| ENGLISH |
I am glad to see you again |
| TRANSLATION |
<Sajan·ap ~ toar·a, uton·na dakoku
on·numa·ukh·ap> |
| PHONETICS |
[s@'ZAn@p tO'AR@ u'tonn@ d@'koku Onnu'mAwx@p] |
| ROUGHLY |
sa-ZHAHnup taw-AHRa ooTONE-na daCOEcoo on-noomOWhup |
| SYNTAX |
Heart·1stExclusive (be) Happy·NeuterSubject
2ndPolite·Object Again
Imperfective·See·Subjunctive·1stExclusive |
| |
| ENGLISH |
Do you understand this language? No, I don't |
| TRANSLATION |
<¿Erepith·ellu
n·asau·oton?
Men·asau·ap> |
| PHONETICS |
[E'RepiTEllu n@'sAwOtOn mEn@'sAw@p] |
| ROUGHLY |
eh-RAYpith-el-loo nassOW-oton? men-aSOWup |
| SYNTAX |
Language·Proximate
Imperfective·Understand·2ndPolite
NegativeImperfective·Understand·1stExclusive |
| |
| ENGLISH |
Please could you speak more slowly |
| TRANSLATION |
<¡Jejale desen·ukh·ut en
tunthalá bei!> |
| PHONETICS |
[dZE'ZAlE dE'senuxut en tunT@'lA bej] |
| ROUGHLY |
djeZHAHleh deSAYnoohoot en toonthaLAH bay |
| SYNTAX |
Please Speak·Subjunctive·Optative2ndPolite
,That Slow More |
| |
| ENGLISH |
Pardon?/what did you say? |
| TRANSLATION |
<¿Fe arfai·oton?> |
| PHONETICS |
[feaR'fAjOtOn] |
| ROUGHLY |
FAY urFIE-oton? |
| SYNTAX |
?What Say·2ndPolite |
| |
| ENGLISH |
Be quiet, I'm trying to read! |
| TRANSLATION |
<¡Khoi·ut gudarom! rildil·uk
n·oas·ap> |
| PHONETICS |
['xojut guDAROm Ril'Diluk nO'As@p] |
| ROUGHLY |
HOEyoot gooDHARom, rilDHEElook naw-AHsup |
| SYNTAX |
PerfectiveBe·Optative2ndPolite Quiet
Read·Infinitive
Imperfective·Try·1stExclusive |
| |
| ENGLISH |
Beware of the dog |
| TRANSLATION |
<¡Saiók·on
ágou·ot!> |
| PHONETICS |
[s@'jokOn 'AQOwOt] |
| ROUGHLY |
saYOKE-on AHGHowot |
| SYNTAX |
Dog·NeuterOblique
Notice·2ndOptativePolite |
| |
| ENGLISH |
The island is too far off for us to see |
| TRANSLATION |
<Emisija ~ apuasan·a beit sirrop is
numa·ukh·om> |
| PHONETICS |
[E'miSiZa:'pwAs@n@ bejt SiR'Rop iS
nu'mAwxOm] |
| ROUGHLY |
eMEEshizh-uhh-PWAHsunna bate sheerROPE eesh noomOWhom |
| SYNTAX |
Island (be) Distant·NeuterSubject Too SoThat
3rdNeuter See·Subjunctive·1stInclusive |
| |
| ENGLISH |
Which is the shortest way to town? |
| TRANSLATION |
<¿Fe·ra kuoise·don iathir ~
rofan·a bei?> |
| PHONETICS |
['feR@ 'kwojSEdOn 'jATiR RO'fAn@ bej] |
| ROUGHLY |
FAYruh QUOYshedhon YAHtheer roFAHNa bay? |
| SYNTAX |
?Which·NeuterSubject Town·NeuterOblique
Road (be) Short·NeuterSubject More |
| |
| ENGLISH |
May I sleep here? |
| TRANSLATION |
<¿Nullu bafanke·uk
theinge·p?> |
| PHONETICS |
['nullu b@'fANkEuk 'TejNQEp] |
| ROUGHLY |
NOOL-loo baFAHNG-keh-ook THAYNG-ghep |
| SYNTAX |
ProximatePlace Sleep·Infinitive
BeAllowed·1stExclusive |
| |
| ENGLISH |
Let's meet at the old market |
| TRANSLATION |
<¡Khoedok·on touortal·lon
ochan·es ikufiau·m·or!> |
| PHONETICS |
[xO'eDOkOn 'towORt@llOn O'tSAnEs
i'kufj@wmOR] |
| ROUGHLY |
haw-AY-dhokon TOE-wartalon otCHAHness eeKOOFyowmor |
| SYNTAX |
Old·NeuterOblique Market·NeuterOblique
At·3rdNeuter
Meet·Optative1stInclusive·Reflexive |
| |
| ENGLISH |
Would you like something to drink? |
| TRANSLATION |
<¿E efoi·uk
moek·ukh·oton?> |
| PHONETICS |
[e:'fojuk mO'ekuxOtOn] |
| ROUGHLY |
ehhFOYook maw-AYcoohoton? |
| SYNTAX |
Some Drink·Infinitive
Want·Subjunctive·2ndPolite |
| |
| ENGLISH |
How much does a beer cost? |
| TRANSLATION |
<¿Fatemaf ~ emme·ra gutho
keabei·es?> |
| PHONETICS |
[f@'tem@f Em'meR@ gu'To kE'ABEjEs] |
| ROUGHLY |
faTAYmuf emMAYra gooTHOE keh-AHvayess? |
| SYNTAX |
?WhatAmount (be) One·NeuterSubject Beer
Cost·3rdNeuter |
| |
| ENGLISH |
My head hurts |
| TRANSLATION |
<Alsala·p piakare·s> |
| PHONETICS |
[@l'sAl@p 'pjAk@REs] |
| ROUGHLY |
ulSAHlup pYAHk'ress |
| SYNTAX |
Head·1stExclusive
Ill·3rdNeuter |
| |
| ENGLISH |
Somebody help me - my house is on fire! |
| TRANSLATION |
<¡E pa·da fasimfe·u!
Lul·ap arnu·s·or!> |
| PHONETICS |
[e 'pAD@ f@'SimfEw 'lulAp @R'nusOR] |
| ROUGHLY |
ay PAHdha faSHEEMfeoo! LOOlup urNOOsor! |
| SYNTAX |
Some 1stExclusive·Object
Help·Optative3rdEpicene House·1stExclusive
Burn·3rdNeuter·Reflexive |
| |
| ENGLISH |
I asked a priest what they meant... |
| TRANSLATION |
<Korto·ra thulakhi·ap, ¿fe
l·a is ol·loimtar·es?> |
| PHONETICS |
[kOR'toR@ Tu'lAC@p 'fe la 'iS Ol'lojmt@REs] |
| ROUGHLY |
korTOEra thooLAH-hyup FAYla EESH ol-LOYM-t'ress |
| SYNTAX |
Priest·EpiceneObject Ask·1stExclusive ?What
Plural 3rdNeuter
Imperfective·Mean·3rdNeuter |
| |
| ENGLISH |
...but he said he didn't know |
| TRANSLATION |
<...silal arfai, mi·ulasu·ap> |
| PHONETICS |
[Si'lAl @r'fAj mju'lAsw@p] |
| ROUGHLY |
shiLAHL urFIE mewLAHswup |
| SYNTAX |
But Say Negative·Know·1stExclusive |
| |
| ENGLISH |
Put your sword on the ground! |
| TRANSLATION |
<¡Deira·n isija·don
jika!> |
| PHONETICS |
['dejR@n i'SiZ@DOn dZi'kA] |
| ROUGHLY |
DAYrun ishEEzhadhon jiKAH! |
| SYNTAX |
Sword·2ndFamiliar Earth·NeuterOblique
Put·Optative2ndFamiliar |
| |
| ENGLISH |
...give me all your money! |
| TRANSLATION |
<¡iasomma·ra khir·an u·p
fáru!> |
| PHONETICS |
['jAsOmm@R@ 'CiR@n 'up 'fARu] |
| ROUGHLY |
YAHsom-murra HEErun OOP FAHroo! |
| SYNTAX |
All·NeuterObject Gold·2ndFamiliar
To·1stExclusive
Transfer·Optative2ndFamiliar |
| |
| ENGLISH |
...or I'll kill you! |
| TRANSLATION |
<ak na·da sueker·ap> |
| PHONETICS |
['Ak 'nAD@ 'swekER@p] |
| ROUGHLY |
AHK NAHdha SWAYkerrup! |
| SYNTAX |
Or 2ndFamiliar·Object
Kill·1stExclusive |
| |
| ENGLISH |
Put on the ring! |
| TRANSLATION |
<¡Posaga sorari!> |
| PHONETICS |
[pO'sAQ@ sO'RARi] |
| ROUGHLY |
paw-SAHGHa sawRAHree |
| SYNTAX |
Ring Don·2ndOptativeFamiliar |
No prizes for identifying the following much-translated passage
from a certain well-known work. The affix-separating dots used
elsewhere in this guide have been left out in order to give a more
accurate impression of the natural appearance of an extended text;
and some of the vocabulary for this exercise isn't given in the
lexicon - that is, it has been generated
specially, by means of regular derivation and/or random
syllabification (see coinages section).
However, the grammar is all pretty straightforward, so I'd expect
even casual readers to be able to guess bits of it.
![[MAIL]](../pix/mailto.png){kind=small}
1995-2001