Conlang Relay 19/Buruya Nzaysa

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by Jan Strasser

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Buruya Nzaysa text

Nzɔ yɛski əye o dəxa menavo kwə, nah natsu ada lu dɛñəsa oskə. Nah o ɔ təñú ñavra o kunə məlu, rɔma mɛsu xə u sose nabaña ronɛ. Na ada kənu: "Xɛwa sa lo la tavlɛ sade lu dɛñəsa nzo ño rɛtsə mvunɛ? Maña mvuga nzɔ tsexɛ owa tselu nə ena." Ŋkena lo mɔrɛ mɛsu lo mvɔ ñawe, o na mve: "Usa! Ewa so’ɔwa nəbe?" Na lo nabaña ada lu əye loya: "Seya nzo rudi sewe owa lu la sade lu dɛñəsa nəbe. Maña matsu xə rudi nə ena, ləh lo ɔtse rɔmah mɛsu tse nzɔ ronɛ. Esə ɔyənɔ! Ese me’ɛxe!"

Ŋkena lo kañɛ mɛsu lo mvɔ ñawe, o na ada ivri: "Neya lu la sade lu dɛñəsa lolmu, o ɔdeya tsɔve rɛ sah nte’a o tselu u rudi roni." Na lo nabaña ada lu kañɛ kənu: "Dəña’o, pɔ’ɔxə dediga ada lu əmo ah lo dɛñə solvo, pɔ’oh?" Na lo kañɛ mve: "Pexa nzo nzɛ, ni ɔdɔ’ɔ ɔ yɔsko?" O na lo mɔrɛ mpaskale: "We ɔ kalɛste. Pɔ’ɔ o lu boña axe mvəbo lu tɛde mpɛ, ese’o ada lu əmo ah lo dɛñə solvo." O ntɛga, ɔdɔwa lu mvɔ ni lu səlu la’e.

Translation

English

A black bird and an invisible spirit came to the hills one day. They arrived at a large and solid rock, near which lived a tiny mouse. He asked them: "What kind of things are characteristic of the distant land behind the hills? I have not seen any things from that place so far." The bird (lit. the dark one) placed himself near the mouse (lit. the small one) and said: "Hello! Which things do you have in mind?" The mouse (lit. the tiny one) answered to the bird (lit. the black one): "I am thinking about the tall giants from the land behind the hills. I have never seen these giants, nor the river near which they live. This is unfair! I am not satisfied!"

The spirit (lit. the hidden one) placed himself near the mouse (lit. the small one) and told him: "I have visited the land behind the hills, and I have observed that giants are indeed living there." The mouse (lit. the tiny one) asked the spirit (lit. the hidden one): "Please, maybe you could carry me to the head of the hill, could you?" The spirit (lit. the hidden one) said: "If we did that, would you be happy?" And the bird (lit. the dark one) announced: "I will take charge of this. If you sit on my back between the wings, I can carry you to the head of the hill." And then he lifted the mouse (lit. the small one) up into the sky.

Translation of previous text

(Mev Pailom, by Logan Kearsley)

Once upon a time, two living things - both a dark thing of the air and an invisible thing of the air - moved to high places. There was a solid tool-for-placing, near which a small animal lived. He said, "Which things are typical at the high place?" "I have not seen anything which is typical," said the small one to him. The dark one placed himself near the small one and said, "Hello, what are you saying?" The small one said towards the dark one, "I'm talking about the high thing of the high place." He said, "I see no high thing with moving water. I am not satisfied."

The invisible living thing placed himself near the small one and said, "I have gone to the high thing. I have seen it, and there are high living things at the high thing." The small one said to the invisible living thing, "Could you move me to the high flat place?" The invisible living thing said to the small one, "If I do this, would you be satisfied?" The dark one said, "I will do it! You would place yourself at my wings (lit. tools for moving in the air), and then you place yourself at the flat thing!" And he moved into the air.

(This doesn't make all that much sense without context. Mev Pailom has an extremely vague way of referencing objects, and although all nouns in the text are characterized fairly well, there is absolutely no indication what they are. The choices I've made in resolving this are probably slightly contaminated by the fact that I knew a very-close-to-original version of the relay text from my early turn in Ring 2, but I think they work rather well in the Buruya Nzaysa version.)

Interlinear gloss

Nzɔ
TOP.NOM
yɛski
bird
əye
black
o
and
dəxa
spirit
menavo
invisible
kwə,
with.3,
nah
PFV.AUX-3PL
natsu
someday
ada
to.3
lu
DEF.ACC
dɛñəsa
hill-COLL
oskə.
come
A black bird and an invisible spirit came to the hills one day.


Nah
PFV.AUX-3PL
o
at.3
ɔ
INDEF.ACC
təñú
stone
ñavra
large
o
and
kunə
solid
məlu,
arrive,
They arrived at a large and solid rock,


rɔma
REL.AUX-3SG
mɛsu
near.3
xə
this.NOM
u
INDEF.NOM
sose
mouse
nabaña
tiny
ronɛ.
dwell.VN
near which lived a tiny mouse.


Na
PFV.AUX-3SG>3
ada
to.3
kənu:
ask:
He asked them:


"Xɛwa
what.ACC
sa
NULL.AUX-3SG>3
lo
DEF.NOM
la
land
tavlɛ
far
sade
behind.3
lu
DEF.ACC
dɛñəsa
hill-COLL
nzo
TOP.ACC
ño
as.3
rɛtsə
characteristic
mvunɛ?"
hold?
"What kind of things are characteristic of the distant land behind the hills?"


"Maña
NEG.AUX-1SG<3
mvuga
already
nzɔ
TOP.NOM
tsexɛ
that.thing
owa
from.3
tselu
that.place
nə
PFV.AUX
ena."
see
"I have not seen any things from that place so far."


Ŋkena
PFV.AUX-3.REFL
lo
DEF.NOM
mɔrɛ
dark
mɛsu
near.3
lo
DEF.NOM
mvɔ
small
ñawe,
put,
o
and
na
PFV.AUX-3SG>3
mve:
say:
The bird (lit. the dark one) placed himself near the mouse (lit. the small one) and said:


"Usa!
hello!
Ewa
which.ACC
so’ɔwa
NULL.AUX-2SG>3
nəbe?"
have_in_mind?
"Hello! Which things do you have in mind?"


Na
PFV.AUX-3SG>3
lo
DEF.NOM
nabaña
tiny
ada
to.3
lu
DEF.ACC
əye
black
loya:
answer:
The mouse (lit. the tiny one) answered to the bird (lit. the black one):


"Seya
NULL.AUX-1SG>3
nzo
TOP.ACC
rudi
giant
sewe
tall
owa
from.3
lu
DEF.ACC
la
land
sade
behind.3
lu
DEF.ACC
dɛñəsa
hill-COLL
nəbe."
have_in_mind
"I am thinking about the tall giants from the land behind the hills."


"Maña
NEG.AUX-1SG<3
matsu
never
xə
this.NOM
rudi
giant
nə
PFV.AUX
ena,"
see,
"I have never seen these giants,"


"ləh
neither/nor
lo
DEF.NOM
ɔtse
river
rɔmah
REL.AUX-3PL
mɛsu
near.3
tse
that.NOM
nzɔ
TOP.NOM
ronɛ."
dwell.VN
"nor the river near which they live."


"Esə
EMPH.AUX-3SG
ɔyənɔ!
be_unfair!
Ese
EMPH.AUX-1SG
me’ɛxe!"
feel_wronged!
"This is unfair! I am not satisfied!"


Ŋkena
PFV.AUX-3.REFL
lo
DEF.NOM
kañɛ
hidden
mɛsu
near.3
lo
DEF.NOM
mvɔ
small
ñawe,
put,
o
and
na
PFV.AUX-3SG>3
ada
to.3
ivri:
tell:
The spirit (lit. the hidden one) placed himself near the mouse (lit. the small one) and told him:


"Neya
PFV.AUX-1SG>3
lu
DEF.ACC
la
land
sade
behind.3
lu
DEF.ACC
dɛñəsa
hill-COLL
lolmu,"
visit,
"I have visited the land behind the hills,"


"o
and
ɔdeya
RES.AUX-1SG>3
tsɔve
observe
rɛ
SUB.ACC
sah
NULL.AUX-3PL
nte’a
truly
o
at.3
tselu
that.place
u
INDEF.NOM
rudi
giant
roni."
dwell
"and I have observed that giants are indeed living there."


Na
PFV.AUX-3SG>3
lo
DEF.NOM
nabaña
tiny
ada
to.3
lu
DEF.ACC
kañɛ
hidden
kənu:
ask:
The mouse (lit. the tiny one) asked the spirit (lit. the hidden one):


"Dəña’o,
please,
pɔ’ɔxə
COND.AUX-2PL>1
dediga
maybe
ada
to.3
lu
DEF.ACC
əmo
head
ah
of.3
lo
DEF.NOM
dɛñə
hill
solvo,
carry,
pɔ’oh?"
COND.AUX-2PL?
"Please, maybe you could carry me to the head of the hill, could you?"


Na
PFV.AUX-3SG>3
lo
DEF.NOM
kañɛ
hidden
mve:
say:
The spirit (lit. the hidden one) said:


"Pexa
COND.AUX-1PL>3
nzo
TOP.ACC
nzɛ,
do,
ni
if/then
ɔdɔ’ɔ
RES.COP-2SG
ɔ
INDEF.ACC
yɔsko?"
happy?
"If we did that, would you be happy?"


O
and
na
PFV.AUX-3SG>3
lo
DEF.NOM
mɔrɛ
dark
mpaskale:
declare:
And the bird (lit. the dark one) announced:


"We
FUT.COP-1SG
ɔ
INDEF.ACC
kalɛste."
one_who_takes_charge.
"I will take charge of this (lit. I will be one who takes charge)."


"Pɔ’ɔ
COND.AUX-2SG
o
at.3
lu
DEF.ACC
boña
back
axe
of.1
mvəbo
between.3
lu
DEF.ACC
tɛde
wing
mpɛ,"
sit,
"If you sit on my back between the wings,"


"ese’o
EMPH.AUX-1SG>2
ada
to.3
lu
DEF.ACC
əmo
head
ah
of.3
lo
DEF.NOM
dɛñə
hill
solvo."
carry
"I can carry you to the head of the hill."


O
and
ntɛga,
next,
ɔdɔwa
RES.AUX-3SG>3
lu
DEF.ACC
mvɔ
small
ni
into.3
lu
DEF.ACC
səlu
sky
la’e.
lift.
And then he lifted the mouse (lit. the small one) up into the sky.

Vocabulary

morpheme type meaning
ada pp. +ACC to, towards
ah pp. +NOM of, belonging to, with regard to
axe (pp.) (1st person object form of ah: "of me")
boña n. backside
dɛñə n. mountain, hill
dɛñəsa n. a range of mountains or hills (collective)
dediga adv. maybe, possibly
dəña’o interj. please
dəxa n. spirit, ghost, ancestor, supernatural being
ena v.erg see, notice
esə- aux. (emphatic/abilitative auxiliary: "do indeed, can indeed")
ewa pron. (selective interrogative pronoun, accusative: "which one?")
əmo n. head, roof, peak, tip
əye n. black
ivri v. tell, narrate, inform
kalɛste n. active person; one who takes charge of things
kañɛ n. secret, hidden, taboo
kənu v. ask, inquire, demand
kunə n. hard, solid, sturdy; (of people) muscular, tough
kwə pp. +NOM with (comitative)
la n. land, region, area
la’e v. lift, raise, hold up (physically)
ləh cj. neither/nor
lo det. (definite article, nominative)
lolmu v. visit, attend; meet
loya v. answer, reply
lu det. (definite article, accusative)
ma- aux. (negative auxiliary: "do not")
matsu adv./pron. never
mɛsu pp. +NOM near, next to
menavo n. invisible, out of sight
me’ɛxe v. feel wronged by someone
məlu v. arrive, achieve, accomplish
mɔrɛ n. dark
mpaskale v. announce, declare, say publicly
mpɛ v.erg sit
mve v. say, speak
mvəbo pp. +ACC between, among
mvɔ n. short, small
mvuga adv. already, so far; (in negated clauses) not yet
mvunɛ v. have, own, hold
nabaña n. little, tiny, dwarf-sized
natsu adv./pron. someday; at an unspecified time
nə- aux. (perfective auxiliary: "have done")
nəbe v. intend, mean, have in mind, refer to
ni cj. if/then
ni pp. +ACC in, into
ntɛga cj. then, next, subsequently
nte’a adv. really, truly, indeed
nzɛ v. do, tackle
nzɔ det./pron. (topic marker, nominative)
nzo det./pron. (topic marker, accusative)
ñavra n. broad, wide, large
ñawe v. put, place, arrange; (reflexive) settle down
ño pp. +NOM as, like
ɔ det. (indefinite article, accusative)
ɔdɔ(w)- aux. (resultative auxiliary: "have become")
ɔtse n. river
ɔyənɔ v. be unfair
o cj. and
o pp. +ACC at, on
oskə v. come; move towards the focus point
owa pp. +ACC from
pɔ(w)- aux. (conditional auxiliary: "might, would, could")
rɛ cj. (complementizer, accusative)
rɛtsə n. nature, characteristic attribute
rɔma- aux. (relative clause auxiliary; relativized noun is topic but not necessarily subject of subclause)
roni v. dwell, live (at a place) (VN ronɛ)
rudi n. giant; very tall person
sade pp. +ACC outside of, behind, beyond
sewe n. high, tall
səlu n. sky, air
so- aux. (null auxiliary: "do")
solvo v. bring, carry
sose n. mouse, rat
tavlɛ n. far away, outside one's own home region
tɛde n. wing
təñú n. stone, rock, boulder
tse det./pron. (distal deictic, nominative: "that, those")
tselu pron. there, that place
tsexɛ pron. that thing, those things (mentioned earlier)
tsɔve v. watch, observe, supervise
u det. (indefinite article, nominative)
usa interj. hello! (casual)
wə- aux. (predictive/future auxiliary: "will do")
xɛwa pron. (open interrogative pronoun, accusative: "what?")
xə det./pron. (proximal deictic, nominative: "this, these")
yɛski n. bird
yɔsko n. glad, happy, joyous, fortunate


Auxiliary suffixes:

morpheme type meaning
-a suffix 3rd person singular subject, 3rd person object
-ah suffix 3rd person plural intransitive
-aña suffix 1st person singular subject, 3rd person agent/source (used with ergative verbs)
-e suffix 1st person singular intransitive
-exa suffix 1st person plural subject, 3rd person object
-eya suffix 1st person singular subject, 3rd person object
-e’o suffix 1st person singular subject, 2nd person object
-ə suffix 3rd person singular intransitive
-xena suffix 3rd person reflexive
-’oh suffix 2nd person plural intransitive
-’ɔ suffix 2nd person singular intransitive
-’ɔwa suffix 2nd person singular subject, 3rd person object
-’ɔxə suffix 2nd person plural subject, 1st person object
  • Note: Vowel-initial auxiliary suffixes usually delete a preceding vowel, with the exception that -ə is itself deleted after /a/ (which results in homophonous 3sg intransitive and 3sg>3 transitive forms of auxiliaries whose stem ends in /a/). Suffixes beginning in /x/ delete a preceding /ə/, with the suffix-initial consonant fortifying to /k/.

Grammar

Typology

  • mostly isolating
  • head-initial
  • basic word order: AuxSOV with occasional topic fronting and subclause postposing
  • basic morphosyntactic alignment: NOM-ACC
  • pro-drop

Nominals

  • no distinction between nouns and adjectives
  • nouns/adjectives do not inflect at all
  • determiners are mandatory in all full (i.e. non-pronominal) noun phrases
  • nouns without a determiner usually have adjectivial function
  • most determiners are marked for case
  • nominal number is unmarked

Prepositions

  • prepositions inflect for the person of their object (almost all instances in the text are 3rd person)
  • each preposition governs a specific case for their object
  • objects of prepositions can be omitted if clear from context

Verbs

  • content verbs do not inflect at all (except that they are nominalised in relative clauses, which is typically indicated by using a different word-final vowel)
  • auxiliary verbs are mandatory in all clauses
  • auxiliary verbs inflect for person and number of the subject AND person of the object
  • there is a small class of "ergative verbs" whose subjects are marked with the accusative case, and which require a special set of transitive person markers on the auxiliary
  • aspect and mood are indicated by the choice of the auxiliary
  • no tense marking
  • additional distinctions may be made by adding a second, uninflected auxiliary right before the content verb
  • in clauses which have no content verb but contain an accusative-marked noun phrase, the auxiliary functions as a copula

Links

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