Náŋifi Fasúxa Texts

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Language Samples

This passage is taken from an epic about a young man curious (perhaps too curious) about the world outside the fertile mountain oases of his world. The second verse is about a similar young woman and her mother.

átkami átkami tíŋaxa kuŋása

ínxipi atkamí tákaxa ŋasipú ŋásipu:

ítŋafi itŋafí xípuxa pumafá púmasu

úmfasa múfaxu pumafá púmaup

átmaxi aŋsixí tamaxí kánaxi

átmapu aŋsixí tamapú kánapu

ípnapu afsuxá aŋsixí nátufi

ípnaxi afsuxá nátufi kanafú káanxi

íknafu kanafú múfaxa pumafá púmapu

úmfasa atkamí aŋsixí tíŋaxa tákaxa ŋasipú ŋásipu

úmfasa atkamí aŋsixí ŋásipu múfaxu mufaxá múfaxa


Once there was a young man.

His father said:

You are my son!

Obey our chief!

Do not go down to the valley wasteland.

Do not go up to the mountain wasteland.

You will not survive.

You will perish in the wasteland.

Remain in our village!

The young man* did not obey his father.

He did not obey the chief of the village.


Notes: tíŋaxa in the penultimate line strictly means "adult", but here it is short for tíŋaxa kuŋása, "young man" from the first line.

átakmi atakmí tiaŋxa kuáŋsa

ínixpi atakmí táakxa ŋaispú ŋáispu:

ítaŋfi itaŋfí xiupxa puamfá puamsu

úmafsa múfaxu pumafá puamup

átamxi aŋisxí tamaxí kánaxi

átampu aŋisxí tamapú kánapu

ípanpu afusxá aŋisxí náutfi

ípanxi afusxá náutfi kanafú káanxi

íkanfu kanafú múfaxa pumafá puamup

úmafsa atakmí aŋisxí tiaŋxa táakxa ŋaispú ŋáispu

úmafsa atakmí aŋisxí ŋáispu múfaxu mufaxá múfaxa


Once there was a young woman.

Her mother said:

You are my daughter!

Obey our chief!

Do not go down to the valley wasteland.

Do not go up to the mountain wasteland.

You will not survive.

You will perish in the wasteland.

Remain in our village!

The young woman did not obey her mother.

She did not obey the chief of the village.

Annotated Babel Text

11:1 áptaka atkatí kámanu maníŋa náŋifi ŋafísu pataká náŋifi fasúxa.

The whole world had one language and [a] common tongue.

áptaka – hold; the V'CCVCV shape indicates a masculine singular active verb.

atkatí – distal past; VCCVCV' indicates an adverb agreeing in gender and number with áptaka.

kámanu – world; CV'CVCV indicates a masculine singular noun; as the first noun in a sentence with an active verb, kámanu is the subject of the sentence

maníŋa – whole; CVCV'CV indicates a masculine singular adjective; since it follows kámanu, maníŋa modifies the noun.

náŋifi – language; CV'CVCV indicates a masculine singular noun; as the second noun in a sentence with an active verb, náŋifi is the object of the sentence.

ŋafísu – one; CVCV'CV indicates a masculine singular noun; it modifies náŋifi.

pataká – and/with; CVCVCV' indicates a prepostition, agreeing in number and gender with náŋifi.

náŋifi – direct object of pataká

fasúxa – common; modifies náŋifi

11:2 apuuxpuut atkaus pínaax. íkmaus atkaus ŋásiup kánanu Sinána. áknaaf atkaim aknaaf ŋásiup.

The people easted. They found the plain at Shinar. They dwelt there.

apuuxpuut – easted; reduplicated form of V'CCVVC (masculine plural active verb); the reduplicated form is VCVV'CCVVC, where the the V' has become a semivowel and lost the rising pitch.

atkaus – medial past; VCCVV'C indicates an adverb agreeing in gender and number with apuuxpuut; note that reduplication is not part of mandatory agreement; also note the loss of pitch on the /u/

pínaax – men (Pínaax); CV'CVVC indicates a masculine singular noun; Pínaax refers specifically to the hominids of Kamanu; the generic word for genus Homo (Transpositive Men, Marching Morons, Mothersdarlings) is Pínaun

íkmaus – find; V'CCVVC indicates a masculine plural active verb

atkaus – see above

ŋásiup – they; CV'CVVC indicates a masculine plural active (pro)noun; subject of sentence

kánanu – plain; CV'CVCV indicates a masculine plural active noun; object of sentence

Sinána – Shinar; CVCV'CV indicates an adjective agreeing with kánanu, while the reduplication in the medial and final radical syllables betrays its loanword status

áknaaf – stay; V'CCVCV indicates a masculine plural active verb

atkaim – generic past; VCCVV'C (with semivocalized pitch loss) indicates an adverb agreeing with áknaaf

aknaaf – there; adverb agreeing with áknaaf; this is the same root, but note the difference in pitch

ŋásiup – see above

11:3 ínxiip atkaim ŋásiup tamaaŋ ŋásiaf. úŋxauk aŋsiún púmaaf túnais uŋxáuk. úŋxauk aŋsiún ukŋait púmaaf ŋásiup. úŋxuuk atkaim ŋásiup túnais uŋxáuk. úŋxuuk atkaim aŋsiix ŋásiup túnais. úŋxuuk atkaim ŋásiup tas. úŋxuuk atkaim aŋsiix ŋásiup mústas.

They said to one another. Let us burn burned stones. Let us burn them well. They used burned stones. They did not use stones. They used “tar'. They did not use “mortar”.

ínxiip – say; VC'CVVC indicates masculine singular active verb

atkaim – generic past adverb, modifying ínxiip

ŋásiup – they; subject of sentence

tamaaŋ – to; CVCVV'C indicates agreement with ŋásiup

ŋásiaf – self; CV'CVVC indicates it is a masculine plural noun, the object of tamaaŋ

úŋxauk – burn; V'CCVVC indicates a masculine plural active verb

aŋsiún – adverb marking the Plain Subjunctive and agreeing with úŋxauk. Note that the personal pronouns use the Plain Subjunctive rather the Specific Subjunctive

púmaaf – we; CV'CVVC indicates a masculine plural noun; subject of sentence

túnais – stones; CV'CVVC indicates a masculine plural noun; direct object of sentence

uŋxáuk – burnt; VCCV'VC indicates a masculine plural passive (not necessarily past) participle modifying túnais

túnais uŋxáuk - “burnt stones” or “bricks”

úŋxauk – see above

aŋsiún – see above

ukŋait – greatly or thoroughly; VCVV'C indicates an adverb modifying úŋxauk; note that “greatly” here does not mean “excessive”

púmaaf – see above

ŋásiup – them; as the second noun in the sentence, this is the direct object

úŋxuuk – use; V'CCVVC indicates a masculine plural active verb

atkaim – see above

ŋásiup - they

túnais uŋxáuk - “bricks”

úŋxuuk – see above

atkaim – see above

aŋsiix – negative adverb, modifying úŋxuuk

ŋásiup – they; subject of sentence

túnais – stones; direct object of sentence

úŋxuuk – see above

atkaim – see above

ŋásiup - they

tás - “tar”; foreign word treated as a masculine plural noun; direct object of sentence; violates phonological constraints outside names

úŋxuuk – see above

atkaim – see above

aŋsiix – see above

ŋásiup – they; subject of sentence

mústas - “mortar”; foreign word treated as masculine plural noun; pseudo-semantically connected to foreign word tás

11:4 ínxiip atkaim ŋásiup. ískuim aŋsiún púmaaf múfaxa kuŋáti pumafá púmaaf aptaká páŋasa punáxa. átmapu ixpuun páŋasa punáxa tamapú kámapu. íxpuun aŋsiún púmaaf túŋiif pumaaf púmaaf. ukmíis aŋsiún aŋsiix púmaaf kanauf kámanu maníŋa.

They said: let us build our (own) city with a tower. The tower will ascend to Heaven. Let us be our own names (be famous). Let us not be scattered across the earth.

ínxiip – to say, speak; masculine plural active verb

atkaim – generic past temporal adverb

ŋásiup – they; subject of sentence

ískuim – to build, make; masculine plural active verb

aŋsiún – Plain Subjunctive adverb

púmaaf – we, masculine plural; subject of sentence

múfaxa kuŋáti - “great village”; direct object of sentence

pumafá – genitive prepositional construct, note agreement in number and gender with múfaxa, and in root with púmaaf

púmaaf – direct object of pumafá; the reflexive root here would indicate “the city itself” rather than “our own city”

pataká – preposition, “with”; note the gender and number agreement with múfaxa rather púmaaf

páŋasa punáxa - “tall house”; object of the preposition

átmapu – to go up, to ascend

ixpuun – generic future temporal adverb

páŋasa punáxa – see above; subject of sentence

tamapú – preposition, “up, up to”

kámapu – heaven

íxpuun – future form of the verb “to be”

aŋsiún – Plain Subjunctive adverb

púmaaf – we

túŋiif – names; CV'CVVC indicates masculine plural

pumaaf púmaaf – our (masculine plural)

ukmíis – to be scattered; VCCV'VC indicates a masculine plural passive verb

aŋsiún – see above

aŋsiix – negative adverb

púmaaf – see above

kanauf – at; note the agreement with púmaaf

kámanu maníŋa - “the whole earth”

11:5 átmaxi atkamí múfanu kamápu. ínxipú atkamí ŋásipu múfaxa kuŋáti pataká páŋasa punáxa iskuim itŋaaf pínaax.

The sky bretwalda came down. He perceived the city and the tower being made by the men.

átmaxi – to come down, to descend

atkamí – generic past temporal adverb

múfanu – bretwalda; a mythical concept in Pínaxa culture

kamápu – heavenly; CVCV'CV indicates masculine singular adjective

múfanu kamápu - “heavenly bretwalda” or “God”; here a non-Q adjective is preferred, as a Q adjective would imply other divine entities; in any case, the idea of múfaun (multiple bretwaldas) is antithetical to the concept

ínxipu – to perceive; the root /ínxipu/ means “to smell/hear/see, to use the receptive senses”

atkamí – see above

ŋásipu – he (God)

múfaxa kuŋáti – city

pataká – with, and

páŋasa punáxa - tower

iskumí – masculine singular passive participle modifying both “múfaxa kuŋáti” and “páŋasa punáxa”; a participle with plural objects usually agrees in number

itŋafá – here, a temporal adverb corresponding to “while”;

pínaax. - “by men”; since iskumí is singular and pínaax is plural, pínaax must be the “second” noun in the sentence, and therefore the agent rather than the patient

11:6 ínxipu atkamí múfanu kamápu. itŋáfi pínanu ŋafísu ŋásiup. ánŋiif itŋaif ŋásiup náŋifi ŋafísu. íxpuaf uŋxuíp atkaus ŋásiup síkumi ŋafíxi. ískuim ixpuun ŋásiup ŋásiun

The sky bretwalda percieved. They are one people. They speak one language. They have begun this work. They will make anything.

ínxipu – to percieve (receptive senses)

atkamí – generic past temporal adverb

múfanu kamápu - God

itŋáfi – present passive form of the verb to be, this indicates a following predicate

pínanu - “people”; the predicate noun of the sentence; the difference between pínanu and pínaxa is that the former refers to all post-Catastrophe hominid races, while the latter refers only to the hominids of Kámanu

ŋafísu – one; CVCV'CV indicates an adjective

ŋásiup – they; the main noun of the sentence

ánŋiif – to speak (a language)

itŋaif – generic present temporal adverb

ŋásiup – see above; subject of sentence

náŋifi ŋafísu – one language; direct object of sentence

íxpuaf – to begin; auxiliary verb promoted to primary verb

uŋxuíp – to do the proper motion to make something; main verb demoted to adverb

atkaus – medial temporal adverb; often used in conditional parataxis.

ŋásiup – see above; subject of sentence

síkumi – work; direct object of sentence

ŋafíxi – a particular (thing); here used as equivalent to “that/the”

ískuim – to make;

ixpuun – generic future temporal adverb

ŋásiup – see above; subject of sentence

ŋásiun.- anything; direct object of sentence

11:7 átmaix aŋsiúp púmaaf. áŋfiun náŋifi ŋasipú ŋásiup. áfsuax íxpuun aŋsiix níxiip ŋasiúp ŋásiup.

Let us descend. Confuse their language! They will not share their own conversation.

átmaixi – to descend

aŋsiúp – Impersonal Gnomic Aorist adverb; this form indicates moral judgement in absence of the accused

púmaaf – we; subject of sentence

áŋfiun – V'CCVVC indicates a masculine plural imperative.

náŋifi – language

ŋasipú ŋásiup – their own

áfsuax – to share

íxpuun – generic future temporal adverb

aŋsiix – negative adverb

níxiip – conversations

ŋasiúp ŋásiup – see above


11:8 úkmisi atkamí múfanu kamápu ŋásiup kanauf kánafa kanafú kámanu maníŋa. atkáfa atkamí aŋsixí múfaxa kuŋáti.

The sky bretwalda scattered them from the place across the earth. The city was not finished.

úkmisi – to scatter

atkamí – generic past temporal adverb

múfanu kamápu - God

ŋásiup – subject of sentence

kanauf – at; preposition modifying ŋásiup

kánafa – place; object of the preposition

kanafú – at; preposition modifying kánafa;

kámanu maníŋa – “the whole world” - object of the prepostion; note that the entire notions of “from” and “to” are contained in the verb “to scatter” rather than the prepositions

atkáfa - to finish; CVCV'CV indicates a masculine singular passive verb

atkamí – generic past temporal adverb

aŋsixí – negative adverb

múfaxa kuŋáti – city; subject of sentence.

11:9 utŋáfi atkamí anŋipí Papínu. áŋfinu atkamí aknafá múfanu kamápu náŋifi kamanú kámanu maníŋa. úkmisi atkamí múfanu kamápu ŋásiup kanauf kánafa kanafú níxixa kamanú kámanu maníŋa.

It was named Babel for this reason. There the sky bretwalda confused the language of the whole earth. The sky bretwalda scattered them from there upon the face of the whole earth.

utŋáfi – to name; VCCV'CV indicates a passive verb

atkamí – generic past temporal adverb

anŋipí – adverb “by this logic”

Papínu – Babel (loanword); subject of sentence

áŋfinu – to (be) vague

atkamí – see above

aknafá – there (adverb)

múfanu kamápu - God

náŋifi - language

kamanú – genitive prepositional construct

kámanu maníŋa - “the whole earth”

úkmisi – to scatter

atkamí – see above

múfanu kamápu – see above; subject of sentence

ŋásiup – they; direct object of sentence

kanauf – at; modifies ŋásiup

kánafa – place; object of preposition

kanafú – at; modifies kánafa

níxixa – face; this time the first preposition involves motion, the second does not

kamanú – genitive prepositional construct

kámanu maníŋa - “the whole world”