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.
