Sturnan
by Christopher Wright
The Text
A hifras ko sok ko hilkes a thimaneg
Fe asag hifras eti meisken
ak sakor. Len aleiru ko dun nafar, analge meisken sol suon kardalge duom
koem a thimaneg. Bansalge iru ihadh steias hep a pemanna thimanegel. Len
las ahukwe, analge sakor len bavei dhegos, ak seon sekalge "Suon ven bansalge
fe" dain nai analge ed pir gera nelen. Suon disothalge, "Nai, im bansei sok
ko hilkes." A sakor emalge pertin ri suon. Suon kersalge ak kaloksalge vineg
seon.
English version
The story of the sign word of the monastery
This is a story about a thief and a priestess. In a time long ago, there
was a thief that had a house near a monastery. He wanted some valuable things
from the guardian of the monastery. In a certain day, there was a priestess
standing outside, and she said, "Perhaps he wants this" because there was
none at any other place. He said, "No, I would like a sign word." The priestess
became angry toward him. He ran and hid far from her.
Vocabulary
a the
ahukwe day
ak and
aleiru time (specific)
anlei there to be (like Sp. haber)
bansei to want
dain because
dhegos outside
disothei to reply
dun far, distant
doum home, house
ed at
emei to dole out, distribute
esei to be
eti about
fe this
gera place
hep from
hifras story
hilkes sign
ihod thing (pl. ihadh)
iru some
kaloksei to hide
kersei to run
ko of
las a certain
len in
meisken thief
nafar the past
nai no, not
nelen else
pemanna protector, guardian
pertin anger
pir any
ri to, towards
sakor priest, priestess
sekei to say
seon she
sok word
sol that
steias rich, valuable
suon he
thimaneg monastery
ven perhaps, possibly
vineg far from
Grammar
Noun plurals: -i for consonant or "a" endings; else -dh.
Genetive: -el (plural -il[e])
Verb conjugation:
Infinitive: -ei
1s present: -em
3s past: -alge (anlei -> analge)
Polite to use the infinitive.
SVO word order. Nouns usually precede their adjectives. Grasai (other
modifiers) wherever the speaker pleases. Actually, that last is totally incorrect,
but it's a simple lie when you don't have to speak the language.