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Deep Time And Ceaseless Motion: A Challenge

From:John Cowan <cowan@...>
Date:Saturday, June 2, 2001, 22:03
Here's a challenge for people who are interested in proto-language
reconstruction.  Please send your answers directly to me
(cowan@ccil.org) rather than to the list!

The following 84 roots (the affixes particular to each language have
been removed) represent semantically equivalent terms in six descendant
languages of a hypothetical proto-language.  They are a subset of
the 100-term Swadesh list.  The representation is SAMPA IPA.
The estimated time-depth is very long, perhaps 20,000 years.
There may have been borrowings from other languages!

al elr goln elak ik itm
bi faru vas pwamsl Supes fosm
bo kal gaZ var perod Zol
boZi osl fol vlebal vlowtmod mofod
dim zemaws zamo zem zop osow
domum brow nogu nedg nik zifof
fe mag xolzom gew Zwaw imig
fow kjows Zpas fromg fwar ofwoz
fu met mod molud med omb
gaj elr nig feg les bon
gom pwi puZol puds puz lo
jawfo sawr romxir lof kpeds zomor
ka zlumg vu faf vus Zolof
kaw frog gluZm maxl Zwolm odjoz
kim laz olim lek glodm oknol
kja bowl ox bex oxem kolug
kjom ware vur onolu Sars odbol
koj xiz ison fem koleZ kowz
la joln xoln goriled xolwoZ kol
laj braZ xeZs golm nwod rokn
lam vldm viliZ valdem vuldem Zokd
li sus dsom sas dodeg sozu
ljomni gelg golg gelZ vlevg burum
lu derl del der dermd Zond
mom nom nomiZ enfl niZum umdom
mwi junum Somom nikal SwamZum mudo
nwom druv demo zeln dvos mon
ram gir solz bul korezm foluz
row gon omo pam us So
ru dsomz dsom rapoms dsow umsodof
saj kaz dul gofad xorop lod
Sim duz fuS dunwams dwanu fozlo
Soj sorm mogim xol mexos zubl
sum kul dimo ewams druZ donwo
Swoj bis vonp vwa moxo gozon
Swoj kelm dumxo gelm log golm
taj jog Zor omz koz noZo
tja dus fows dams dozusd Sorod
vom vronv nomdor efad verm fozum
wa mows muZ meZ meZ rowr
wat rub vosl ek ruds jolog
wi buZ num vad luf donog
wim djun sal moz vrus dofok
wim grojz fozor mif efrog xowm
winoj vrin vuZ vrin vule luZo
wja riml Zomzlo rim rim gonolu
wom dneg zjom in zun zikom
wom egwor omg ek xrod owm
xaj zox giso val dofog gorf
xam lis Sol lowd gelum Sozlo
xi fem ods ed geds ozno
xom rupl Suxol uxoz vwaZum gofuz
xom zlow dig dag dik Sob
Za som lodom ramxi utug rudom
Zaj komz kos nom ligo woz
Zam mawn nom nemfla unam udn
Zi slu soli olfer zwalup Zotol
Zim bir vilm wam verm noru
zim me Som gemed tmo orun
Zjaw ogjo Sor oxi pozo no
Zjom dlgr Zogol lazemz gligr zowl
Zo domz las olam vudeg lonr
Zo drosl koswo nos slop gosor
zo rolS fol xlomz forZew goful
Zoj flm Soro gan SaZ oklog
zoj lez nolx golasal zolex zolf
zom epon omzo ep ude fowzo
Zom nojmsm vokol nemsom xolo Sofor
Zom rom ronf rolx zrum sojur
Zu fows gos nelz gid godon
Zu log vosol leg gonum dokl
Zu mu xismo lezwo gorwamo ligfo
Zu rojd Zurol vwek peZ gonro
zu sal volsup swal tunm olz
Zu us gom gen wads ogor
Zu zams zoms zwams tiv dum
Zum dsol sol adslaw tputz moSn
Zum flz Zulu op vsud sowl
Zum mwi mopum mep mep Sozuz
Zum xlum kolus palz tarwem okzol
Zumtom golzwog kluzow gelodem dwalsd gorf
Zwja froz logs domxl gleb zon
Zwoj dnor roxi vagam nor gorur
Zwowi lawm foluZ wipu zeZs nosol

A "rot13" hint about the relationships:

Ynathntr "n" fcyvg bss svefg.  Ynathntr "s" fcyvg bss arkg.
Gur bgure ynathntrf unir n pbzzba cnerag, ohg "o" naq
"q" unir vasyhraprq bar nabgure gb fbzr rkgrag.

--
John Cowan                                   cowan@ccil.org
One art/there is/no less/no more/All things/to do/with sparks/galore
        --Douglas Hofstadter

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Danny Wier <dawier@...>