Senjecas Proverbs

Pronunciation table

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/

Proverbs (saasȝe̋kos)

I. The person

• As the tree, so the fruit.
• épi ha̋usi. épi ma̋a̋lo:

• The acorn falls close to the oak.
• me̋ðto pe̋rk̬om ȝóba főőla:

II. Qualities

• The lion is known by his claws.
• bı̋ı̋r' eȝe-vakőm ha sa̋a̋raþe ı̋la:

III. Society

• Six peoples, six sets of customs.
• sa̋a̋d le̋uðus. sa̋a̋d gűras:

IV. Life

• A living dog is better than a dead lion.
• ǧı̋ı̋e tűre ne̋ṡe bįre̋' sóma vĭva̋de e̋sa:

V. Senses

• He who listens at the door will hear bad things about himself.
• ðurőm ȝóba a̋a̋m̃antu eȝu-míu sépa e̋kon u-ve̋na:

VI. Feelings

• A variety of spices enhances the stew.
• basmőm kaþı̋ȝo dűƣom me̋m̃a:

VII. Understanding

• The ostrich sees more than the mole.
• kurűle moxe̋' sóma me̋e̋um na̋ka:

VIII. Expressions of thought

• A good yak is worth his feed.
• f̨űűde űde eȝe-pa̋a̋tom k̬őina:

IX. Will

• He who wants, finds
• m̃e̋ṡantu de̋e̋sa:

X. Actions

• When the beer is brewed, then it must be drunk.
• méti sa̋xo sa̋xaþo ı̋la. sampa̋s pőőȝaþo ı̋lu ke̋la:

XI. Situations

• Fair sky now, cloudy sky after.
• ímu ga̋no. pósu še̋rgo:

XII. Qualities of things

• Truth needs no decoration.
• m̃e̋e̋r̈a fa̋nom ı̋ı̋ƣa ne:

XIII. Possessions

• Nature will win.
• orv̌e̋e̋to u-dı̋na:

XIV. Relations

• That which shines brightly is not always the sun.
• dı̋ı̋o sűűle vísum e̋sa ne:

XV. Time

• Time is always on the move.
• te̋na vísum me̋m̃a:

XVI. Existence

• Not all the gathered berries are sweet.
• ne őro le̋saþo ga̋þos ša̋a̋dos e̋sa:

XVII. Supernatural

• God provides for the believer.
• ȝűmu oolűs o u-fa̋ra:

1) ete̋nom da̋lantu tı̨́ðum vı̋gu: surprise someone roasting grain.

to catch someone red-handed.

2) manős éna me̋ȝe dųsı̋s éna d̮ő k̬őina: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

3) ı̋ı̋łom éha a̋a̋þem éna fǫ̋lu: to go from the frying pan into the fire.

4) vőᵹkes da̋a̋ƶen va̋a̋na: little streams make great rivers.

5) mymóxsu te̋e̋aþo sómi kı̋aþo: easier said than done.

6) įhanse̋s éra va̋do urhanse̋s éra va̋do e̋sa: What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.