B. Sample Texts

Notation & Abbreviations Used

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

The Babel Text

Translation:

  1. Ödannesa ërehlönä öän erëtas estä öto vallën edäa.
  2. Sëlassen naltö, öä ëannoltto jölan ëhlokasä'l Cënarskä tö öä salandäö oväan ëhlodä.
  3. Sëlassen naltö, Ellëdasana cëonnan detä: "Stanso ast ërehlönä ällondë". Odëans dë.
  4. Sëlassen naltö, Ellëdasana cëonnan detä: "Lendasan salardatö ällondë'l ahl sällartö nal vällestan kasë'l etendählan vallën ëhlodëanätä'l ordösö daräsan önä ëhlohlä".
  5. Sëlassen naltö, Däasan odannes ërehlo dëanëda'l lendasan salardatö ällan önä Ellëdas önä anvalarën edë.
  6. Däasan cëonnan dë, "Ellëdas erëtasan estä öto eressëatö estä öto vallën edäa'l öä avantalö hle. Nëssato nal hlan önä ërës roattosan etscesö.
  7. Kalden äode! Sanëkanö präsarnë önä hlan ëdëane!"
  8. Sëlassen naltö, Daräsanäa ahlalonä Däas Ellëdasana kassëlan äodedä'l lendas ahlar dësö.
  9. Sëlassen naltö, 'Bäbal' etscan dë'l lendasse ahlaltö Däas erëtasana banan dë'l Ellëdasana daräsan ëde.

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.

The Fable of the North Wind and the Sun

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).

Tao Te Ching: Chapter 60

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:

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This is a counter © Keith Gaughan, 2001
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