User:Cedh audmanh/CBBCRVIII

Ndok Aisô text

Mêgagoi eutodeu, ntonadadeu, od upeutadeu ngugoi:
"Gegeu tsênot'esteu deu woilul, roits deu nga na-ôldos dôlbitad noiskoi?"
– "Tsêdebristeu ik dos."
– "Igeuloi meutas gak o-ôldos ga?"
– "Ok lusitas meulad pop robeu wôt'isisteu êp'ux rig auseu nte lasaineu mbêp'oi ok agoisus."
– "Pauhôkseudad deu is, nêd ditoi ik paup'uxabe rai geutseubeu deu tsog wôltsêheu ngol. Dol paubahaisosteu deu oga pautôspabasteu is, nêd tsoneutsasteu dog ntsex. Ispolteu ga sêtik!"
– "Ngixeutosteu deu od ngixêxaspusteu a!"
– "Ik oitasteu ois o-sêtseu igêd guseu kêd wôdôxag nggoiloi!"
– "Eulisisteu tsihe ditoi, dol ugoi ik ndêgoiteulad nte moboi ngu ik dos dôstonas."
Bisoi luhap'êd, kelboi pôspudadeu.

Translation

English translation of Ndok Aisô text

The general came, saw, and asked this:
"What do you want to achieve here, having brought a handful of warriors only?"
– "We want to destroy you."
– "Where are your other warriors?"
– "They are trying to find out who can swim through the river most quickly while fighting."
– "If you had helped us, we might even have decided to let you govern this province. But if you turn against us and betray us, you must die. Put away your bow!"
– "You will have to come and take it!"
– "We have enough arrows to change the sky to black!"
– "That may be true, but we will be protected by the shadow when we attack you."
Having spoken, the messenger left.

English translation of previous text

(Däldlen, by loglorn)

He came, saw, and asked this:
"What do you want to do in this way, having such a small number of warriors?"
– "I want to defeat you."
– "Where are the other warriors?"
– "They are finding out who can swim through the river most quickly while fighting."
– "If you had helped us, we would have made you rule this place. But if you want what belongs to other people, you must die. Put away the bow that you have!"
– "I have come, and I have taken it."
– "We have enough arrows to change the sky to black!"
– "If that happens, I will fight covered by the shadow."
The messenger left.

Orthography / Phonology

• p' t' k' are aspirated plosives /pʰ tʰ kʰ/
• x is a glottal stop /ʔ/, which sometimes appears epenthetically between two vowels
• ê ô are lax mid vowels, approximately /ɛ~ɜ/ and /ɔ~ɞ/ respectively
• ng is /ŋ/, ngg is /ŋɡ/

Interlinear gloss

Mêgagoi

mêgagoi

commander

eutodeu,

euto-deu

come-LEG.SG

ntonadadeu,

ntonad-deu

watch-LEG.SG

od

od

and

upeutadeu

upot-deu

ask-LEG.SG

ngugoi:

ngugoi

thus

The general came, saw, and asked this:

"Gegeu

gegeu

which_thing

tsênot'esteu

tsê-not'e-steu

OPT-reach_for-IPFV.SG

deu

deu

2SG.NOM

woilul,

woilul

here

roits

roits

SUB.ADV

deu

deu

2SG.NOM

nga

nga

few

na-ôldos

na-wôldos

PC-warrior

dôlbitad

dôlbit-d

bring-PFV.SG

noiskoi?"

noiskoi

only

"What do you want to achieve here, having brought a handful of warriors only?"

–

"Tsêdebristeu

tsê-ebri-steu

OPT-destroy-IPFV.SG

ik

ik

1PL.NOM

dos."

dos

2PL.ACC

– "We want to destroy you."

–

"Igeuloi

igeuloi

where

meutas

meutas

COP.IPFV.PL

gak

ga-k

other-NOM.PL

o-ôldos

o-wôldos

PL-warrior

ga?"

ga

2SG.GEN

– "Where are your other warriors?"

–

"Ok

ok

3PL.NOM

lusitas

lusit-s

try-IPFV.PL

meulad

meulad

discover[INF]

pop

pop

man

robeu

robeu

REL.NOM

wôt'isisteu

wôt'isi-steu

be_able-IPFV.SG

êp'ux

êp'ux

swim[INF]

rig

rig

through

auseu

auseu

river

nte

nte

INSTR

lasaineu

lasai-êneu

quick-SUP.NOM.SG

mbêp'oi

mbêp'oi

while

ok

ok

3PL.NOM

agoisus."

agoisu-s

fight-IPFV.PL

– "They are trying to find out who can swim through the river most quickly while fighting."

–

"Pauhôkseudad

pau-kôksod-d

COND-help-PFV.SG

deu

deu

2SG.NOM

is,

is

1PL.ACC

nêd

nêd

if/then

ditoi

ditoi

maybe

ik

ik

1PL.NOM

paup'uxabe

pau-mbuxa-be

COND-decide-PFV.PL

rai

rai

SUB.ACC

geutseubeu

ga-tseubi-Ø

PERM-govern-HAB.SG

deu

deu

2SG.NOM

tsog

tsog

this.ACC.SG

wôltsêheu

wôltsêheu

province

ngol."

ngol

even

– "If you had helped us, we might even have decided to let you govern this province."

"Dol

dol

but

paubahaisosteu

pau-mahaisô-steu

COND-turn_against-IPFV.SG

deu

deu

2SG.NOM

oga

oga

and.GAP

pautôspabasteu

pau-tôspab-steu

COND-betray-IPFV.SG

is,

is

1PL.ACC

nêd

nêd

if/then

tsoneutsasteu

tso-nots-steu

OBL-die-IPFV.SG

dog

dog

2SG.ACC

ntsex."

ntsex

EMPH

"But if you turn against us and betray us, you must die."

"Ispolteu

is-bolta-Ø

IMP-lay_down-HAB.SG

ga

ga

2SG.GEN

sêtik!"

sêtik

longbow

"Put away your bow!"

–

"Ngixeutosteu

ngi-euto-steu

ADM-come-IPFV.SG

deu

deu

2SG.NOM

od

od

and

ngixêxaspusteu

ngi-êxaspu-steu

ADM-seize-IPFV.SG

a!"

a

3SG.ACC

– "You will have to come and take it!"

–

"Ik

ik

1PL.NOM

oitasteu

oit-steu

have-IPFV.PL

ois

ois

many

o-sêtseu

o-têtseu

PL-arrow

igêd

igêd

suitably

guseu

guseu

so

kêd

kêd

DYN[MID.NPST.SG]

wôdôxag

ódôxa-g

black-ACC.SC

nggoiloi!"

nggoiloi

sky

– "We have enough arrows to change the sky to black!"

–

"Eulisisteu

eul-isi-steu

DUB-happen-IPFV.SG

tsihe

tsihe

that_thing

ditoi,

ditoi

maybe

dol

dol

but

ugoi

ugoi

then.FUT

ik

ik

1PL.NOM

ndêgoiteulad

ndêgoita-lad

protect-PASS.NPST.PL

nte

nte

INSTR

moboi

moboi

shadow

ngu

ngu

when

ik

ik

1PL.NOM

dos

dos

2PL.ACC

dôstodas."

dôstod-s

attack-IPFV.PL

– "That may be true, but we will be protected by the shadow when we attack you."

Bisoi

bisoi

after

luhap'êd,

lu-uhap'i-d

NMLZ-announce-PFV.SG

kelboi

kelboi

messenger

pôspudadeu.

pôspud-deu

leave-LEG.SG

Having spoken, the messenger left.

Vocabulary

word	part of speech	meaning
a	pron.	(3rd person singular, accusative)
agoisu-	v.	fight, struggle, strive
auseu	n.	river
bisoi	pp.	after
bolteu-	v.	lay down, put away
deu	pron.	(2nd person singular, nominative)
ditoi	adv.	possibly, maybe
dog	pron.	(2nd person singular, accusative)
dol	cj.	but, however
dos	pron.	(2nd person plural, accusative)
dôlbit-	v.	bring
dôston-	v.	attack, march forward
ebri-	v.	defeat, destroy, annihilate
euto-	v.	come, arrive
êp'ux-	v.	swim, float
êxaspu-	v.	capture, seize
ga	pron.	(2nd person singular, genitive)
ga-	adj.dem.	other, next, subsequent
gegeu	pron.	what, which thing (interrogative)
guseu	cj.	so
igeuloi	pron.	where, which place (interrogative)
igêd	adv.	perfectly, suitably
ik	pron.	(1st person plural, nominative)
is	pron.	(1st person plural, accusative)
isi-	v.	happen, occur
kelboi	n.	messenger, herald
kêd-	v.	become, do to oneself
kôkseud-	v.	help, support, be allied with
lasai-	adj.	quick, fast
lusit-	v.	try, attempt
mahaiso-	v.	terminate an agreement, turn against
mbêp'oi	cj.	while, in between
mbuxa-	v.	decide, choose
meulad-	v.	notice, find, discover
meut-	v.	be (copula)
mêgagoi	n.	general, military commander
moboi	n.	shadow
ndêgoiteu-	v.	protect, safeguard
neuts-	v.	die (takes accusative subject)
nêd	cj.	if/then, therefore (introducing a consequence clause)
nga	qu.	a few; some of
ngol	adv.	even, indeed
nggoiloi	n.	sky
ngu	cj.	as, when
ngugoi	adv.	thus, as follows
noiskoi	adv.	only, merely; in vain
not'e-	v.	reach, achieve, accomplish
nte	pp.	with, by, using (instrumental)
ntonad-	v.	watch, check, examine
ntsex	adv.	really, indeed, definitely
od	cj.	and
oga	cj.	and (object-gapping)
ois	qu.	many, more, an exceptionally large number of
oit-	v.	have, own, be equipped with
ok	pron.	(3rd person plural, nominative)
pop	n.	man
pôspud-	v.	leave, go away
rai	cj.	that (complementizer, accusative)
rig	pp.	through, via, across
robeu	pron.	(relative pronoun, nominative)
roits	cj.	(adverbial subordinator)
sêtik	n.	longbow
têtseu	n.	arrow
tôspab-	v.	denounce, betray
tseubeu-	v.	rule, govern, supervise, control
tsihe	pron.	that thing
tsog	dem.	this (accusative singular)
ugoi	adv./cj.	then (in the future), soon
uhap'i-	v.	speak, declare, announce
upeut-	v.	ask, inquire
woilul	adv.	here (near 1st person)
wôdôxa-	adj.	black, dark
wôldos	n.	warrior, soldier
wôltsêheu	n.	province, county, region
wôt'isi-	v.	be smart, be competent, know how to do sth.

Morphology

Derivational prefixes
l(u)-	(nominalizer, forms action nouns)
Modality prefixes
eul-	(dubitative mood; indicates that the speaker doubts the reality of the action)
geu-	(permissive mood; indicates that the action is allowed to happen)
is-	(imperative mood)
ngi-	(admonitive mood; indicates that the action should happen)
pau-	(conditional mood; indicates that the action is hypothetical)
tsê(d)-	(optative mood; indicates that the speaker or subject hopes for the action to happen)
tso-	(obligative mood; indicates that the action must happen)
Note: All modality prefixes ending in a vowel cause the following processes: Lenition of following /k/ > /h/ Denasalisation of following nasals /m n ŋ/ > /b d ɡ/ Fortition of following prenasalised plosives /mb nd ŋɡ/ > /pʰ tʰ kʰ/ The imperative prefix causes devoicing of a following voiced plosive /b d ɡ/ > /p t k/
Tense-aspect-number-voice suffixes
-Ø	(habitual singular)
-Ø	(infinitive)
-be	(perfective plural)
-(a)d	(perfective singular)
-(a)deu	(legendary past singular)
-(a)s	(imperfective plural)
-(a)steu	(imperfective singular)
-l	(passive non-past plural)
Number prefixes
na-	(dual/paucal; causes lenition of a following consonant)
o-	(plural; causes lenition of a following consonant)
Adjective suffixes
-g	(adjectival suffix: accusative singular)
-k	(adjectival suffix: nominative plural)
-(ê)neu	(adjectival suffix: superlative, nominative singular)

Grammar notes

Word order

The default word order in Ndok Aisô is SVO, but the parent language was verb-initial, and VSO order is preserved in several types of subclauses and as a stylistic variant in main clauses, especially if the subject is a pronoun. Intransitive main clauses also often have VS order. Some types of adverbial clauses may exhibit SOV word order.

Nouns

Nominal morphology is fairly minimal, marking only number and possession (the latter with an "antigenitive" enclitic on the possessed noun, which doesn't occur in this text). Personal pronouns are fusionally marked for number and case; a peculiarity of the possessive pronouns is that they agree in number only with the possessed, not with the possessor. Possessive pronouns precede the noun in free-standing noun phrases, but follow it when the NP is part of a possessive or prepositional phrase. Prepositions, as the label indicates, precede their object.

Adjectives

Adjectives inflect for case and number of their referent by means of fusional suffixes. They normally follow their head noun; however, deictic adjectives usually precede it. Adjectival predicates use a zero copula for static situations and the verb kêd- 'become' for change-of-state situations, and they follow (Cop)-Adj-N word order. Adjectives can also be used adverbally; this is done by subordinating them to an appropriate preposition.

Verbs

The main verbal distinctions of Ndok Aisô are aspect, mood, and voice. Tense is unmarked in the active voice. Verbs also agree with the subject in number, but not in person. The morphosyntactic alignment is technically a variant of split-S; however, the vast majority of verbs follow a NOM-ACC pattern, and the text contains only one instance of an intransitively-used "ergative verb", which (for simplicity) I've treated in the glossary as lexically requiring an accusative-marked subject. Certain verbs may take another verb as their object, which appears in the infinitive form.

Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions have special "object-gapping" forms, which indicate that the coordinated clauses have the same direct object (the latter can therefore be dropped from one of the two clauses). Identical subjects can be dropped from either clause even when normal conjunctions are used; clauses without an overt subject are assumed to have the same subject as the main clause of the previous sentence.

Links

A grammatical sketch of Ndok Aisô can be found at http://akana.conlang.org/wiki/Ndok_Aisô