Appendix B: Shemspreg Texts

A Sheep and Horses

owi echwoskwe

ne wilna-wesent owi eskwi echwosom: sos gwer wezho-, sos mej gem-deukentom; soskwe oochu shem-ferentom. owi wekwes echwosom: me cherd es gwer shemos echwo-ajent sekwent. echwos spreges: chleu owi! cherdes es gwer seskwent shemos, potis, apo owis wilnam khwer westro-werjentom, adkwe owim ne es wilna. chechlunt owi weuri en arum.

A Sheep and Horses

A sheep without wool saw horses: one pulling a heavy wagon, one a large load, and one bearing a human quickly. The sheep said to the horses: “My heart is heavy, seeing the human driving horses.” The horses said: “Listen, sheep! Our hearts are heavy having seen the human, the master, making warm clothing from sheep’s wool, and the sheep has no wool.” Hearing this, the sheep turned away into the field.

owi echwoskwe

owi	echwo	-s	=kwe
sheep	horse	-PL	=and

A Sheep and Horses

ne wilna-wesent owi eskwi echwosom:

ne	wilna-	wes	-ent	owi	e-	skw	-i	echwo	-s	-om
not	wool-	wear	-PTC	sheep	IMPF-	see:0	PAST	horse	-PL	-OBL

A sheep without wool saw horses:

sos gwer wezho-, sos mej gem-deukentom;

so	-s	gwer	wezho-	so	-s	mej	gem-	deuk	-ent	-om
3s	-GEN	heavy	wagon-	3s	-GEN	large	load-	pull	-PTC	-OBL

one pulling a heavy wagon, one a large load,

soskwe oochu shem-ferentom.

so	-s	=kwe	oochu	shem-	fer	-ent	-om
3s	-GEN	=and	quickly	human-	bear	-PTC	-OBL

and one bearing a human quickly.

owi wekwes echwosom:

owi	wekw	-es	echwo	-s	-om
sheep	speak	-PRES	horse	-PL	-OBL

The sheep said to the horses:

me cherd es gwer shemos echwo-ajent sekwent.

me	cherd	es	gwer	shem	-os	echwo-	aj	-ent	sekw	-ent
1s:GEN	heart	be:PRES	heavy	human	-GEN	horse-	drive	-PTC	see	-PTC

“My heart is heavy, seeing the human driving horses.”

echwos spreges:

echwo	-s	spreg	-es
horse	-PL	speak	-PRES

The horses said:

chleu owi!

chleu	owi!
hear:IMP	sheep

“Listen, sheep!

cherdes es gwer seskwent shemos, potis,

cherd	-es	es	gwer	se-	skw	-ent	shem	-os	poti	-s
heart	-PL	be:PRES	heavy	PERF-	see:0	-PTC	human	-GEN	master	-GEN

Our hearts are heavy having seen

apo owis wilnam khwer westro-werjentom,

apo	owi	-s	wilna	-m	khwer	westro-	werj	-ent	-om
from	sheep	-GEN	wool	-OBL	warm	clothing	make	-PTC	-OBL

the human, the master, making warm clothing from sheep’s wool,

adkwe owim ne es wilna.

ad	=kwe	owi	-m	ne	es	wilna
to	=and	sheep	-OBL	not	be:PRES	wool

and the sheep has no wool.”

chechlunt owi weuri en arum.

che-	chlu	-nt	owi	we-	wr	-i	en	aru	-m
PERF-	hear:0	-PTC	sheep	PERF-	turn.away:0	-PAST	in	field	-OBL

Hearing this, the sheep turned away into the field.

Small Light Shining

thévu léuk déyent

émlai sóyo’s thévu léuk déyent

kwim sékwes wé ne;

thé swe, thé swe.

émlai sóyo’s árjint khélsh méldent

kwim áwes wé ne;

stáa swe, stáa swe.

émlai sóyo’s ánju árdi púros

en chérdom égnint;

wér som wéskwe.

Small Light Shining

They say there’s a small light shining

that we don’t see;

be prepared, be prepared.

They say there’s a silver bell ringing

that we don’t hear;

stand up, stand up.

They say there’s a pinpoint of flame

burning in the heart;

heed it and live.

thévu léuk déyent

thevu	leuk	dei	-ent
small	light	shine	-PTC

Small Light Shining

émlai sóyo’s thévu léuk déyent

e-	ml	-a	-i	so	=yo	es	thevu	leuk	dei	-ent
IMPF-	say:0	-PASS	-PAST	3s:NOM	SUB	be:PRE	small	light	shine	-PTC

They say there’s a small light shining

kwim sékwes wé ne;

kwi	-m	sekw	-es	we	ne
REL	-OBL	see	-PRES	1p:NOM	not

that we don’t see;

thé swe, thé swe.

the	swe	the	swe
place:IMP	REFL	place:IMP	REFL

be prepared, be prepared.

émlai sóyo’s árjint khélsh méldent

e-	ml	-a	-i	so	=yo	es	arjint	khelsh	mel	-ent
IMPF-	say:0	-PASS	-PAST	3s:NOM	SUB	be:PRE	silver	bell	sound	-PTC

They say there’s a silver bell ringing

kwim áwes wé ne;

kwi	-m	au	-es	we	ne
REL	-OBL	perceive	-PRES	1p:NOM	not

that we don’t hear;

stáa swe, stáa swe.

staa	swe	staa	swe
stand:IMP	REFL	stand:IMP	REFL

stand up, stand up.

émlai sóyo’s ánju árdi púros

e-	ml	-a	-i	so	=yo	es	anju	ardi	pur	-os
IMPF-	say:0	-PASS	-PAST	3s:NOM	SUB	be:PRES	narrow	point	fire	-GEN

They say there’s a pinpoint of flame

en chérdom égnint;

en	cherd	-om	egni	-nt
in	heart	-OBL	burn	-PTC

burning in the heart;

wér som wéskwe.

wer	so	-m	wes	=kwe
pay.attention:IMP	3s	-OBL	become.animate	=and

heed it and live.

The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11: 1-9)

babas fersh

1 ad plino dezhomom esi oino dinju oinokwe spreg. 2 esikwe, toyo eyai apo ausom, toyo weuri pelitom en shinaros khertom; tokwe eusi cha. 3 tokwe emli oi ad alyo, gwem! so somes toyo kweres fog-achmo euskwe tom pilne. sokwe es fog-achmo enstel achmom, sokwe es sleeto enstel leyom. 4 tokwe emli, gwem! so somes toyo demes polim fershomkwe, kwis ardi antenes ad deyeum; so somes toyo thes tos nomenom, geye we ambistrewas an dezhomos pelitom. 5 potikwe nigwegumi sokwe seskwi polim ferzhomkwe kwim shemesos tekes edmi. 6 potikwe emli seku! shemia es oino, adkwe potes oino dinju; tokwe eres im: nukwe so ne somes, eyo apomiras apo tom, kwim to memni toyo kweres. 7 gwem! so somes weyo niyei chakwe semwers tos dinjum, soyo ne potes toyo semthes oi ad alyos spregent. 8 potikwe ambistetrui tom an dezhomos pelitom: tokwe nistatai polidement. 9 pro som nomenswe melas baba; ge poti semweursi cha plino dezhomos dinju: apokwe so stelom ambistetrui poti tom an dezhomos pelitom.

The Tower of Babel

1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3 And they said to one another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. 4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

0. baba -s fersh
babble -GEN tower

1. ad plino dezhom -om e- s -i oino dinju
to whole earth -OBL IMPF- be:0 -PAST one language

2. oino =kwe spreg
one =and speech

3. e- s -i =kwe 
IMPF- be:0 -PAST =and

4. to =yo e- ya -i apo aus -om
3p:NOM =SUB IMPF- journey:0 -PAST from east -OBL

5. to =yo we- wr -i pelit -om en shinar -os kherto -m
3p:NOM =SUB PERF- find:0 -PAST plain -OBL in Shinar -GEN land -OBL

6. to =kwe e- ws -i cha
3p:NOM =and IMPF- dwell -PAST there

7. to =kwe e- ml -i oi ad alyo gwem
3p:NOM =and IMPF- say:0 -PAST one to other come:IMP

8. so som -es to =yo kwer -es fog + achmo
3s:NOM should -PRES 3p:NOM =SUB create -PRES bake + stone

9. eus =kwe to -m pilne
burn:IMP =and 3p -OBL fully

10. so =kwe es fog + achmo enstel achmo -m 
3s:NOM =and be:PRES bake + stone in.place.of stone -OBL

11. so =kwe es slee -to enstel lei -om
3s:NOM =and be:PRES slimy -NML in.place.of mortar -OBL

12. to =kwe e- ml -i gwem
3p:NOM =and IMPF- say:0 -PAST come:IMP

13. so som -es to =yo dem -es
3s:NOM should -PRES 3p:NOM =SUB build -PRES

14. poli -m fersh -om =kwe
city -OBL tower -OBL =and

15. kwi -s ardi an- ten -es ad deyeu -m
REL -GEN point towards- stretch -PRES to heaven -OBL

16. so som -es to =yo the -s to -s nomen -om
3s:NOM should -PRES 3p:NOM =SUB place -PRES 3p -GEN name -OBL

17. ge =ye we ambi- streu -a -s
because =if 1p:NOM around- scatter -PASS -PRES

18. an dezhom -os pelit -om
on earth -GEN flat -OBL

19. poti =kwe ni- gwe- gum -i
master =and down- PERF- come:0 -PAST

20. so =kwe se- skw -i poli -m ferzh -om =kwe
3s:NOM =and PERF- see:0 -PAST city -OBL tower -OBL =and

21. kwi -m shem -es -os tek -es e- dm -i
REL -OBL person -PL -GEN child -PL IMPF- build:0 -PAST

22. poti =kwe e- ml -i seku shem -ia es oino
master =and PERF- say:0 -PAST see:IMP person -COLL be:PRES one

23. ad =kwe to -m es oino dinju
to =and 3p -OBL be:PRES one language

24. to =kwe er -es im
3p:NOM =and begin -PRES this:OBL

25. nu =kwe so ne pot -es
now =and 3s:NOM not possible -PRES

26. e =yo apo- mir -a -s apo to -m
anything =SUB from- hold -PASS -PRES from 3p -OBL

27. kwi -m to me- mn -i to =yo kwer -es
REL -OBL 3p:NOM PERF- think:0 -PAST 3p =SUB create -PRES

28. gwem so som -es we =yo ni- ei 
come:IMP 3s:NOM should -PRES 1p:NOM =SUB down- go:IMP

29. cha =kwe sem- wers to -s dinju -m
there =and together- pour:IMP 3p -GEN language -OBL

30. so =yo ne pot -es to =yo sem- the -s
3s:NOM =SUB not possible -PRES 3p:NOM =SUB together- put -PRES

31. oi ad alyo -s spreg -ent
one to other -GEN speak -PTC

32. poti =kwe ambi- ste- tru -i to -m
master =and around- PERF- scatter:0 -PAST 3p -OBL

33. an dezhom -os pelit -om
on earth -GEN flat -OBL

34. to =kwe ni- sta- ta -i poli- dem -ent
3p:NOM =and down- PERF- stand:0 -PAST city- build -PTC

35. pro so -m nomen -swe mel -a -s baba
for 3s -OBL name -REFL say -PASS -PRES babble

36. ge poti sem- we- wrs -i cha
because master together- PERF- scatter:0 -PAST there

37. plino dezhom -os dinju
all earth -GEN language

38. apo =kwe so stel -om ambi- ste- tru -i poti
from =and that place -OBL around- PERF- scatter:0 -PAST master

39. to -m an dezhom -os pelit -om
3p -OBL on earth -GEN flat -OBL

Index

1. Introduction to Shemspreg
2. Shemspreg sounds
3. Shemspreg nouns
4. Shemspreg pronouns and other particles
5. Shemspreg verbs
6. Shemspreg adjectives
7. Shemspreg sentences

• Proto-Indo-European to Shemspreg
• Shemspreg texts
• Glossary of grammatical terms
• Shemspreg-English Lexicon