Verse:Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon

Vy górov en socovíto

Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon
socovíc/socovija lesán
Created by	IlL
Native speakers	393,000 (2013)
Language family	Afro-Asiatic Semitic North Semitic Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon

Yet another Europeanized Semitic! Yay.

That grows ever more far-fetched by the day.

todo

• Dislike those long dual endings :-(

Background

Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon (Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon: socovíc /ˈsotsoviːts/ or socovija lesán /ˈsotsovija ˈlesaːn/), sometimes called Sotsovian in English, is a Semitic language in the Balkan Sprachbund, spoken in the nation of Mostsev (Moscév). A North Semitic language, it diverges in many ways from Central Semitic tongues such as Arabic, Aramaic and Hebrew - it preserves archaic features that have not survived in Central Semitic languages, as well as some innovations in its grammar. The name of the language, socovíc, seems to have stemmed from *√s-t-w, a root meaning 'north' in Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon (cf. Hebrew סְתָו săṯâw 'winter'). Like its Semitic relatives, Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon is a fusional language with an accusative alignment.

Phonology

Consonants

		Labial	Dental	Alveolar	Retroflex	Palatal	Velar	Uvular	Glottal
Nasal		m /m/		n /n/
Plosive	voiceless	p /p/		t /t/			k /k/	q /q/
	voiced	b /b/		d /d/			g /g/
Fricative	voiceless	f /f/	þ /θ/	s /s/	š /ʂ/		ch /x/		h /h/
	voiced	v /v/		z /z/	ž /ʐ/
Affricate				c /ts/	č /ʈʂ/
Trill				r /r/
Approximant				l /l/		j /j/

For the sequence /ts.h/, cḧ is used.

Vowels

Oral

	Front				Back
	unrounded		rounded
	short	long	short	long	short	long
Close	i /i/	í /iː/			u /u/	ú /uː/
Mid	e /e̞/	é /e̞ː/	y /ø/	ý /øː/	o /o̞/	ó /o̞ː/
Open	ě /æ/	ě /æː/			a /ɑ/	á /ɑː/

Nasal

	Front		Central		Back
	short	long	short	long	short	long
Close
Mid		ę /ɛ̃ː/				ǫ /ɔ̃ː/
Open

Diphthongs?

ai äi ei oi ui yi ęi ǫi

Stress

Stress always falls on the first syllable of a word.

Diachronics

STRESS

Initially Arabic-like, then stress shifts leftward (before "Proto-/Old Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon" stage), resulting in the loss of the final nasal elements in dual and plural endings

• base cases: *kabī́ra; *kátaba; *nawlū́da (when > *náwlūda?)
• generalize the rule "start from the left to determine syllable weight":
  • only the first 2 syllables may be stressed
  • [H L; [L H; [H H; [L L

Vowels

Proto-North Semitic	Proto-Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon
i	ь
u	ъ
a	o
ī	i
ū	y
aj	ě
aw	u
ā	a
an	ǫ
in	ę, ь
un	ǫ, ъ

Havlík's law: strong *ъ > *o, strong *ь > *e, weak jers vanish without doing anything

Cja > Cě

Consonants

PSem	*b	*d	*g	*p	*t	*k	*ṭ	*ḳ	*ð	*z	*þ	*š	*ś	*s	*þ̣	*ṣ	*ṣ́	*ɣ	*ʕ	*ʔ	*x	*ħ	*h	*m	*n	*l	*r	*w	*j
Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon	b	d	ž	p	c	č	t	k	v	z	f	s	š	s	f	š	þ	g	q, a	ː, v, j	ch	ha	h	m	n	l	r	v	j

Declension

Proto-North Semitic

Ugaritic-like, may have been diptotic or partially triptotic. The parenthesized nasal elements in the dual and plural were unstable due to the shift to word-initial stress that had occurred in PNSem.

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	yawmu	yawmā(m)	yawmū(m)
Accusative	yawma	yawmay(m)	yawmī(m)
Genitive	yawmi? yawma?	yawmay(m)	yawmī(m)

If I want triptotes

Masculine noun: júm 'day'
	Singular		Dual		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	júm	júmov	júma	júmava	júmy	júmyly
Genitive	juim	juimeve	júmä	júmävä	júmi	júmili
Accusative	júmo	júmovo	júmä	júmävä	júmi	júmili
Oblique	juimbi	juimvebi	júmäma	júmäväma	júmím	júmilím

Nouns

Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon nouns decline in definiteness, three numbers (singular, dual and plural), and four cases (nominative, accusative, genitive, oblique). Unusually for a modern Semitic language, case plays a very important and productive role. There is no counterpart to the construct state or possessed forms of other Semitic languages (the Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon case suffixes are from the original construct state forms); however, the possessor always follows the noun. This state of affairs presumably came about due to re-analysis of the elements of the original genitive construction, which were strictly 'construct-locked', as "free" declined forms to which clitics could be added.

The accusative is identical to the genitive for animate nouns, and identical to the nominative for inanimate nouns.

Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon nouns are notable for generalizing the diptotic (two-case) system, with nominative singular -Ø < *-ъ < PNSem *-u and genitive/accusative singular -o < PNSem *-a. It is uncertain whether diptotes or triptotes dominated the original Proto-Semitic paradigm. Feminine singular nominative *-atu was changed to *-ā > -a, presumably under Indo-European influence. The oblique case is older than the definite affixes and wasformed by suffixing inflected forms of the preposition *bi 'with/by, in': běcbi < *běcъbьjъ < *baytu-bihu "house, in it".

The definiteness suffixes arose from cliticized demonstratives: e.g. vodov 'the child' (nom.) < *voldъ-vy < PNSem *waldu ðū; porosili 'the horses' (acc./gen.) < *porosi-ъli < PNSem *parašī ʔulī.

Nouns fall into one of several declension paradigms. Diachronically, the declension paradigm a noun belongs to is a function of the declension class it was analyzed as, as well as the noun's gender.

Masculine nouns of type júm

Masculine noun: vod 'child, boy'
	Singular		Dual		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	vod	vodov	voda	vodava	vody	vodyly
Genitive	vodo	vodovo	vodě	voděvě	vodi	vodili
Oblique	vodbi	vodvobi	voděma	voděvěma	vodím	vodilím

Masculine noun: júm 'day'
	Singular		Dual		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	júm	júmov	júma	júmava	júmy	júmyly
Genitive	júmo	júmovo	júmě	júměvě	júmi	júmili
Oblique	júmbi	júmvobi	júměma	júměvěma	júmím	júmilím

Masculine *-ь-stems

Masculine noun: fob 'antelope'
	Singular		Dual		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	fob	fobjev	fobja	fobjava	fobje	fobjely
Genitive	fobje	fobjevo	fobjě	fobjěvě	fobji	fobjili
Oblique	fobbi	fobvobi	fobjěma	fobjěvěma	fobjím	fobjilím

q-stems

*-q > a, *-aq, *-yq > á, *-eq, ěq > ě, *-uq > ó, *-iq > é

Masculine noun: vrá 'arm'
	Singular		Dual		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	vrá	vraqov	vraqa	vraqava	vraqy	vraqyly
Genitive	vraqo	vraqovo	vraqě	vraqěvě	vraqi	vraqili
Oblique	vraqbi	vraqvobi	vraqěma	vraqěvěma	vraqím	vraqilím

Masculine -ot- nouns

Loanwords: Greek loans in -ma, several suffixes such as -ista, Slavic loanwords.

Masculine noun: problema 'problem'
	Singular		Dual		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	problema	problemav	problemota	probleměta	problemy	problemyly
Genitive	problemoto	problemotovo	problemocě	probleměcě	problemi	problemili
Oblique	problemóbi	problemotvobi	problemóbima	probleměbima	problemím	problemilím

Feminine nouns of type molča

sira 'performance, ritual'
	Singular		Dual		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	sira	sirěc	sirota	sirěta	sirác	siralác
Genitive	siroto	sirěto	sirocě	sirěcě	siraci	siralaci
Oblique	siróbě	sirěbě	siróbima	sirěbima	sirábín	siralábín

Feminine nouns of type lesán

This class includes many feminine body part nouns. Examples: qӗn 'eye'; ovon, ovn- 'ear'; beton, betn- 'stomach'; koron, korn- 'horn'; óm 'mother'; lӗl 'night'; oroþ, orþ- 'earth'.

lesán 'tongue, language'
	Singular		Dual		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	lesán	lesáněc	lesána	lesáněta	lesánác	lesánalác
Genitive	lesáno	lesáněto	lesáně	lesáněcě	lesánaci	lesánalaci
Oblique	lesánbě	lesáněbě	lesáněma	lesáněbima'	lesánábín	lesánalábín

Feminine abstract -íc nouns

Feminine noun: omyníc 'truth'
Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
direct	omyníc	omynita	omynijác
gen./acc.	omynito	omynicě	omynijaci
dative	omynítla	omynítluma	omynijátlěn
oblique	omynítbě	omynítbima	omynijátbín

Irregular nouns

Irregular: ęs 'human, person'
Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ęs	ęsa	onasy
Genitive	ęso	ęsě	onasi
Oblique	ęsbi	ęsěma	onasím

Adjectives

Adjectives merge the genitive and oblique cases into the genitive case.

Adjectives precede nouns in the nominative and accusative cases: rób běc 'a big house', taba spara 'a good story', but follow the nouns in the genitive and oblique: docěc běcovo róbovo 'the door of the big house', and prepositional objects: i běcovo róbovo 'in the big house'. Adjectives do not agree in definiteness when they precede the noun, but do agree when they follow the noun.

Adjectives ending in a consonant

Adjective declension: tab 'good'
	Singular		Dual		Plural
	masculine	feminine	masculine	feminine	masculine	feminine
Nominative	tab	taba	taba	tabota	taby	tabác
Genitive	tabo	taboto	tabě	tabocě	tabi	tabaci

Nisba adjectives

Adjective declension: bošorí 'bodily, physical'
	Singular		Dual		Plural
	masculine	feminine	masculine	feminine	masculine	feminine
Nominative	bošorí	bošorija	bošorija	bošorijota	bošorije	bošorijác
Genitive	bošorije	bošorijoto	bošorijě	bošorijocě	bošorí	bošorijaci

Pronouns

Personal pronouns
Case	First person
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	nák	nána	nány
Genitive	li	lona	lony
Accusative	níc	nác	nýc
Oblique	bi	bna	bny

Personal pronouns, cont.
Case	Second person					Third person
	Singular		Dual	Plural		Singular		Dual	Plural
	masculine	feminine		masculine	feminine	masculine	feminine		masculine	feminine
Nominative	ǫto	ǫc	ǫtma	ǫtmy	ǫtna	ho	hi	homa	homy	hen
Genitive	lók	lóč	lókma	lókmy	lóčna	lú	lá	luma	lumy	lěn
Accusative	kác	číc	kmác	kmýc	čnác	hóc	hác	homác	homýc	henác
Oblique	bek	beč	bekma	bekmy	bečna	bí	bě	bíma	bímy	bín

Interrogative pronouns
Case	'who'	'what'
Nominative	mǫ	ma
Genitive	menmǫ	menma
Dative	mǫlu	malu
Accusative	mǫc	ma
Oblique	mǫbi	mabi

Demonstrative/relative pronoun
	Singular		Dual		Plural
	masculine	feminine	masculine	feminine	masculine	feminine
Nominative	vy	věc	va	věta	oly	olác
Genitive	vu	věto	vě	věcě	oli	olaci
Dative	vylu	větla	věluma	větluma	olilúm	olátlěn
Oblique	vybi	větbě	věbima	větbima	olibím	olátbín

Numerals

Cardinal numerals

Different cardinal numerals are declined differently, and have various effects on the modified noun depending on the final digits of the numeral:

• Cardinal numerals one and two, and those ending in "1" or "2", are declined as adjectives. The modified noun is singular (and agrees in case) for numbers ending in ahod, and the noun is dual for numbers ending in fla.
• All other numerals are declined as nouns and require the noun they modify to be in the genitive plural.
  • Words šolaf (3) through cés (9) or in qošor (10-19) are declined like feminine singular nouns in adnominal position (Jef šolafa ęsáje 'There are three people') and like masculine singular nouns in nominal position (Jef šolaf 'There are three').
  • Words qošory (20), šolafy (30), ..., césy (90) are declined as masculine plural nouns.
  • Units such as nul (0, m), meja (100, f), olop (1000, m), miljón, miljard, etc. are declined as ordinary nouns, taking dual and plural as necessary.

Examples:

• qošory júmi '20 days', qošory sonáci '20 years'
• qošory v ahod júm '21 days', qošory v ahda sona '21 years'
• qošory vo fla júma '22 days', qošory vo flota sonota '22 years'
• qošory v šolafa júmi '23 days', qošory v šolafa sonaci '23 years'

One may also encounter calques from Arabic:

• Olop lělaci v lěl 'One thousand and one nights' (Arabic ˀalf^u layla^tin wa-layla^tun).

Since Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon has singular and dual forms, modifying numerals one and two are not needed; thus Nǫšú vodě v bęto 'I have two sons and a daughter' is just as correct as Nǫšú flě vodě v ahdoto bęto.

The ordinal numerals okdom 'first' and okrob 'second' are suppletive; okdom is the elative of the root k-d-m (kodam) 'front, before', (cf. the etymology of first), and okrob is the elative of k-r-b (koryb) 'near' (cf. next).

Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon numerals
	n	nth	1/n
0	nul	nulí	-
1	ahod (m), ahda (f)	okdom	-
2	fla (m), flota (f)	okrob	žǫb
3	šolaf, šolafa	šolyf	mošólef
4	roba, roboqa	robá	moróbě
5	chǫs, chǫsa	chonys	mochónes
6	séf, séfa	sodyf	mosódef
7	sóp, sópa	sobá	mosóbě
8	fomán, fomána	fomyn	mofómen
9	cés, césa	cosá	mocósě
10	qošor, qošora	qosyr	moqósyr
11	ahod v qošor	-	-
20	qošory	-	-
21	qošory v ahod	-	-
30	šolafy	-	-
40	roboqy	-	-
50	chǫsy	-	-
60	séfy	-	-
70	sópy	-	-
80	fomány	-	-
90	césy	-	-
100	meja	mejocí	-
200	mejota	mejotají	-
300	šolafa mejác	šolafamejocí	-
1000	olop	olpí	-
2000	olpa	olpají	-
3000	šolafa olpy	šolafaolpí	-

Verbs

See also: Verbal subparadigms.

Overview of the verb forms

Aorist

The aorist indicates an action that was completed in the past. It was inherited from the Proto-Semitic preterite.

Nohób lu vohób.

I gave him gold.

Subjunctive

The subjunctive form is similar to the aorist form, but has a short vowel in the stem (like the imperative) instead of a long vowel.

The non-2nd person imperatives may be formed with the hortative particle c (< ci 'come') plus the subjunctive.

C jóci memlóč męk.

Let Thy kingdom come.

The subjunctive (like the imperative) is negated with the negative particle la, instead of bo.

La tošne li!

Don't be mad at me!

Imperative

The imperative is formed by removing the personal prefix from the subjunctive. Often the subjunctive is used with imperative meaning instead.

The second person imperatives use the imperative forms.

G-stems: kotol

kotlec, ktol, joktol, kotol, katel 'kill'
Infinitive/Verbal noun
kotlec
Participle
katel
Imperative
	Singular	Dual	Plural
2.m	ktol!	ktola!	ktoly!
2.f	ktoli!		ktolno!
Present
	Singular	Dual	Plural
1	bektli	bektolna	bektolny
2.m	bektlok	bektolkma	bektolkmy
2.f	bektloč		bektolkno
3.m	bektlu	bektolma	bektolmy
3.f	bektla		kotolno
Subjunctive
	Singular	Dual	Plural
1	noktol	noktla	noktly
2.m	toktol	toktla	toktly
2.f	toktli		toktolno
3.m	joktol	joktla	joktly
3.f	joktli		joktolno
Imperfect
Add fo- to present tense forms.
Aorist
	Singular	Dual	Plural
1	noktól	noktla	noktly
2.m	toktól	toktla	toktly
2.f	toktli		toktólno
3.m	joktól	joktla	joktly
3.f	joktli		joktólno
Future I
	Singular	Dual	Plural
1	de noktol	de noktla	de noktly
2.m	de toktol	de toktla	de toktly
2.f	de toktli		de toktolno
3.m	de joktol	de joktla	de joktly
3.f	de joktli		de joktolno
Future II
	Singular	Dual	Plural
1.m	nočyn katel	nočyna katla	nočyny katly
1.f	nočyn katla	nočyna katlota	nočyny katlác
2.m	točyn katel	točyna katla	točyny katly
2.f	točyni katla	točyna katlota	točynno katlác
3.m	jočyn katel	jočyna katla	jočyny katly
3.f	jočyni katla	jočyna katlota	jočynno katlác
Perfect
	Singular	Dual	Plural
1.m	nák katel	nána katla	nány katly
1.f	nák katla	nána katlota	nány katlác
2.m	ǫto katel	ǫtma katla	ǫtmy katly
2.f	ǫc katla	ǫtma katlota	ǫtno katlác
3.m	(ho) katel	(homa) katla	(homy) katly
3.f	(hi) katla	(homa) katlota	(hen) katlác
Pluperfect
	Singular	Dual	Plural
1.m	čǫk katel	čanna katla	čanny katly
1.f	čǫk katla	čanna katlota	čanny katlác
2.m	čǫt katel	čǫtma katla	čǫtmy katly
2.f	čǫc katla	čǫtma katlota	čǫtno katlác
3.m	čan katel	čana katla	čany katly
3.f	čana katla	čanota katlota	čanno katlác

D-stems: katol

Examples: baroč 'greet, celebrate'

pólžíc, pólež, jopólež, palož, mopólež 'split (something)'
Infinitive/Verbal noun
pólžíc
Participle
mopólež
Imperative
	Singular	Dual	Plural
2.m	pólež!	pólža!	pólžy!
2.f	pólži!		póležno!
Subjunctive
	Singular	Dual	Plural
1	nopólež	nopólža	nopólžy
2.m	topólež	topólža	topólžy
2.f	topólži		topóležno
3.m	jopólež	jopólža	jopólžy
3.f	jopólži		jopóležno
Aorist
	Singular	Dual	Plural
1	paložok	paložna	paložny
2.m	paložot	paložtma	paložtmy
2.f	paložoc		paložtno
3.m	palož	paloža	paložy
3.f	paloža	paložota	paložno

čan 'be, exist'

The verb čan has no present tense indicative forms; the formal "present tense" forms are used for the future and subjunctive. It also has no imperfective-perfective distinction in the past or future. In the present indicative, pronouns are used as the copula, and the word jef is used to indicate existence.

čanec, čon, jočyn, čan, čun 'be'
Infinitive/Verbal noun
čanec
Participle
čun
Imperative
	Singular	Dual	Plural
2.m	čon!	čona!	čony!
2.f	čoni!		čonno!
Present
	Singular	Dual	Plural
1	(nák)	(nána)	(nány)
2.m	(ǫto)	(ǫtma)	(ǫtmy)
2.f	(ǫc)		(ǫtno)
3.m	(ho)	(homa)	(homy)
3.f	(hi)		(hen)
Past
	Singular	Dual	Plural
1	čǫk	čanna	čanny
2.m	čǫt	čǫtma	čǫtmy
2.f	čǫc		čǫtno
3.m	čan	čana	čany
3.f	čana	čanota	čanno
Future
	Singular	Dual	Plural
1	de nočyn	de nočyna	de nočyny
2.m	de točyn	de točyna	de točyny
2.f	de točyni		de točynno
3.m	de jočyn	de jočyna	de jočyny
3.f	de jočyni		de jočynno
Subjunctive
	Singular	Dual	Plural
1	nočyn	nočyna	nočyny
2.m	točyn	točyna	točyny
2.f	točyni		točynno
3.m	jočyn	jočyna	jočyny
3.f	jočyni		jočynno

Prepositions

Prepositions
Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon	Gloss	Etymology
ma	what	*mā
mǫ	who	*man
mur	when	*mā + Greek hōra

Prepositions

Prepositions
Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon	Gloss	Etymology
en	in, towards, into (+gen)	*ʔin(a)
me	from (+gen); with (+obl)	*min; Greek me
qę	between, among (+obl)	*ʕimm-
qolě	on (+gen)	*ʕalay

Conjunctions

Conjunctions
Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon	Gloss	Etymology
v(o)	and	*wa-
u	or	*ʔaw
vén	so, thus	*wa-hinna
éla	but	*ʔim lā
no	subjunctive	*ʔan(na), *-anna
ję	if	*ʔim
lu	if (contrary-to-fact)	*law
po	then, so	*pa-

Particles

Conjunctions
Mwail/Tucootka/Lexicon	Gloss	Etymology
o	polar question	*ha-
bo	not (indicative)	*bal
la	not (irrealis)	*lā

Usage

Nominal sentences

As in most Semitic and Slavic languages, present indicative does not require a copula:

Eláh ibošorí. (also: Eláh ho ibošorí. Obviously, a Muslim might say Alláh (ho) ibošorí.)

God is incorporeal.

Relative clauses

As is the case in most European languages, but unlike in other Semitic languages, relative pronouns agree with the gender and number of the head, but are case-marked for their syntactic position within the relative clause.

The choice of the relative pronoun depends on the definiteness/specificity of the noun. Specific referents use vy as the relative pronoun, whereas indefinite or hypothetical nouns use mǫ (animate)/ma (inanimate).

Derivational morphology

• i- 'un-', 'non-' (negative prefix for nouns and adjectives)
• -izom, -izm- '-ism'
  • šiqizom 'Shiˁism'
• -loja '-logy'

Expressions

• Solám! 'Hello!'
• Tab mahár! 'Good morning!'
• Tab júm! 'Good day!'
• Taba mesa! 'Good evening!'
• Taba lěl! 'Good night!'
• Staqpu/Staqpovi/Staqpova/Staqpovy/Staqpuna li! (to one man/one woman/two people/m.pl./f.pl) 'Excuse me!'
• Oj vil ma! 'No worries!'

Texts

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1

Čóly onasyly jǫvolydy horary v savije en qosorvobi v tahikilím.

all-PL.M.NOM human.PL.DEF.NOM 3.PRES-beget/PASS-PL.M free-PL.M.NOM and equal-PL.M.NOM in worth-SG.DEF.INS and right-PL.DEF.INS

All humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

Mosyčaly mosbárbi v tostočínbi, homy mopokady no joptaqly okrobokroblu en ryhánbi ochovíto.

PART-empower/PASS-PL.M.NOM reason-SG.INS and conscience-SG.INS 3.PL.M.NOM PART-obligate/PASS-PL.M.NOM SUBJ 3-behave/PRES-PL.M each_other-SG.M.DAT in mindset-SG.INS brotherhood-SG.GEN

Empowered with reason and conscience, they ought to behave toward one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

(audio)

Pater noster

Ób lony vy en somájlibím!
C joktódas smov lók.
C jóci memlóčov lók.
C jǫpoqyly roþív lók, ěma en somájlibím ěvi v en orþěbě.
Chlebov lony jumí hab lony ojúm.
V staqpu lony chotálác menny, ěvi v nány nostaqpovy chotálác nož lony.
V la sabé nýc en tonésíny, éla žal nýc leč rogovo.
Amen.

Schleicher's fable

Sověc v porosyly

Sova věc bo fojǫšovi qobáj rája porosy; ahod fojožórer čobid merčab, ahod fojoshab rób homol, v ahod fojoshab odom išǫ. Sověc kala porosili: «Lébov jomorar li, rějoto odom mosožér porosy.» Porosyly kaly: «Stosmeqi, sova, lébov jomorar lony, rějili vy: odom, baqlov, jaqši noposlu qobájvobi sověto ham molbes. Vén sověc bo jǫšovi qobáj.» Sameqa vy, sověc boraha en mesvójovo.

(audio)

The Sheep and the Horses

A sheep that had no wool saw horses; one was pulling a heavy wagon, one was carrying a big load, and one was carrying a man quickly. The sheep said to the horses: "My heart pains me, having seen a man driving horses." The horses said: "Listen, sheep, our hearts pain us, having seen this: a man, the master, makes out of the wool of the sheep a warm garment for himself. So the sheep has no wool." Having heard this, the sheep fled into the plain.