Conlang Relay 12/Calénnawn

Details for the Calénnawn text of Conlang Relay 12.

The Text

Zévo órmulxo óhucsìnu-qi.

O re-gíxe$e bánxa be qúmpatme itt "Stu múla-qoy!1"

O tawvágu$e bánxa be qúmpatme itt "Réfno, áymo-qoy!1 Stu astóri-benco!1 Épanaleya so sten uráronur iw lúdi. Sónnti orgre astórivra."

O re-gíxe$e bánxa be qúmpatme itt "Stu múla-qoy!1"

O sten$e bánxa be qúmpatme itt "Épanaleya zévo rofíltu."

O re-gíxe$e qúmpatme itt "Ay!2"

O réfni$e qúmpatme itt "Qo?3"

O tawvágu$e bánxa be qúmpatme itt "Stu hi búhu-qoy. Áymo-benco!1 Áymo-qoy!1"

O re-gíxe$e bánxa be qúmpatme itt "Stu múla-qoy!1"

O sten$e bánxa be qúmpatme itt "Ílmon losówp-benco pélo byu ðálbo-qoy."

O réfni$e gárpu be qúmpatme itt "Fa$e qúmpatme!2"

O sten$e bánxa be qúmpatme itt "Iw re-ganúno, hi lúxci-qoy s-nalástuxo sum e pélo 'Cúnucs' pso-zóro fa ópalc."

O réfni$e bánxa be qúmpatme itt "Qo séffiðes?1 El or nalétuvra f-óttu móri."

O tawvágu$e bánxa be qúmpatme itt "Émafo qod-gáwna s-heðérro."

O sten$e bánxa be qúmpatme itt "El orgla áduxavran fáygann égla úceyl sno Pétergla dópi iw nalástuxo. Épalemo se hínnod s-nalétuxo pey sófa égla hi nalétu f-ttizáfe."

O re-gíxe$e bánxa be qúmpatme itt "Stu hi túggat-dal glaz sínu bórmo zizawpósse níñciv."

O sten$e bánxa be qúmpatme itt "Épalemo sen úrmed fh tar óttu pélo or sotáwvra$ úggu-úmper xo el."

O re-gíxe$e bánxa be qúmpatme itt "Stu múla-qoy!1"

$e zelétt dull o gréra awn itt "O sten bánxa be qúmpatme itt 'Ze$e úyfin lúxcixo.'"

Interlinear

  Zévo órmulxo óhucsìnu-qi.
  This tale    marvel-like-very.

  O       re-gíxe$e       bánxa be  qúmpatme itt   "Stu       múla-qoy!1"
  ART.NOM FEM-priest-PAST spoke and said     QUOTE "2SG.DEONT hope-IMP"

  O       tawvágu$e    bánxa be  qúmpatme itt   "Réfno,     áymo-qoy!1 
  ART.NOM midwife-PAST spoke and said     QUOTE "Woman-VOC, push-IMP! 
  
  Stu       astóri-benco!1
  2SG.DEONT give_birth-need!

  Épanaleya so      sten uráronur iw lúdi.    Sónnti    orgre 
  1SG-see   ART.ACC baby with     my eyes-PL. 2SG.EPIST PERF.IMM_FUT 
  
  astórivra.
  give_birth.PERF.

  O       re-gíxe$e       bánxa be  qúmpatme itt   "Stu       múla-qoy!1"
  ART.NOM FEM-priest-PAST spoke and said     QUOTE "2SG.DEONT hope-IMP"

  O       sten$e    bánxa be  qúmpatme itt   "Épanaleya zévo rofíltu."
  ART.NOM baby-PAST spoke and said     QUOTE "1SG-see   this world."

  O       re-gíxe$e       qúmpatme itt   "Ay!2"
  ART.NOM FEM-priest-PAST said     QUOTE "Huh?"

  O       réfni$se   qúmpatme itt   "Qo?3"
  ART.NOM woman-PAST said     QUOTE "What?"

  O       tawvágu$e    bánxa be  qúmpatme itt   "Stu       hi  búhu-qoy. 
  ART.NOM midwife-PAST spoke and said     QUOTE "2SG.DEONT not fear-IMP. 
  
  Áymo-benco!1 Áymo-qoy!1"
  Push-need!   Push-IMP!"

  O       re-gíxe$e       bánxa be  qúmpatme itt   "Stu múla-qoy!1"
  ART.NOM FEM-priest-PAST spoke and said     QUOTE "2SG.DEONT hope-IMP"

  O       sten$e    bánxa be  qúmpatme itt   "Ílmon     losówp-benco pélo byu 
  ART.NOM baby-PAST spoke and said     QUOTE "1SG.DEONT have-blanket-need and 
  
  ðálbo-qoy."
  3SG.DEONT thick-SBJNC."

  O       réfni$e    gárpu   be  qúmpatme itt   "Fa$e     qúmpatme!2"
  ART.NOM woman-PAST shouted and said     QUOTE "3SG-PAST spoke!"

  O       sten$e    bánxa be  qúmpatme itt   "Iw re-ganúno,
  ART.NOM baby-PAST spoke and said     QUOTE "My FEM-parent,
  
  hi  lúxci-qoy s-nalástuxo  sum e       pélo  'Cúnucs' pso-zóro 
  not give-IMP  ART.ACC-name to  1SG.NOM CNJNC 'Cunucs' because-of-fact_that 
  
  fa  ópalc."
  3SG ordinary."

  O       réfni$e    bánxa be  qúmpatme itt   "Qo   séffiðes?1   El  or 
  ART.NOM woman-PAST spoke and said     QUOTE "What happen-CONT? 1SG PERF 
  
  nalétuvra  f-óttu   móri."
  drink-PERF ART.MASS.ACC-wine too_much."

  O       tawvágu$e    bánxa be  qúmpatme itt   "Émafo   qod-gáwna 
  ART.NOM midwife-PAST spoke and said     QUOTE "1SG-now cut-can 
  
  s-heðérro."
  ART.ACC-umbilical_cord."

  O       sten$e    bánxa be  qúmpatme itt   "El  orgla    áduxavran fáygann 
  ART.NOM baby-PAST spoke and said     QUOTE "1SG PERF-FUT die<PERF> when 
  
  égla    úceyl            sno Pétergla  dópi  iw nalástuxo. Épalemo 
  1SG-FUT military_general and Peter-FUT honor my name.      1SG-need 
  
  se            hínnod  s-nalétuxo        pey sófa égla    hi  nalétu 
  ART.INDEF.ACC monster ART.DEF.ACC-drink and but  1SG-FUT not drink 
  
  f-ttizáfe."
  ART.MASS.ACC-milk."

  O       re-gíxe$e       bánxa be  qúmpatme itt   "Stu       hi  túggat-dal 
  ART.NOM FEM-priest-PAST spoke and said     QUOTE "2SG.DEONT not flop-should 
  
  glaz  sínu                 bórmo zizawpósse níñciv."
  about like [ART.INDEF.NOM] fish  on         dock."

  O       sten$e    bánxa be  qúmpatme itt   "Épalemo  sen           úrmed
  ART.NOM baby-PAST spoke and said     QUOTE "1SG-need ART.INDEF.ACC cup 
  
  fh           tar óttu pélo  or   sotáwvra$   úggu-úmper   xo  el."
  ART.MASS.ACC of  wine CNJNC PERF ripen<PERF> month-during ten two."

  O   re-gíxe$e       bánxa be  qúmpatme itt   "Stu       múla-qoy!1"
  The FEM-priest-PAST spoke and said     QUOTE "You.DEONT hope-IMP"

  $e   zelétt dull o       gréra awn itt   "O       sten bánxa be  qúmpatme 
  PAST write  on   ART.NOM next  day QUOTE "ART.NOM baby spoke and said 
  
  itt   'Ze$e      úyfin  lúxcixo.'"
  QUOTE 'This-PAST sacred gift.'"

Abbreviations used

1SG    first person singular
2SG    second person singular
3SG    third person singular
ACC    accusative
ART    article
CNJNC  conjunction
CONT   continuitive aspect
DEONT  deontic
EPIST  epistemic
FEM    female
FUT    future tense
IMP    imperative
MASS   mass, uncountable
NOM    nominative
PAST   past tense
PERF   perfective aspect
PRES   present tense
QUOTE  particle introducing quote
SBJNC  subjunctive
VOC    vocative

Vocabulary

áduxan    verb      to die
astóri    verb      to give birth
awn       noun      day
ay        interj.   (exclamation indicating surprize)
áymo      verb      to push
bánxa     verb      to speak (to someone)
be        conj      and (see note (11))
-benco    suffix    need to (see note (5))
bórmo     noun      fish
búhu      verb      to fear
byu       pron      he/she/it (3SG, nominative, deontic)
Cúnucs    name      (foreign name)
-dal      suffix    should
din       verb      to have beneficial effect for
dínnur    prep      for, in behalf of, having a beneficial effect for
dópi      verb      to honor
drámor    prep      with
dull      prep      on (time)
ðálbo     adj       thick
e-        proclitic I (1SG, nominative, epistemic)
e(l)      pron      I (1SG, nominative, epistemic)
el        numeral   two (see note (20))
en        pron      me (1SG, accusative)
-(e)s     suffix    (continuitive aspect)
f-        proclitic the, a (accusative, uncountable)
fa        pron      he/she/it (3SG, nominative, epistemic)
fáygann   conj      when (see note (15))
fésni     verb      to eat
fh /f@/   art       the, a (accusative, uncountable)
ganúni    noun      parent
gárpu     verb      to scream, to yell
gáwna     verb      to be able
gíxe      noun      priest
gla       adv       (or enclitic, see note (10): tense: future)
glaz      adv       around, about
gre       adv       (or enclitic, see note (10): tense: immediate future)
gréra     adj       next (in time)
h  /@/    art       the, a (nominative, uncountable)
heðérro   noun      umbilical cord
hi        adv       not
hínnod    noun      monster
hn /@n/   art       the, a (nominative, uncountable)
ílmon     pron      I (1SG, nominative, deontic)
itt       prep      (introduces quotation)
iw        poss.pron my
lo-       prefix    to have (see note (8))
lúda      noun      eye (see note (7))
lúxci     verb      to give sth.
máfo      adv       now (or enclitic, see note (10): tense: present)
móri      numeral   too much (mass numeral) (see note (13))
múla      verb      to hope
nalástuxo noun      name
nalétu    verb      to drink sth.
níñciv    noun      dock
-nur      suffix    (gerund as preposition, see note (6))
o         art       the (nominative, definite, countable)
óhuc      noun      marvel
ópalc     adj       ordinary, common
or        adv       ("or .. -vra": perfective aspect) (see note (14))
órmul     verb      to tell, narrate (see note (17))
óttu      noun      wine
palémo    verb      to need sth.
panaléya  verb      to see
pélo      conj      and (see note (9))
Péter     name      (proper name)
pey       conj      and, also (see note (16))
pso       prep      because of
-qi       suffix    very
qo        pron      what
qod       verb      to cut
qoy       verb      to do (as enclitic: imperative or subjunctive, see note (3))
qúmpatme  verb      to say sth.
re-       prefix    female
réfni     noun      woman (see note (4))
rofíltu   noun      world
s-        proclitic the (accusative, definite, countable)
se(n)     art       a (indefinite, accusative, countable)
séffið    verb      to happen, to occur
sínu      prep      like
-sìnu     suffix    -like (converts noun to adj)
so        art       the (accusative, definite, countable)
sófa      conj      but
sónnti    pron      you (2SG, nominative, epistemic)
sotáw$    verb      to ripen
sówp      noun      blanket
sten      noun      baby
stu       pron      you (2SG, nominative, deontic)
sum       prep      (when used with lúxci:) to
$e        adv       (often used as enclitic, see note (10): tense: past)
tar       prep      (amount: see note (19))
tawvágu   noun      midwife
ttizáfe   noun      milk
túggat    verb      to flop
úceyl     noun      military general
úggu      noun      month
-úmper    prep      during (enclitic)
uráro     verb      to use
Úrða      noun      Earth
úrmed     noun      cup, beaker
úyfin     adj       sacred, holy
-vra      suffix    ("or .. -vra": perfective aspect) (see note (14))
xo        numeral   ten (see note (20))
-xo       suffix    (converts verb to noun, see note (17))
zawpósse  prep      on, on top of
ze        pron      this (3SG)
zévo      adj       this
zelétt    verb      to write
zi-       prefix    (see note (18))
zóro      conj      the fact that (see note (12)) 

Interpunction

!1        used for commands etc.
!2        used for exclamations belonging to an emotional reaction
?1        informing question
?3        question intended to verify the speaker's own knowledge

Pronunciation of the sounds occurring in proper names

|p|       /p/
|e|       /e/
|t|       /t/
|r|       /R\/
|c|       /k/
|u|       /u/
|n|       /n/
|s|       /s/ 

Grammar

Introduction

Calénnawn is a pro-drop language with SVO word order. Pronouns may be elided. Adjectives precede the nouns, but can also occur standalone (e.g. the big [one]). In compound words, the first part is the modifying part. Absence of an article in the nominative indicates indefiniteness. All prepositions govern the nominative. There is no copula "to be": the noun or adjective may be used as predicate directly.

Grammar notes

   The dollar sign is an alternative spelling for s-caron for non-UTF-8
   environments. These represent the same letter (/S/).

   Acute and grave accents denote primary and (in compounds) secondary
   stress, respectively. The letters a, á and à are not fundamentally
   different, since the stress can shift when words are combined into
   compound words.

   The imperative and subjunctive are both formed by suffixing the
   verb with "-qoy". The imperative then requires the subject to
   be epistemic, the subjunctive requires a deontic subject:
   Sónnti panaléya-qoy!        See!
   Stu panaléya-qoy.           May you see.

   The vocative singular is formed by adding an "-o" suffix, replacing
   any final vowel:
   Tawvágo!                    Midwife!

   The expression "need to <verb>" is expressed by the suffix "-benco"
   on the verb and forces a deontic subject:
   Stu bánxa-benco.            You need to speak.

   "-nur" forms the gerund of a verb.
   
   If the verb is transitive, the gerund can be followed by its direct
   object; however, the gerund is then considered a preposition,
   therefore its object takes the nominative.
   
   If the gerund is used standalone, then it functions as an adverb.
   
   Examples:
   
   Sónnti din en.              You have_a_beneficial_effect_on me.
   Sónnti bánxa dínnur e.      You speak for(benefactive) me.
   Sónnti bánxa dínnur.        You speak, having_a_benificial_effect.

   The plural forms are formed by replacing the last vowel in a word
   with |i|:
   lúda - lúdi                 eye - eyes
   sten - stin                 baby - babies

   The prefix "lo-" is used to create verbs expressing arbitrary rela-
   tions ("to have"). The formed verb is transitive, and its object
   can be used to specify who or what fulfills the indicated role.
   Sónnti loóttu.              You have_got_wine.
   Sónnti lorofíltu Úrða.      I have_for_world Earth.
                               (i.e. Earth is my world).

   "pélo" is a conjunction that indicates that the object of the
   first sentence is identical to the subject of the second sentence.

   Tense is indicated by the particles "$e" (past), "máfo" (present),
   "gla" (future), or "gre" (immediate future), which are
   often used as an enclitic on the subject or on the particle "or".
   They are never used on the verb.

   "be" is a conjunction that indicates that the subject of the first
   sentence is identical to the subject of the second sentence.
   Sometimes this constitutes a fixed expression, e.g.:
   X bánxa Y be qúmpatme Z      X says Z to Y

   "zóro" is a conjunction that is always compounded with a
   preposition.  It indicates that the prepositional object of the
   first sentence is identical to the _fact_ described by the second
   sentence.

   Numerals are placed after the noun they modify.

   The perfective aspect suffix "-vra" is used as an infix if the
   verb ends in a consonant:
   El or qovrad.              I have cut.

   The conjunction "fáygann" is translated as follows:
   X fáygann Y.               when X, Y.

   The conjunction "pey", in the meaning "and", follows the two noun
   phrases (postfix notation):
   hn óttu h ttizáfe pey       wine and milk

   "-xo" creates nouns which can function as object of the verb:
   órmul - órmulxo            to narrate - a narration

   "zi" indicates that the next prepositional phrase is not attached
   to the entire sentence, but to the previous noun phrase instead:
   Éfesni fh bórmo zidrámor h baranúya.     I eat fish with bread.
   Éfesni fh bórmo drámor Bóbo.             I eat fish with Bobo.

   "tar" indicates an amount/quantity. Its position may be "crossed
   over" with the article of the following noun phrase:
   úrmed h tar ttizáfe        a cup of milk
   As direct object, both noun phrases are put in the accusative.

   Counting in Calénnawn is base-6.
   xo el              twelve
   élxo               twenty

Smooth translation

This is a very marvelous story.

The priestess said, "May you hope!"

The midwife said, "Woman, push! You need to give birth! I see the baby with my eyes. You will soon complete giving birth."

The priestess said, "May you hope!"

The baby said, "I see this world."

The priestess said, "Huh?"

The woman said, "What?"

The midwife said, "You should not fear. You need to push. Push!"

The priestess said, "May you hope!"

The baby said, "I need a blanket and it should be thick."

The woman shouted, "He spoke!"

The baby said, "My mother, do not give me a name like 'Cunux' because that one is ordinary."

The woman said, "What is happening? I drank too much wine."

The midwife said, "I can now cut the umbilical cord."

The baby said, "When I will die, I will be a military general and Peter will honor my name. I need a monster and the drink, but I will not drink milk."

The priestess said, "You should not flop about like a fish on a dock."

The baby said, "I need a cup of wine that has ripened for eight months."

The priestess said, "May you hope!"

They wrote on the next day, "The baby said, 'This was a sacred gift.'"

Back to Conlang Relay 12

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