Náŋifi Fasúxa Texts
Language Samples
This passage is taken from an epic about a young man curious (perhaps too curious) about the world outside the fertile mountain oases of his world. The second verse is about a similar young woman and her mother.
átkami átkami tíŋaxa kuŋása
ínxipi atkamí tákaxa ŋasipú ŋásipu:
ítŋafi itŋafí xípuxa pumafá púmasu
úmfasa múfaxu pumafá púmaup
átmaxi aŋsixí tamaxí kánaxi
átmapu aŋsixí tamapú kánapu
ípnapu afsuxá aŋsixí nátufi
ípnaxi afsuxá nátufi kanafú káanxi
íknafu kanafú múfaxa pumafá púmapu
úmfasa atkamí aŋsixí tíŋaxa tákaxa ŋasipú ŋásipu
úmfasa atkamí aŋsixí ŋásipu múfaxu mufaxá múfaxa
Once there was a young man.
His father said:
You are my son!
Obey our chief!
Do not go down to the valley wasteland.
Do not go up to the mountain wasteland.
You will not survive.
You will perish in the wasteland.
Remain in our village!
The young man* did not obey his father.
He did not obey the chief of the village.
Notes: tíŋaxa in the penultimate line strictly means "adult", but here it is short for tíŋaxa kuŋása, "young man" from the first line.
átakmi atakmí tiaŋxa kuáŋsa
ínixpi atakmí táakxa ŋaispú ŋáispu:
ítaŋfi itaŋfí xiupxa puamfá puamsu
úmafsa múfaxu pumafá puamup
átamxi aŋisxí tamaxí kánaxi
átampu aŋisxí tamapú kánapu
ípanpu afusxá aŋisxí náutfi
ípanxi afusxá náutfi kanafú káanxi
íkanfu kanafú múfaxa pumafá puamup
úmafsa atakmí aŋisxí tiaŋxa táakxa ŋaispú ŋáispu
úmafsa atakmí aŋisxí ŋáispu múfaxu mufaxá múfaxa
Once there was a young woman.
Her mother said:
You are my daughter!
Obey our chief!
Do not go down to the valley wasteland.
Do not go up to the mountain wasteland.
You will not survive.
You will perish in the wasteland.
Remain in our village!
The young woman did not obey her mother.
She did not obey the chief of the village.
Annotated Babel Text
11:1 áptaka atkatí kámanu maníŋa náŋifi ŋafísu pataká náŋifi fasúxa.
The whole world had one language and [a] common tongue.
áptaka – hold; the V'CCVCV shape indicates a masculine singular active verb.
atkatí – distal past; VCCVCV' indicates an adverb agreeing in gender and number with áptaka.
kámanu – world; CV'CVCV indicates a masculine singular noun; as the first noun in a sentence with an active verb, kámanu is the subject of the sentence
maníŋa – whole; CVCV'CV indicates a masculine singular adjective; since it follows kámanu, maníŋa modifies the noun.
náŋifi – language; CV'CVCV indicates a masculine singular noun; as the second noun in a sentence with an active verb, náŋifi is the object of the sentence.
ŋafísu – one; CVCV'CV indicates a masculine singular noun; it modifies náŋifi.
pataká – and/with; CVCVCV' indicates a prepostition, agreeing in number and gender with náŋifi.
náŋifi – direct object of pataká
fasúxa – common; modifies náŋifi
11:2 apuuxpuut atkaus pínaax. íkmaus atkaus ŋásiup kánanu Sinána. áknaaf atkaim aknaaf ŋásiup.
The people easted. They found the plain at Shinar. They dwelt there.
apuuxpuut – easted; reduplicated form of V'CCVVC (masculine plural active verb); the reduplicated form is VCVV'CCVVC, where the the V' has become a semivowel and lost the rising pitch.
atkaus – medial past; VCCVV'C indicates an adverb agreeing in gender and number with apuuxpuut; note that reduplication is not part of mandatory agreement; also note the loss of pitch on the /u/
pínaax – men (Pínaax); CV'CVVC indicates a masculine singular noun; Pínaax refers specifically to the hominids of Kamanu; the generic word for genus Homo (Transpositive Men, Marching Morons, Mothersdarlings) is Pínaun
íkmaus – find; V'CCVVC indicates a masculine plural active verb
atkaus – see above
ŋásiup – they; CV'CVVC indicates a masculine plural active (pro)noun; subject of sentence
kánanu – plain; CV'CVCV indicates a masculine plural active noun; object of sentence
Sinána – Shinar; CVCV'CV indicates an adjective agreeing with kánanu, while the reduplication in the medial and final radical syllables betrays its loanword status
áknaaf – stay; V'CCVCV indicates a masculine plural active verb
atkaim – generic past; VCCVV'C (with semivocalized pitch loss) indicates an adverb agreeing with áknaaf
aknaaf – there; adverb agreeing with áknaaf; this is the same root, but note the difference in pitch
ŋásiup – see above
11:3 ínxiip atkaim ŋásiup tamaaŋ ŋásiaf. úŋxauk aŋsiún púmaaf túnais uŋxáuk. úŋxauk aŋsiún ukŋait púmaaf ŋásiup. úŋxuuk atkaim ŋásiup túnais uŋxáuk. úŋxuuk atkaim aŋsiix ŋásiup túnais. úŋxuuk atkaim ŋásiup tas. úŋxuuk atkaim aŋsiix ŋásiup mústas.
They said to one another. Let us burn burned stones. Let us burn them well. They used burned stones. They did not use stones. They used “tar'. They did not use “mortar”.
ínxiip – say; VC'CVVC indicates masculine singular active verb
atkaim – generic past adverb, modifying ínxiip
ŋásiup – they; subject of sentence
tamaaŋ – to; CVCVV'C indicates agreement with ŋásiup
ŋásiaf – self; CV'CVVC indicates it is a masculine plural noun, the object of tamaaŋ
úŋxauk – burn; V'CCVVC indicates a masculine plural active verb
aŋsiún – adverb marking the Plain Subjunctive and agreeing with úŋxauk. Note that the personal pronouns use the Plain Subjunctive rather the Specific Subjunctive
púmaaf – we; CV'CVVC indicates a masculine plural noun; subject of sentence
túnais – stones; CV'CVVC indicates a masculine plural noun; direct object of sentence
uŋxáuk – burnt; VCCV'VC indicates a masculine plural passive (not necessarily past) participle modifying túnais
túnais uŋxáuk - “burnt stones” or “bricks”
úŋxauk – see above
aŋsiún – see above
ukŋait – greatly or thoroughly; VCVV'C indicates an adverb modifying úŋxauk; note that “greatly” here does not mean “excessive”
púmaaf – see above
ŋásiup – them; as the second noun in the sentence, this is the direct object
úŋxuuk – use; V'CCVVC indicates a masculine plural active verb
atkaim – see above
ŋásiup - they
túnais uŋxáuk - “bricks”
úŋxuuk – see above
atkaim – see above
aŋsiix – negative adverb, modifying úŋxuuk
ŋásiup – they; subject of sentence
túnais – stones; direct object of sentence
úŋxuuk – see above
atkaim – see above
ŋásiup - they
tás - “tar”; foreign word treated as a masculine plural noun; direct object of sentence; violates phonological constraints outside names
úŋxuuk – see above
atkaim – see above
aŋsiix – see above
ŋásiup – they; subject of sentence
mústas - “mortar”; foreign word treated as masculine plural noun; pseudo-semantically connected to foreign word tás
11:4 ínxiip atkaim ŋásiup. ískuim aŋsiún púmaaf múfaxa kuŋáti pumafá púmaaf aptaká páŋasa punáxa. átmapu ixpuun páŋasa punáxa tamapú kámapu. íxpuun aŋsiún púmaaf túŋiif pumaaf púmaaf. ukmíis aŋsiún aŋsiix púmaaf kanauf kámanu maníŋa.
They said: let us build our (own) city with a tower. The tower will ascend to Heaven. Let us be our own names (be famous). Let us not be scattered across the earth.
ínxiip – to say, speak; masculine plural active verb
atkaim – generic past temporal adverb
ŋásiup – they; subject of sentence
ískuim – to build, make; masculine plural active verb
aŋsiún – Plain Subjunctive adverb
púmaaf – we, masculine plural; subject of sentence
múfaxa kuŋáti - “great village”; direct object of sentence
pumafá – genitive prepositional construct, note agreement in number and gender with múfaxa, and in root with púmaaf
púmaaf – direct object of pumafá; the reflexive root here would indicate “the city itself” rather than “our own city”
pataká – preposition, “with”; note the gender and number agreement with múfaxa rather púmaaf
páŋasa punáxa - “tall house”; object of the preposition
átmapu – to go up, to ascend
ixpuun – generic future temporal adverb
páŋasa punáxa – see above; subject of sentence
tamapú – preposition, “up, up to”
kámapu – heaven
íxpuun – future form of the verb “to be”
aŋsiún – Plain Subjunctive adverb
púmaaf – we
túŋiif – names; CV'CVVC indicates masculine plural
pumaaf púmaaf – our (masculine plural)
ukmíis – to be scattered; VCCV'VC indicates a masculine plural passive verb
aŋsiún – see above
aŋsiix – negative adverb
púmaaf – see above
kanauf – at; note the agreement with púmaaf
kámanu maníŋa - “the whole earth”
11:5 átmaxi atkamí múfanu kamápu. ínxipú atkamí ŋásipu múfaxa kuŋáti pataká páŋasa punáxa iskuim itŋaaf pínaax.
The sky bretwalda came down. He perceived the city and the tower being made by the men.
átmaxi – to come down, to descend
atkamí – generic past temporal adverb
múfanu – bretwalda; a mythical concept in Pínaxa culture
kamápu – heavenly; CVCV'CV indicates masculine singular adjective
múfanu kamápu - “heavenly bretwalda” or “God”; here a non-Q adjective is preferred, as a Q adjective would imply other divine entities; in any case, the idea of múfaun (multiple bretwaldas) is antithetical to the concept
ínxipu – to perceive; the root /ínxipu/ means “to smell/hear/see, to use the receptive senses”
atkamí – see above
ŋásipu – he (God)
múfaxa kuŋáti – city
pataká – with, and
páŋasa punáxa - tower
iskumí – masculine singular passive participle modifying both “múfaxa kuŋáti” and “páŋasa punáxa”; a participle with plural objects usually agrees in number
itŋafá – here, a temporal adverb corresponding to “while”;
pínaax. - “by men”; since iskumí is singular and pínaax is plural, pínaax must be the “second” noun in the sentence, and therefore the agent rather than the patient
11:6 ínxipu atkamí múfanu kamápu. itŋáfi pínanu ŋafísu ŋásiup. ánŋiif itŋaif ŋásiup náŋifi ŋafísu. íxpuaf uŋxuíp atkaus ŋásiup síkumi ŋafíxi. ískuim ixpuun ŋásiup ŋásiun
The sky bretwalda percieved. They are one people. They speak one language. They have begun this work. They will make anything.
ínxipu – to percieve (receptive senses)
atkamí – generic past temporal adverb
múfanu kamápu - God
itŋáfi – present passive form of the verb to be, this indicates a following predicate
pínanu - “people”; the predicate noun of the sentence; the difference between pínanu and pínaxa is that the former refers to all post-Catastrophe hominid races, while the latter refers only to the hominids of Kámanu
ŋafísu – one; CVCV'CV indicates an adjective
ŋásiup – they; the main noun of the sentence
ánŋiif – to speak (a language)
itŋaif – generic present temporal adverb
ŋásiup – see above; subject of sentence
náŋifi ŋafísu – one language; direct object of sentence
íxpuaf – to begin; auxiliary verb promoted to primary verb
uŋxuíp – to do the proper motion to make something; main verb demoted to adverb
atkaus – medial temporal adverb; often used in conditional parataxis.
ŋásiup – see above; subject of sentence
síkumi – work; direct object of sentence
ŋafíxi – a particular (thing); here used as equivalent to “that/the”
ískuim – to make;
ixpuun – generic future temporal adverb
ŋásiup – see above; subject of sentence
ŋásiun.- anything; direct object of sentence
11:7 átmaix aŋsiúp púmaaf. áŋfiun náŋifi ŋasipú ŋásiup. áfsuax íxpuun aŋsiix níxiip ŋasiúp ŋásiup.
Let us descend. Confuse their language! They will not share their own conversation.
átmaixi – to descend
aŋsiúp – Impersonal Gnomic Aorist adverb; this form indicates moral judgement in absence of the accused
púmaaf – we; subject of sentence
áŋfiun – V'CCVVC indicates a masculine plural imperative.
náŋifi – language
ŋasipú ŋásiup – their own
áfsuax – to share
íxpuun – generic future temporal adverb
aŋsiix – negative adverb
níxiip – conversations
ŋasiúp ŋásiup – see above
11:8 úkmisi atkamí múfanu kamápu ŋásiup kanauf kánafa kanafú kámanu maníŋa. atkáfa atkamí aŋsixí múfaxa kuŋáti.
The sky bretwalda scattered them from the place across the earth. The city was not finished.
úkmisi – to scatter
atkamí – generic past temporal adverb
múfanu kamápu - God
ŋásiup – subject of sentence
kanauf – at; preposition modifying ŋásiup
kánafa – place; object of the preposition
kanafú – at; preposition modifying kánafa;
kámanu maníŋa – “the whole world” - object of the prepostion; note that the entire notions of “from” and “to” are contained in the verb “to scatter” rather than the prepositions
atkáfa - to finish; CVCV'CV indicates a masculine singular passive verb
atkamí – generic past temporal adverb
aŋsixí – negative adverb
múfaxa kuŋáti – city; subject of sentence.
11:9 utŋáfi atkamí anŋipí Papínu. áŋfinu atkamí aknafá múfanu kamápu náŋifi kamanú kámanu maníŋa. úkmisi atkamí múfanu kamápu ŋásiup kanauf kánafa kanafú níxixa kamanú kámanu maníŋa.
It was named Babel for this reason. There the sky bretwalda confused the language of the whole earth. The sky bretwalda scattered them from there upon the face of the whole earth.
utŋáfi – to name; VCCV'CV indicates a passive verb
atkamí – generic past temporal adverb
anŋipí – adverb “by this logic”
Papínu – Babel (loanword); subject of sentence
áŋfinu – to (be) vague
atkamí – see above
aknafá – there (adverb)
múfanu kamápu - God
náŋifi - language
kamanú – genitive prepositional construct
kámanu maníŋa - “the whole earth”
úkmisi – to scatter
atkamí – see above
múfanu kamápu – see above; subject of sentence
ŋásiup – they; direct object of sentence
kanauf – at; modifies ŋásiup
kánafa – place; object of preposition
kanafú – at; modifies kánafa
níxixa – face; this time the first preposition involves motion, the second does not
kamanú – genitive prepositional construct
kámanu maníŋa - “the whole world”
