Previous: Miscellaneous Details
Next: Lexicon
| Abbrev. | Meaning | Abbrev. | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERG | Ergative Case | ABS | Absolutive Case |
| ADP | Adpositive Case | GEN | Genitive Case |
| GRD | Gerund | GRDV | Gerundive |
| DET | Determiner | CON | Conjunction |
| 1pn | 3st person pronoun | 2pn | 2nd person pronoun |
| 3pn | 3rd person pronoun | ||
| IMPsg | Singular Imperitive | IMPpl | Plural Imperitive |
| 1ssg, etc. | 1st person singular subject, etc. | 1spl, etc. | 1st person plural subject, etc. |
| 1osg, etc. | 1st person singular direct object, etc. | 1opl, etc. | 1st person plural direct object, etc. |
| 1iosg, etc. | 1st person singular indirect object, etc. | 1iopl, etc. | 1st person plural indirect object, etc. |
| DAT | Dative Case Usage | LOC | Locative Case Usage |
Translation:
Version with interlinears:
1. Ödannesa ërehlönä öän erëtas estä öto vallën edäa world.ADP DET.DAT 1pn.ABS language.ERG one only share.GRD be.1refpl Lit: We once shared with ourselves a common language for this world. 2. Sëlassen naltö, times.ADP 3pn.LOC, Lit: In/During those times,... (A rhetorical device) öä ëannoltto jölan ëhlokasä'l 1pn.ERG `eastern lands'.ABS `come from'.GRD walk.1spl.3opl.CON Lit: We travelled from the eastern lands and... Cënarskä tö öä salandäö oväan ëhlodä. Shinar.ADP Ø.LOC 1pn.ERG homeland.ABS discover.GRD be.1spl.3opl Lit: We found a homeland in Shinar. 3. Sëlassen naltö, ... Ellëdasana cëonnan detä: `the people'.ABS declare.GRD be.3spl.3iopl: Lit: The people declared to each other:... "Stanso ast ërehlönä ällondë". Odëans dë. `building materials'.ABS soil.ERG DET.GEN make.IMPpl exist.GRDV be.3refpl Lit: "Let's make building materials from the earth." It was so. 4. Sëlassen naltö, Ellëdasana cëonnan detä: ... "Lendasan salardatö ällondë'l city.ABS tower.ABS build.IMPpl.CON Lit: "Let's build a city and tower and... ahl sällartö nal vällestan kasë'l 3pn.ERG sky.ABS DET pierce.GRD go.3ssg.3osg.CON Lit: it will pierce the heavens and... etendählan vallën ëhlodëanätä'l reputation.ABS share.GRD go.1spl.3osg.3iopl.CON Lit: We will share a reputation for ourselves because... ordösö daräsan önä ëhlohlä" fear.ABS scattering.ERG Ø.GEN have.1spl.3osg Lit: we fear a scattering." 5. Sëlassen naltö, ... Däasan odannes ërehlo dëanëda'l god.ABS world.ERG DET.`towards' go.3ssg.3iosg.CON Lit: God descended to earth and... lendasan salardatö ällan önä Ellëdas önä city.ABS tower.ABS making.ERG Ø.GEN `the people'.ERG Ø.GEN anvalarën edë. witness.GRD be.1ssg.3opl Lit: He saw the city and tower of the people's construction. 6. Däasan cëonnan dë, god.ABS declare.GRD be.3subjsng Lit: God said... "Ellëdas erëtasan estä öto `the people'.ERG language.ABS one only eressëatö estä öto vallën edäa'l nation.ABS one only share.GRD be.1refpl.CON Lit: "The people share a single language and a single nation and... öä avantalö hle. 1pn.ERG `unlimited potential'.ABS have.3spl.1osg Lit: they have unlimited potential. Nëssato nal hlan önä ërës roattosan etscesö. dreams.ABS DET having.ERG Ø.GEN 3pn.GEN deniable are.3subjpl.NEG Lit: The dreams of their (future) having are not deniable. 7. Kalden äode! Smite.GRD be.1ssg.3opl Lit: I smite them! (Introduces a curse) Sanëkanö präsarnë önä hlan ëdëane!" screams.ABS animals.ERG Ø.GEN have.GRD go.3spl.3opl Lit: They will have the screams of animals!" 8. Sëlassen naltö, ... Daräsanäa ahlalonä Däas scatterings.ADP those.DAT god.ERG Ellëdasana kassëlan äodedä'l 'the people'.ABS break.GRD be.1ssg.3opl.CON Lit: For the scatterings, God broke the People, and... lendas ahlar dësö. city.ABS DET be.2ssg.NEG Lit: The city was no more. 9. Sëlassen naltö, ... 'Bäbal' etscan dë'l 'Babel'.ERG make.GRD be.3refsg.CON Lit: 'Babel', it made itself, and... lendasse ahlaltö Däas erëtasana banan dë'l city.ADP DET.LOC god.ERG languages.ABS confuse.GRD be.3ssg.3osg.CON Lit: in that city, God confused the languages and... Ellëdasana daräsan ëde. `the people'.ABS scatter.GRD be.3ssg.3opl Lit: The People were scattered.
In English, this is:
The North Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger, when a traveller came along wrapped in a warm cloak. They agreed that the first one to succeed in making the traveller take off his cloak should be stronger than the other. Then the North Wind blew as hard as he could, but the more he blew, the closer did the traveller fold his cloak around him, and at last the North Wind gave up the attempt. Then the Sun shined out warmly, and immediately the traveller took off his cloak. And so the North Wind was obliged to confess that the Sun was the stronger of the two.
In Erëtas, this translates as:
Salossa Kattolt önä Vassö kallendäö ërës cezöën de. Colanös rëndä bässoans önä ëlo anvalarën de. ëlo andana önä vellën dëda: äsöskä önä kallendä ardansö önä colanös ërel rëndäan ërës valsan dëaneda. Salossatö estär däloan dë, löa kallendäa ardansö önä dälöan ërës el räansäa ardansö önä rëndä ahlett! Salossatö andana önä kassëlan dëda. Vassötö värar andan dë: bässä ërës vallën dë'l colanös ahlar rëndäan ahlett valsan dë. "Vassö la, äsötö önä kallendä ardansö önä däma!", Salossatö cëonnan dë.
Salossa Kattolt önä (The North Wind) Vassö (The Sun) kallendäö (strength) ërës (their) cezöën de (they disputed it). Colanös (Traveller) rëndä bässoans önä (having a warm cloak) ëlo (they) anvalarën de (they notice him). ëlo (they) andana önä (to a test) vellën dëda (they agreed to it): äsöskä önä kallendä ardansö önä (for the one of greater strength) colanös ërel (this traveller) rëndäan ërës (his cloak) valsan dëaneda (will drop). Salossatö (The Wind) estär (firstly) däloan dë (it blew), löa (but) kallendäa ardansö önä däloan ërës (for the greater strength of its blowing) el (and) räansäa ardansö önä rëndä ahlett (for the greater tightness of the other's cloak)! Salössatö (The Wind) andana önä (to the test) kassëlan dëda (he broke himself). Vassötö (The Sun) värar (secondly) andan dë (it tested itself): bässä ërës (its warmth) vallën dë'l (it shared it and) colanös ahlar (the traveller) rëndäan ahlett (his cloak) valsan dë (he dropped it). "Vassö la (Oh Sun), äsötö önä kallendä ardansö önä (the one of the greatest strength) däma (you are it)!", Salossatö (The Wind) cëonnan dë (It declared).
English:
Ruling a large kingdom is indeed like cooking small fish. They how by Tao ruled all that is under heaven did not let an evil spirit within them display its powers. Nay, it was not only that the evil spirit did not display its powers, neither was the Sage's good spirit used to the hurt of other men. Nor was it only that his good spirit was not used to harm other men, the Sage himself was thus saved from harm. And so, each being saved from harm. And so, each being saved from harm, their `powers' could converge towards a common end.
salandä (Ruling.ABS of large kindoms cooking.ABS of small fish resemble).
Erëtas:
?