Senjecas - Chapter 1b - The Visit

Pronunciation table

peműko (labial)								riisűko (dental)								muitűko (alveolar)								vainűko (palatal)							ṡ̨uuše̋nos (vowels with प)								nı̋þo ṡ̨uuše̋nos (weak vowels)
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	ɔ	o	u			ĭ	ĕ	ŭ
प	ब	फ	भ	म़	म			त	द	थ	ध	ल़	ल			च	ज	स	स़	र	न			क	ग	क़	ग़	ह	य			स्व	स्य			इ ई पि पी	ए एै पे पै	अ आ प पा	ऒ ॵ पॊ पॏ	ओ औ पो पौ	उ ऊ पु पू			पं	पऺ	पॅ
/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/

Text

Glossing abbreviations

1s/p = 1st person singular/plural	ABL = ablative suffix	COL = collective	F = feminine	INT = intensive prefix	PRV = privative prefix	SUP = supine
2s/p = 2nd person singular/plural	ABS = absolutive (an unmarked modifying adjective)	DES = desiderative	FRQ = frequentative	LAT = lative suffix	PST = past	TRZ = transitivizer
3 = 3rd person	ADV = adverb	DIM = diminutive	FUT = future	LOC = locative suffix	REV = reversive	VOC = vocative particle
A(.s/p) = accusative (singular/plural)	AG = agent	ELIS = elision	IMP = imperative	M = masculine	Q = interrogative particle	YNG = young
G(.s/p) = genitive (singular/plural)	AP = agent (active) participle	ELT = elative	INC = inchoative	OCC = occupation suffix	QUOT = direct quotation
N(.s/p) = nominative (singular/plural)	AUG = augmentative	EP = epenthesis	IND = indicative	PP = patient (past) participle	RPR = recent perfective
V(.s/p) = vocative (singular/plural)	CAUS = causative	EQU = equative degree	INS = instrument	PRF = perfect	SBJ = subjunctive

• The topmost branches brushed against the vault of the sky and the roots drew water from the rivers of the underworld.
• He guided the animal into the shade of the great tree for the sun was approaching the midpoint of his journey.
• Dismounting without effort he gently lifted her to the ground.
• It was only when he stood upon the ground that his height was apparent to her.
• Although he looked like the men of her People there was a difference.
• He was a head and then some taller than Damvelu who was himself tall among the men.
• His hair was lighter than that of the men, seeming to lay about his head and shoulders like the clouds in the sky.
• And his eyes! Among the People all but she had blue eyes, yet none were so blue as his.
• To look into his eyes was to see the sky in the light of the overhead sun.
• She could not tear her sight away even though her neck had begun to ache.
• "Do you know who I am, Talma?"
• "No, Father, I do not; nor have I ever seen an animal such as yours, of such beauty and strength and speed.
• The bulls of Damvelu's herds are strong indeed, but could never match the strength of this golden animal."
• "Truly do you call me Father for I am Numta, the Sky Father.
• And you are truly named Talma, for you will be the instrument of life to all People as you gave life to that ewe and her lambs.
• No longer will you be called Thunkozu."
• He picked her up in his arms as if she were a newborn lamb and set her at the base of the great tree.
• Gently he lay down beside her, not like Damvelu in his loving but rough way, yet at the moment she was aware only of the blueness of his eyes and felt herself to be in flight in the blue sky as she had often imagined when watching the eagle vanish into that blue expanse.
• And as the light of the overhead sun filtered through the leaves of the ash, she felt life begin within her.
• When she returned to herself he lifted her up and placed her once again on the golden animal and lightly mounted behind her.
• Without a word, the animal leapt away, swift as the wind, toward the village.
• This time there was no fear in her breast as they sped along, and she allowed herself to relax against his strength.
• As they rode he said to her, "That which has passed between us, sister-wife, shall be our secret.
• Tonight you will lie with Damvelu to complete that which we two have begun."
• They arrived at the village in less time than she could have walked from the pasture.
• The People were in an uproar, having seen them approaching from a distance.
• The animal stopped unbidden in front of the kurgan of Damvelu, who was just emerging.
• His eyes darted from animal to rider and back again but, when the rider gently lowered Talma to the ground, he managed to look him in the eyes and say, "Welcome, traveler, to our village.
• Will you stay with us this night?"
• "I thank you, Damvelu, for your kindness but I will continue on today," he replied.
• And to her he said, "Do not forget what I told you and I will return."
• With that he wheeled the animal around, which caused the People to scatter in four directions, and sped off as if he would catch up with the setting sun.
• With mouth agape, Damvelu watched him disappear, then turned to Talma and asked, "What did he tell you? What is his name?"
• "I do not know how he is called, Damvelu, but he did tell me to care for you as a good wife should."
• And she absentmindedly took hold of his hand.
• That night they lay together, Damvelu and Talma.
• In the merciful darkness she could not see him and in her mind she was once again under the great ash tree.
• For the second time in her life she felt life begin within her.
• And a stray moonbeam came prying through a crack in the door of the kurgan.

Senjecas - Chapter 2a - The Youths