Senjecas - Book I, Chapter 14

Pronunciation table

peműko (labial)								riisűko (dental)								muitűko (alveolar)								vainűko (palatal)							ṡ̨uuše̋nos (vowels)								nı̋þo ṡ̨uuše̋nos (weak vowels)
p	b	f	v	m̃	m			t	d	þ	ð	ɫ	l			ṡ	ż	s	z	r	n			k	g	x	ƣ	h	ȝ			š	s̨			i	e	a	ǫ	o	u			ĭ	ĕ	ŭ
/p/	/b/	/ɸ/	/β/	/m̥/	/m/			/t/	/d/	/θ/	/ð/	/l̥/	/l/			/ʦ/	/ʣ/	/s/	/z/	/ɾ̥/	/n/			/k/	/g/	/ç/	/ʝ/	/j̊/	/j/			/sʷ/	/sʲ/			/i/	/e/	/ä/	/ɒ/	/o/	/u/			/ɪ/	/ɛ/	/ʊ/

Glossing abbreviations

1s/p = 1st person singular/plural	ABL = ablative suffix	COL = collective	F = feminine	INT = intensive prefix	PRV = privative prefix	SUP = supine
2s/p = 2nd person singular/plural	ABS = absolutive (an unmarked modifying adjective)	DES = desiderative	FRQ = frequentative	LAT = lative suffix	PST = past	TRZ = transitivizer
3 = 3rd person	ADV = adverb	DIM = diminutive	FUT = future	LOC = locative suffix	REV = reversive	VOC = vocative particle
A(.s/p) = accusative (singular/plural)	AG = agent	ELIS = elision	IMP = imperative	M = masculine	Q = interrogative particle
G(.s/p) = genitive (singular/plural)	AP = agent (active) participle	ELT = elative	INC = inchoative	OCC = occupation suffix	QUOT = direct quotation
N(.s/p) = nominative (singular/plural)	AUG = augmentative	EP = epenthesis	IND = indicative	PP = patient (past) participle	RPR = recent perfective
V(.s/p) = vocative (singular/plural)	CAUS = causative	EQU = equative degree	INS = instrument	PRF = perfect	SBJ = subjunctive

Text

atősk̬e m̃aka̋sk̬e lűvo – Tao Te Ching

The Book of the Way and the Power

Ursula K. LeGuin kía ange̋lo tarne̋xaþo

English Translation by Ursula K. LeGuin

Chapter Fourteen – foo na̋a̋lto þı̋ro

• English Text
• Senjecan Translation

Gloss

• Look at it: nothing to see. Call it colorless.
• éȝom nooe̋ȝa. néom na̋ku. fĭte̋e̋ro éȝom feete̋ȝa:

éȝ-om	noo-e̋ȝa	né-om	na̋k-u	fĭ~te̋e̋ro-Ø	éȝ-om	feet-e̋ȝa
3-A.s	look.at-SBJ	nothing-A.s	see-SUP	PRV~color-ABS	3-A.s	call-SBJ

• Listen to it: nothing to hear. Call it soundless.
• éȝom aam̃e̋ȝa. néom ve̋nu. fĭše̋no éȝom feete̋ȝa:

éȝ-om	aam̃-e̋ȝa	né-om	ve̋n-u	fĭ~še̋no-Ø	éȝ-om	feet-e̋ȝa
3-A.s	listen.to-SBJ	nothing-A.s	hear-SUP	PRV~sound-ABS	3-A.s	call-SBJ

• Reach for it: nothing to hold. Call it intangible.
• éȝom neke̋ȝa. néom ðe̋ru. fŭpűd̨o éȝom feete̋ȝa:

éȝ-om	nek-e̋ȝa	né-om	ðe̋r-u	fŭ~pűd̨o-Ø	éȝ-om	feet-e̋ȝa
3-A.s	listen.to-SBJ	nothing-A.s	hear-SUP	PRV~sound-ABS	3-A.s	call-SBJ

• Triply undifferentiated, it merges into oneness, not bright above, not dark below.
• tirgáámvi goȝı̋d̨aþo. dı̋ı̋o úfvi ne. re̋e̋mo nérvi ne. þunta̋s éna ka̋þa:

tir.gáám=vi	goȝ-ı̋d̨-a-þ-o	dı̋ı̋-o	úf=vi	ne	re̋e̋m-o	nér=vi	ne	þunt-a̋s	éna	ka̋þ-a
three.fold=ADV	different-TRZ-IN-PP-N.s	bright-N.s	above=ADV	not	dark-N.s	below=ADV	not	first-G.s	into	merge-IND

• Never, oh! never can it be named. It reverts, it returns to unbeing.
• neténu. fe̋e̋taþo ı̋lu ma̋ƣa neténu: na̋a̋na. ale̋su do ke̋ra:

neténu	fe̋e̋t-a-þ-o	ı̋l-u	ma̋ƣ-a	neténu	na̋a̋n-a	al=e̋s-u	do	ke̋r-a
never	name-IND-PP-N.s	become-SUP	be.able-IND	never	revert-IND	PRV=be-SUP	to	return-IND

• Call it the form of the unformed, the image of no image.
• éȝom alzinős zı̋nom. ne̋o eimős e̋imo feete̋ȝa:

éȝ-om	al~zin-ős	zı̋n-om	ne̋o-Ø	eim-ős	e̋im-o	feet-e̋ȝa
3-A.s	PRV~form-G.s	form-A.s	no-ABS	image-G.s	image-N.s	name-SBJ

• Call it unthinkable thought. Face it: no face. Follow it: no end.
• éȝom alpűűþ̨o pűűþom feete̋ȝa: éȝom þoose̋ȝa. ne̋o mőőro. éȝom dage̋ȝa. ne̋o műgo:

éȝ-om	al=pűűþ̨o-Ø	pűűþ-om	feet-e̋ȝa	éȝ-om	þoos-e̋ȝa	ne̋o-Ø	mőőr-o	éȝ-om	dag-e̋ȝa	ne̋o-Ø	műg-o
3-A.s	PRV=think-ABS	thought-A.s	name-SBJ	3-A.s	face-SBJ	no-ABS	face-N.s	3-A.s	follow-SBJ	no-ABS	end-N.s

• Holding fast to the old Way, we can live in the present.
• se̋na a̋tam se̋e̋pantus. m̃us nixra̋s éna ǧı̋ı̋u ma̋ƣa:

se̋na-Ø	a̋t-am	se̋e̋p-a-nt-u	m̃-us	nixr-a̋s	éna	ǧı̋ı̋-u	ma̋ƣ-a
old-ABS	way-A.s	hold.fast-IND-AP-ABS	1p=N	present-G.s	in	live-SUP	be.able-IND

• Mindful of the ancient beginnings, we hold the thread of the Tao.
• se̋na toðra̋m żűűmru. m̃us ata̋s nűűlom ƣe̋va⁝

se̋na-Ø	toðr-a̋m	żűűmru-Ø	m̃-us	at-a̋s	nűűl-om	ƣe̋v-a
ancient-ABS	beginning-G.p	mindful-ABS	1p-N	way-G.s	thread-A.s	hold-IND