Noygwexaal Babel text

As ever, comments welcome.

ga-beejbelcwiriyuygoor
/ga "be:j.bEl'kwI.rIN'UN.gO:r/
ga-beejbel.cwiriy.uygoor
the(h)-Babel.stair.downward_shaft
The Staired Shaft of Babel[1]


1a. ceš šemgwexaal fa šemeyaal puur-i-teywin gwelmux
1b. /kES SEm'gwEx.a:l fa SEm'EN.a:l pu:r i 'tEN.wIn 'gwEl.mUT/
1c. cek kem.gwexaal fa kem.eyaal puur-i-teywin gwel.mux
1d. now one.speech and one.tongue the(m)-S-world_c
    speak.obl_3co(m)_3ev
1e. Now the whole world had one language and one tongue.


2a. soo ec ziywaaru i-gooras riybiruy, taan ey-šiinaar nen hweej
    anšand, far taan uloor hweej etenarand.
2b. /so: Ek zIN'wa:.ru i 'go:r.as rIN.bIr'UN, ta:n EN 'Si:.na:r nEn
    hwe:j an'Sand, far ta:n U'lO:r hwe:j 'Et.En"ar.and/
2c. soo ec ziy.waaru i-gooras riybir.uy, taan ey-šiinaar nen hweej
    anš.and, far taan uloor hweej etenar.and
2d. as to right.turning[2] S-people(co)[3] migrate.obl_PTC(3ev), in
    the(a)-Shinar cavern they(w_co) find.obl_3co(w)_3ev, and in there
    they(w_co) settle.obl_3co(w)_3ev
2e. As men moved eastwards, they found a plain in Shinar, and they
    settled there.


3a. ec nuut: "aaj, va-bayeer ariinjoorcilac looygax laa vaš cuuraw!"
    hweej gweland.
    ec malec looygax lonaaruy tiywilven, far ec domon fant hweej
    lonaartiland.
3b. /Ek nu:t  a:j, va baN'E:r ar'i:n"jO:rk.il.ak 'lo:N.gaT la: vaS
    'ku:r.aw  hwe:j 'gwel.and/
    /Ek 'mal.Ek 'lO:N.gaT lOn'a:r.UN tIN'wIl.vEn, far Ek 'dom.on fant
    hwe:j lOn"a:r.tIl'and/
3c. ec nuut: "aaj, va-bayeer ariin.joorc.ilac looygax laa vaš
    cuuraw!" hweej gwel.and
    ec malec looygax lonaar.uy tiywil.ven, far ec domon fant hweej
    lonaar.til.and
3d. to each_other: "Come, OBJ-they(h_co) complete.bake.obl_PTC(2ev)
    bricks(co) we(co) let make!" they(w_co) say.obl_3co(w)_3ev
    to stone brick be_substituted.obl_PTC(3ev) line.obl_3co(h)_3ev,
    and to mortar tar they(w_co) be_substituted.CAU.obl_3co(w)_3ev
3e. They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them
    thoroughly."
    They lined with brick instead of stone, and used bitumen for
    mortar.


4a. taan aaren-naa: "aaj, dan abforqiinuygoor mogadoor[4] laa vaš
    cuuraw, tooru-gaar ec aarn xalan laa vaš salm, fa loc
    puu-teywenjuugen laa vaš miyvaardanuuler," -hweej gweland.
4b. /ta:n 'a:.rEn na:  a:j, dan ab.for"Di:n'UN.go:r 'mO.ga.do:r la:
    vaS 'ku:r.aw, 'to:.ru ga:r Ek a:rn 'Tal.an la: vaS salm, fa lok
    pu: 'tEN.wEn"ju:.gEn la: vaS mIN"va:r.dan'u:.lEr, hwe:j
    'gwel.and/
4c. taan aaren-naa: "aaj, dan ab.forq.iin.uygoor moga.door laa vaš
    cuuraw, tooru-gaar ec aarn xalan laa vaš salm, fa loc
    puu-teywen.juugen laa vaš miy.vaardan.uuler," -hweej gwel.and
4d. in that-time: "come, with
    depths.penetrate.prs_PTC(2ev).down_shaft wall.city us(co) let
    build, this-way to self(co) name us(co) let enflame, and on
    the(m)-earth.surface us(co) let not.disperse.obl_3co(w)_2ev" -
    they(w_co) said.
4e. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a
    shaft that reaches to the depths, so that we may make a name for
    ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."


5a. šut ga-cuurawuymogadoor fa ga-cwiriyuygoor palis
    puur-il-abtaanabšem narmox.
5b. /SUt ga 'ku:r.aw.UN"mO.ga.do:r fa ga 'kwI.rIN"UN.go:r pal.is pU:r
    il ab'ta:n.ab.Sem 'nar.mOT/
5c. šut ga-cuuraw.uy.moga.door fa ga-cwiriy.uygoor pal.is
    puur-il-ab.taan.ab.šem nar.mox
5d. but the build.obl_PTC(3ev).wall.city and the-stair.down_shaft
    see.obl_PTC(1ev) the(m)-S-deep.in.deep.one[5]
    ascend.obl_3sgl(m)_3ev[6]
5e. But the LORD came up to see the city and the staired shaft that
    the men were building.


6a. "ni ey-šemgwexaalgwelan šemgoorosotaaran tooru-tii manuuis hweej
    joytiland, ey eenuris hweej manuuis cam-tii, ec va-hweej
    miytolmanuugax otaaruleer," puur-il-abtaanabšem gwelmox.
6b. /ni EN 'Sem.gwE"Ta:l.gwE.lan SEm'go:r.Os.O"ta:r.an to:r.u ti:
    man'u:.Is hwe:j 'jON.tIl.and, EN 'e:n.Ur.Is hwe:j man'u:.Is kam
    ti:, Ek va hwe:j 'mIN.tOl.man"u:.gaT O'ta:r.U.le:r, pu:r Il
    ab"ta:n.ab'SEm gwEl'mOT/
6c. "ni ey-šem.gwexaal.gwel.an šem.gooros.otaar.an tooru-tii manuu.is
    hweej joy.til.and, ey eenur.is hweej manuu.is cam-tii, ec
    va-hweej miy.tol.manuu.gax otaar.uleer," puur-il-ab.taan.ab.šem
    gwel.mox
6d. "if the(3sgl_a)-one.language.speak.prs_PTC_1ev
    one.people.be.prs_PTC_1ev this-thing do.obl_PTC_1ev they(w_co)
    begin.CAU.obl_3co(w)_3ev, then project.obl_PTC_1ev they(w_co)
    do.obl_PTC_1ev any-thing, to OBJ-they not.un.do.able
    be.obl_3co(w)_2ev," the(m)-S-deep.in.deep.one
    speak.obl_3sgl(m)_3ev
6e. The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they
    have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be
    impossible for them.


7a. "aaj, naris far ey-hweejgwexaal loo vaš eyaalevrenamal,
    aaren-gaar nuut hweej miyaagruculeer."
7b. /a:j, 'nar.Is far EN 'hwe:j.gwE.Ta:l lu: vaS EN"a:l.Ev.rEn.a'mal,
    'a:.rEn ga:r nu:t hwe:j mIN"a:.grUk.U'le:r/
7c. "aaj, naris far ey-hweej.gwexaal luu vaš eyaal.evren.amal,
    aaren-gaar nuut hweej miy.aagruc.uleer"
7d. "Come, ascend.obl_PTC_1ev and the(a)-they(w_co).language I(sgl)
    let tongue.stir.obl_3sgl(m)_2ev[7], that-way each_other
    they(w_co) not.understand.obl_3co(w)_2ev"
7e. "Come, let us go up and confuse their language so they will not
    understand each other."


8a. tooru-cond va-hweej veš aaren-daar ec puu-teywennay
    puur-il-abtaanabšem vaardantilmox, fa ga-mogadoor cuurawuy hweej
    tocuutand.
8b. /'to:.ru kOnd va hwe:j vES 'a:.rEn da:r Ek pu: 'tEN.wEn.naN pu:r
    Il ab'ta:n.ab.Sem va:r'dan.tIl.mOT, fa ga mO.ga'do:r 'ku:.ra.wUN
    hwe:j tOk'u:.tand/
8c. tooru-cond va-hweej veš aaren-daar ec puu-teywen.nay
    puur-il-ab.taan.ab.šem vaardan.til.mox fa ga-moga.door cuuraw.uy
    hweej tocuut.and
8d. this-reason OBJ-they(w_co) from that-place to
    the(m)-world.realms(co) the(m)-S-deep.in.deep.one
    disperse.CAU.obl_3sgl(m)_3ev, and the(h)-wall.city
    build.obl_PTC_3ev they(w_co) stop. obl_3co(w)_3ev
8e. So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and
    they stopped building the city.


9a. aaren-cond beejbel bayeer xaldven- meqiin ey-teywennaygwexaal
    taan aaren-daar puur-il-abtaanabšem eyaalevrenmox.
    veš aaren-daar va-hweej ec puu-teywennay puur-il-abtaanabšem
    vaardantilmox.
9b. /'a:.rEn kOnd 'be:j.bEl baN'e:r 'Tald.vEn  me'Di:n EN
    'tEN.wEn.naN"gwE.Ta:l ta:n 'a:.rEn da:r pu:r Il ab'ta:n.ab.Sem
    EN"a:l.Ev.rEn'mOT
    vES 'a:.rEn da:r va hwe:j Ek pu: 'tEN.wEn.naN pu:r Il
    ab'ta:n.ab.Sem va:r'dan.tIl.mOT/
9c. aaren-cond beejbel bayeer xaldven- meqiin ey-teywen.nay.gwexaal
    taan aaren-daar puur-il-ab.taan.ab.šem eyaal.evren.mox
    veš aaren-daar va-hweej ec puu-teywen.nay puur-il-ab.taan.ab.šem
    vaardan.til.mox
9d. that-reason Babel it(h) be_named.obl_3co(h)_3ev- because
    the(a)-world.realms(co).language in that-place
    the(m)-S-deep.in.deep.one tongue.stir.obl_3sgl(m)_3ev
    from that-place OBJ-they(w) to the(m)-world.realms(co)
    the(m)-S-deep.in.deep.one disperse.CAU.obl_3sgl(m)_3ev
9e. That is why it was called Babel- because there the LORD confused
    the language of the whole world.
    From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole
    earth.


[1] (title):   In Noygwexaal belief, the sky is a place of outer darkness
(though this is not the expression they would use), the home of "elvish
demons of air and star".  The orcish heavens are in the utter depths of the
earth.  Accordingly, I have reversed the polarity of the "tower" of Babel
to make it more understandable to the context.
[2] (verse 2): The prime direction to the Noygooras is north (they have
magnetic particles in their brain which aid them in direction-finding
underground).  East is considered to be "turning right" from north.
[3] (verse 2): The subject of the sentence is marked on all regular nouns;
however, compare verse 3, where the object is marked on the pronoun
_bayeer_.  This is normal; the object is marked on pronouns, except where
there is a subject-marked regular noun.  Thus, "he gives it to her", would
mark the object on both "it" and "her", but "he gives a rock to her" would
mark only "her" with the object-marker, and "the man gives it to her" would
mark the subject on "the man".  Confused?  You will be... :)
[4] (verse 4): "Mogador" is a small village not too far from where I grew
up.  It has such a Tolkienesque sound to it that I couldn't resist turning
it into their word for "city" :)!
[5] (verse 5): About the best literal translation of "LORD" is "the deep
one in the deep" or "the one deep in the deep".
[6] (verse 5): In English, as in the original, the plural form is used with
a singular subject.  This is unnatural to the point of actually illegal in
Noygwexaal, so I have re-couched the language concerning the Deity in
singular form.
[7] (verse 7): This is not the usual word for "confuse", but fits the
context better than _goorxevreniix_ - "to mind-stir".


What do you think?

Geoff