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.
Small Light Shining
thévu léuk déyent
émlai sóyo’s thévu léuk déyent
kwim sékwes wé ne;
thé swe, thé swe.
émlai sóyo’s árjint khélsh méldent
kwim áwes wé ne;
stáa swe, stáa swe.
émlai sóyo’s ánju árdi púros
en chérdom égnint;
wér som wéskwe.
Small Light Shining
They say there’s a small light shining
that we don’t see;
be prepared, be prepared.
They say there’s a silver bell ringing
that we don’t hear;
stand up, stand up.
They say there’s a pinpoint of flame
burning in the heart;
heed it and live.
thévu léuk déyent
| thevu | leuk | dei | -ent |
| small | light | shine | -PTC |
Small Light Shining
émlai sóyo’s thévu léuk déyent
| e- | ml | -a | -i | so | =yo | es | thevu | leuk | dei | -ent |
| IMPF- | say:0 | -PASS | -PAST | 3s:NOM | SUB | be:PRE | small | light | shine | -PTC |
They say there’s a small light shining
kwim sékwes wé ne;
| kwi | -m | sekw | -es | we | ne |
| REL | -OBL | see | -PRES | 1p:NOM | not |
that we don’t see;
thé swe, thé swe.
| the | swe | the | swe |
| place:IMP | REFL | place:IMP | REFL |
be prepared, be prepared.
émlai sóyo’s árjint khélsh méldent
| e- | ml | -a | -i | so | =yo | es | arjint | khelsh | mel | -ent |
| IMPF- | say:0 | -PASS | -PAST | 3s:NOM | SUB | be:PRE | silver | bell | sound | -PTC |
They say there’s a silver bell ringing
kwim áwes wé ne;
| kwi | -m | au | -es | we | ne |
| REL | -OBL | perceive | -PRES | 1p:NOM | not |
that we don’t hear;
stáa swe, stáa swe.
| staa | swe | staa | swe |
| stand:IMP | REFL | stand:IMP | REFL |
stand up, stand up.
émlai sóyo’s ánju árdi púros
| e- | ml | -a | -i | so | =yo | es | anju | ardi | pur | -os |
| IMPF- | say:0 | -PASS | -PAST | 3s:NOM | SUB | be:PRES | narrow | point | fire | -GEN |
They say there’s a pinpoint of flame
en chérdom égnint;
| en | cherd | -om | egni | -nt |
| in | heart | -OBL | burn | -PTC |
burning in the heart;
wér som wéskwe.
| wer | so | -m | wes | =kwe |
| pay.attention:IMP | 3s | -OBL | become.animate | =and |
heed it and live.
