Conlang Relay 19/Tirelat

This is the Tirelat torch for Conlang Relay 19's Ring 2, as received by Fenhl from Herman Miller via Tony Hogard, who was skipped. Fenhl also dropped out, and forwarded this text to Lars Finsen for translation into Tubenian.

Tirelat text

Also available as an MP3, from the official results page

Saj tadru žaŕ ni vyladakałaz, vyvistakadez na keh. Saj ŋajaht vyvelnajan my nawka xa u rohm. Xa vë maċa u rohm, sy kih timwi jĕŕahvišan. Vë rohm vynamadez saj dlah tikŕi ċihk. Saj ŋajaht vyladałaz pa vyxjaŕiden të vymuspiden saj ċihk.

Saj ŋajaht vyladałaz, "Sy kih timwi jĕŕahvitin xa maċa u rohm. So vë tahm, saj ŋajaht vyližałaz maj ċihk. Mavini vyližałiz. So vë dužgu maj ċihk vyližakałaz, vynamanumez vë rohm."

Saj ŋajaht vykwënnašan pa su nihk jĕtagatin za u ruba. Laġal łeladaŕiz pa su nihk vë uhživor jĕžaġitiz. Jĕłuhġaŕin ro vë ŋajaht të jĕladaŕin. "Saj tadru ċahk vyšikiden." Saj ŋajaht mĕkwënnašan. "So vë dužgu saj ċakëdaj vyladatin na keh pa vyšikibakaden. Vë jah juht, saj ŋajaht šowsu vynamatažaz." Laġal saj ŋajaht vyladałan na kažŋa žu naj ċihk. "So vë dužgu, kejla ki vë rohm vyłuhġaj, łežadlaġažan my këvaŋa."

So vë laj, pizaj vytagałan saj ċakëdaj žu saj nikëdaj. Sy vlel jĕġazišan ro vë dužgu. Su atah jĕsottušan pa vynukaj saj ċihk. So vë dužgu, saj ŋajaht vyzikitin. Vë žihm taka vë zëhgi łeližatin maj ċakëdaj. Vytadrutin saj ċakëdaj.

So vë dužgu vyŕahvišaz saj ċihk. Kejla aj kjem nallu, sy kih timwi jĕŕahvišan. Saj nikëdaj vybunušan maj cihk.

So vë dužgu, vytadrušan saj kezdyl, saj znahl, žu saj kjuvat. Saj ŋajaht vëżumišaz pa saj ċihk vynašašaz my xjaŕiat. Kejla aj kjem nallu, sy kih timwi jĕŕahvižan. Javi saj tikŕi kažŋa vyžakałin my kih.

Grammar notes

Noun phrases consist of an article (which specifies the case and number of the phrase) followed optionally by a number or an adjective (or both), and a noun. Plural suffixes are only used in specific cases, so you'll need to look at the article to know if a noun is singular or plural. Longer modifiers such as prepositional phrases follow the noun.

The word "ruba" appears in the text as "tĕruba" since it is one of a class of words which requires a possessive prefix.

Articles used in this text:

• su (nominative singular, animate)
• sy (nominative singular, inanimate)
• saj (nominative plural)

• my (accusative singular, inanimate)
• maj (accusative plural)

• na (dative sing.)
• naj (dative pl.)

• vë (locative, singular)

• u (genitive sing.)
• aj (genitive pl.)

Locative expressions are often expressed using a locative phrase followed by a genitive phrase (as in the English "at the front of" or "in the middle of"). Where English uses a word like "behind" as a preposition, Tirelat has the equivalent of "at the behind of".

Tirelat has a typical nominative-accusative system, with the subject of a transitive verb in the nominative case and the object in the accusative case. Many verbs have a secondary object that takes the dative case, and prepositions may require different cases.

The word order in a typical verb phrase is subject-verb-object, although other orders are possible. You can always tell the object from the subject by the case of the articles. Adverbs precede the verb they modify.

Tirelat has a small number of true adjectives (which precede nouns), but many words that we think of as adjectives in English correspond with stative verbs in Tirelat. Unlike other verbs, the subject of a stative verb typically follows the verb. A stative verb may also be used as an adjective to modify a noun in a noun phrase, but a true adjective cannot be used as a verb.

Verbs are inflected with a person agreement prefix and a series of suffixes which occur in a particular order. Tense and evidentiality are fused into a single suffix. Here are the inflections that occur in this text:

• jĕ- he, she, it (subject).
• łe- we (subject).
• vy- they (subject).

• mĕ- him, her, it (object).

• -ba- (potential); can, able to ...
• -nu- (conditional); if.
• -ġa- (optative, non-past); wish ...
• -ta- (deontic); must, need to, have to, should ...

• -ka- (negative).

• -ša- (inferential, past)
• -ti- (direct, past)
• -ŕi- (experience, past)

• -ła- (inferential, non-past)
• -de- (direct, non-past)
• -ža- (predictive, non-past)
• -łi- (opinion, non-past)
• -ja- (hearsay, non-past)

• -n (perfective).
• -z (imperfective).
• -j (subjunctive, participle).

The "inferential" suffixes are the least marked of the tense/evidential suffixes. "Direct" is used to indicate a direct observation, while "hearsay" evidentials are for claims made by others. "Experience" indicates a direct personal experience. "Opinion" represents the speaker's opinion.

The verb "naša-" (to begin, to start) can have the meaning "to become, to get" when followed by a verbal noun, e.g. "to get warm" would be translated "to start a warmth".

Vocabulary

• aj (genitive pl.)
• -at (verbal noun)
• atah (pron) someone, somebody.
• bunu (v) to examine, inspect.
• ċahk, ċakë- (n) a small, bat-sized flying dragon.
• ċihk (n) a rock, stone.
• -daj (collective plural)
• -de- (direct, non-past)
• dlah (num) two.
• dužgu (n) evening.
• -ġa- (optative, non-past); wish ...
• ġazi (v) to change.
• -j (subjunctive, participle).
• -ja- (hearsay, non-past)
• jah (pron, adj) that, those.
• javi (adv) so, therefore.
• jĕ- he, she, it (subject).
• juht (n) place, site.
• -ka- (negative).
• kažŋa (n) animal, beast.
• keh (pron) me (obj. case of "leh")
• kejla (v) to follow, succeed; (prep) after; in (an interval of time).
• këvaŋa (pron) something.
• kezdyl (n) plant (vegetable).
• ki (prep) + LOC to, toward, at.
• kih (n) sun.
• kjem (num) three.
• kjuvat (n) any small, serpentine dragon.
• kwënna (v) to hear.
• -ła- (inferential, non-past)
• lada (v) to say, speak, utter.
• laġal (adv) then, by then, at that time.
• laj (n) night.
• łe- we (subject).
• -łi- (opinion, non-past)
• liža (v) to see (perceive visually).
• łuhġa (v) to go to.
• maċa (n) behind.
• maj (accusative plural)
• mavi (v) happy.
• mĕ- him, her, it (object).
• -me- (hypothetical, non-past)
• muspi (v) sharp.
• my (accusative singular, inanimate)
• -n (perfective).
• na (dative sing.)
• naj (dative pl.)
• ŋajaht (pron) everyone, everybody.
• nallu (n) a twelfth part of a day (equivalent of two hours).
• nama (v) to be (located) at, in, on (a place)
• naša (v) to begin, start, commence, initiate.
• nawka (n) story, legend, epic.
• -ni (adverb-forming suffix)
• ni (rel. pron) that, which, who.
• nihk, nikë- (n) a kind of small squeaky animal.
• -nu- (conditional); if.
• nuka (v) to return, come or go back.
• pa (conj) that
• pizaj (adv) away.
• ŕahvi (v) to move (be in motion).
• -ŕi- (experience, past)
• ro (adv, prep) to, toward.
• rohm (n) mountain.
• ruba (n) house, home.
• -ša- (inferential, past)
• saj (nominative plural)
• šiki (v) to fly, glide (through air).
• so (prep) at, on (moment in time).
• sottu (v) to ask (a favor), request.
• šowsu (adv) now (at this time)
• su (nominative singular, animate)
• sy (nominative singular, inanimate)
• -ta- (deontic); must, need to, have to, should ...
• tadru (v) much, a lot, many.
• taga (v) to leave, depart from.
• tahm (n) morning.
• taka (adv) there (at/to that place)
• të (conj) and (joins two verbs)
• tĕ- (possessive prefix)
• tĕruba (n) (someone's) house, home.
• -ti- (direct, past)
• tikŕi (v) little, small.
• timwi (adv) up, upwards.
• u (genitive sing.)
• uhživor (n) neighborhood, vicinity.
• vë (locative, singular); at, in (place).
• velna (v) to recognize, be acquainted with.
• vista (v) to say, state, assert.
• vlel (n) day (opposed to night); daytime.
• vy- they (subject).
• xa (prep) from, originating at, attached to, coming from the direction of.
• xjaŕi (v) rough (in texture), uneven, jagged.
• xjaŕi-at (n) roughness (verbal noun from "xjaŕi")
• -z (imperfective).
• za (prep) from, out of, taken from.
• -ža- (predictive, non-past)
• žadla (v) to discover, find out.
• žaġi (v) to bolt, dart, dash (sudden movement).
• žaka (v) to escape from.
• žaŕ (n) person.
• zëhgi (n) valley.
• žihm (n) tree (large woody plant).
• ziki (v) to arrive.
• znahl (n) any small insect-like animal.
• žu (conj) and (joins two nouns).
• żumi (v) to think.

Smooth English

From the official results page

Many people who are not speaking, they are not telling me. Everyone knows a story from the mountain. From behind the mountain, the sun went up. On the mountain are two small rocks. Everyone says that the rocks are rough and sharp.

Everyone says "The sun went up from behind the mountain. In the morning, everyone sees the rocks. They see with happiness. In the evening they don't see the rocks, whether they are at the mountain."

Everyone heard that a squeaky went out from the house. Then we said that a squeaky was darting around in the vicinity. It went to everyone and spoke. "Many bat-dragons fly." Everyone heard it. "In the evening the bat-dragons told me that they can't fly. In that place, everyone must be there now." So everyone spoke to the animal and to the rocks. "In the evening, after they go to the mountain, we hope to discover something."

At night, the bat-dragons and the squeakies went away. The daytime changed into the evening. Someone requested that the rocks return. In the evening, everyone arrived. On a tree there in the valley we saw the bat-dragons. The bat-dragons were many.

In the evening the rocks were moving. Six hours later, the sun came up. The squeakies inspected the rocks.

In the evening, the plants, bugs, and serpent-dragons were many. Everyone was thinking that the rocks were getting rough. Six hours later, the sun comes up. So the little animals are escaping from the sun.