!

Lidu ese, kegevenen mape vekeve yendodo evu.”

They are for me and not for lazy people who do not work.“

Text and Translation

Nuvu berenen kumoza zose tanise. Sama basa sonose, sama karu vususe. Ŋono alaza yendanen nikevas saŋiyinda samas etede piŋimeyi, pezes sara kodu, venendanen saŋena. Yendanen nikevas saŋiyihi, saya namanen ŋiri kegevemiyizeza namas zeninoheza samas delino. Goleza nara kumu saŋiye, saya kuŋinen zase ŋiri kegeveme. Goleza venendanen saŋiyinda sanda laka azis lenese. Kozos ŋono pobomoza ŋono pideza ŋono pereteza ŋono muroza saka.

This story is one which is about a man named Nuvu. He has a bad head and a rough tongue. Through more time spent in the vicinity of people he is filled with pain, so he goes away and lives with nobody. If he continues to stay near people, he thinks that they will expect that he will continue to make work with them. For a long time he lives as a solitary man, and he works as he wanted. After a long time living with nobody, there is a pile outside his hut. In there he has many spears, many baskets, many knives, and many mats.

Interlinear and Explanation

Nuvu berenen kumoza zose tanise.

The story is one which is about a man named Nuvu.

Sama basa sonose, sama karu vususe.

He has a bad head and a rough tongue.

Ŋono alaza yendanen nikevas saŋiyinda samas etede piŋimeyi, pezes sara kodu, venendanen saŋena.

Through more time spent in the vicinity of people he is filled with pain, so he goes away and lives with nobody.

Someday I am going to figure out why some time phrases take =s and some take =za. I know there is a reason, I am simply not quite sure how to explain it.

Yendanen nikevas saŋiyihi, saya namanen ŋiri kegevemiyizeza namas zeninoheza samas delino.

If he continues to stay near people, he thinks that they will expect that he will continue to make work with them.

Goleza nara kumu saŋiye, saya kuŋinen zase ŋiri kegeveme.

For a long time he lives as a solitary man, and he works as he wanted.

Goleza venendanen saŋiyinda sanda laka azis lenese.

After a long time living with nobody, there is a pile outside his hut.

Kozos ŋono pobomoza ŋono pideza ŋono pereteza ŋono muroza saka.

In there he has many spears, many baskets, many knives, and many mats.

And now the conclusion of the story…

Text and Translation

Saya evi, “Ŋaya kere ebes linda laki ira.” Naya kere ebes liye ira. Naya liye tene satanda pezes garanen piŋera. Yozonda erenara, naya zosos yereme.

Besariya marodo tonos liye ira. Maras lira, muros dahidahi liŋi, lidurunulona. Pobotonen rehela lipena.

He says, “Take my daughter to the sacred pool.” They take me to the sacred pool. They wash the pain from all of my body. The spirits go from there and play elsewhere.

Uncle sets me on the road to home. I go home, I am lying down on the mat, and my eyes open. I begin to not be sick afterwards.

Interlinear and Explanation

Saya evi, “Ŋaya kere ebes linda laki ira.”

He says, “Take my daughter to the sacred pool.”

Naya kere ebes liye ira.

They take me to the sacred pool.

Naya liye tene satanda pezes garanen piŋera.

They wash the pain from all of my body.

Or, they made the pain go with water from all of my body.

Yozonda erenara, naya zosos yereme.

The spirits go from there and play elsewhere.

Besariya marodo tonos liye ira.

Uncle sets me on the road to home.

Maras lira, muros dahidahi liŋi, lidurunulona.

I go home, I am lying down on the mat, and my eyes open.

My eyes open, or I wake up. And eyes is in the dual, too.

Pobotonen rehela lipena.

I begin to not be sick afterwards.

Or, I begin to fail to be with sickness afterwards.

Text and Translation

Lirunos linda besarino aŋaka. Linda tili arenda tili bese saŋi. Lidu luguradu sano. Erenaza saka, liyenen yeremeto.

Saya nadu evi, “Linda laki koyo yeleŋe. Samas dimidimi yakato! Sadu gehevanen yaŋi!” Liyes erena dimidimi nakato aŋaka.

And then I see my uncle. He is my late grandmother’s uncle. He comes to help me. He grasps the spirits and the game with me stops.

He says to them, “This person is my daughter. Stop hitting her! Be good to her!” And then the spirits stop hitting me.

Interlinear and Explanation

Lirunos linda besarino aŋaka.

And then I see my uncle.

Technically, besari is mother’s mother’s brother.

Linda tili arenda tili bese saŋi.

He is my late grandmother’s uncle.

Technically ari is mother’s mother’s and bese is mother’s brother. And the adjective tili, last seen modifying the noun lono ‘day’, can also modify kinship terms.

Lidu luguradu sano.

He comes to help me.

Erenaza saka, liyenen yeremeto.

He grasps the spirits and the game with me stops.

Saya nadu evi, “Linda laki koyo yeleŋe.

He says to them, “This person is my daughter.

Technically, laki is a woman’s daughter or a man’s sister’s daughter.

Samas dimidimi yakato!

Stop hitting her!

Uncle does not use indirect, polite commands. He is direct, using the non-rational animate pronouns to convey an imperative.

Sadu gehevanen yaŋi!”

Be good to her!”

Liyes erena dimidimi nakato aŋaka.

And then the spirits stop hitting me.

The conclusion will post on Monday. Have a good weekend!

Text and Translation

Naya kureza kideza liye ira. Liye tene satas dimidimi eka. Liye tene satas piŋino, govogovo bavasano.

Liya nadu evi, “Ŋaŋitohi. Govogovo koyonen ŋaŋitohi. Lidu gehevanen ŋaŋinahi.” Linda sorodo erena sarape baŋibaŋi.

They take me across thorns and rocks. They (the thorns and rocks) hit all of my body. I feel pain on all of my body and all kinds of bad.

I say to them, “You could stop. You could stop doing all these kinds of things. You could start to be good to me.” But the spirits do not listen to my words.

Interlinear and Explanation

Naya kureza kideza liye ira.

They take me across thorns and rocks.

Or, I am made to go (non-volitionally) by them across thorns and rocks.

Liye tene satas dimidimi eka.

They (the thorns and rocks) hit all of my body.

Liye tene satas piŋino, govogovo bavasano.

I feel pain on all of my body and all kinds of bad.

Here’s another pair: basa ‘bad’ and bavasa ‘badness’.

Liya nadu evi, “Ŋaŋitohi.

I say to them, “You could stop.

Our narrator is being polite and using indirect or polite commands here and in the following sentences.

Govogovo koyonen ŋaŋitohi.

You could stop doing all these kinds of things.

Lidu gehevanen ŋaŋinahi.”

You could start to be good to me.”

Here we have the noun geheva formed from the adjective gehe and the nominalizer -va. Mostly because the partially reduplicated form of gehe would be gehehe and that just didn’t sound right.

Linda sorodo erena sarape baŋibaŋi.

But the spirits do not listen to my words.

Generally one hears something with the construction A sara=s X=no. But one can listen for something, too, with X=du A sara=ra. This works for other senses as well.

Text and Translation

Ŋasaras linda pobotoza zisirinohe. Ŋono poto liŋi, yatayatavadu lira. Poto liŋiye, muros dahidahi liŋi, morono.

Moronen muros dahidahi liŋiye, uri erenano. Liyeza naka, liyenen yiri buros nara. Koyo erenaya yiri erenanen yereme. Erenaya keruvelime. Naya ŋarunos ŋono pezes ebeno, naya ŋarunos yozos tileya ŋarahidu hape aŋaka.

You may have heard news of my sickness. I was very sick, almost to death. While I was sick, I lay on the mat, and a dream came.

With the dream, while I am lying on the mat, the wind spirits come. They grasp me and take me to the mouth of a dry wash. These spirits play with the dry wash spirits. The dry wash spirits create dust devils. They make a distant pool of water appear to you and then before you can reach it they make it fail to appear.

Interlinear and Explanation

Ŋasaras linda pobotoza zisirinohe.

You may have heard news of my sickness.

Ŋono poto liŋi, yatayatavadu lira.

I was very sick, almost to death.

Note that poto is an adjective and poboto is a derived noun. A similar pair was encountered before: zeye ‘dark’ and zeseye ‘darkness’. Also, =du marks an unattained destination, so somewhere on the path to death. Speaking of death, yalata is the adjective ‘dying’ and yatayata is the adjective ‘dead’, and death is formed from the latter by adding the nominalizing suffix -va. The word yata no longer exists.

Poto liŋiye, muros dahidahi liŋi, morono.

While I was sick, I lay on the mat, and a dream came.

Moronen muros dahidahi liŋiye, uri erenano.

With the dream, while I am lying on the mat, the wind spirits come.

I guess N N compound phrases are allowed. Usually N N is whole part, and I suppose this compound could be read that way, too—the wind’s spirits. Or maybe it is only whole part when the part is obviously a part.

Liyeza naka, liyenen yiri buros nara.

They grasp me and take me to the mouth of a dry wash.

The motion particle =ka is used with =za to convey physical possession or ownership. This is an extension of its use here, as a way to convey grasping something.

Also note that =za, =nen, and =s glom onto full pronouns only, while =nda, =du, and =ya glom onto pronominal particles.

Koyo erenaya yiri erenanen yereme.

These spirits play with the dry wash spirits.

Erenaya keruvelime.

The dry wash spirits create dust devils.

Naya ŋarunos ŋono pezes ebeno, naya ŋarunos yozos tileya ŋarahidu hape aŋaka.

They make a distant pool of water appear to you and then before you can go there they make it fail to appear.

Can you think of a better way to explain mirages?