Kuŋu Śāŋhtomāŋanitu Saukun

If Baranxtimans knew what Christianity was, and if they didn’t just borrow Christ as *Xristi [xəˈriːstɪ] or maybe the whole of Christmas as *No’el [ˈnoːʔəl] or *Vainaxten [ˈβɑɪ̯naxtən] or *Krismes [kəˈriːsməs], how would they wish you a Happy Christmas?

Kuŋu Śāŋhtomāŋanitu Saukun!

[ˈkuːŋɯ ʃɒːŋˈxtoːmɒŋanitɯ ˈsɑʊ̯kɯn]
kun-k·u śāŋ-htom-ān-k-an-i=tu sauk⟨u⟩n
have_child-PASS·N blessed-oil-PST-PASS-PTCP-M=GEN joyful⟨N⟩

Happy birth of the one covered in blessed oil!

Baranxe’i – Translation: Conlang Thoughts

Over at Benung, Carsten wrote a post about a recent article on conlangs, including a comment he left and a translation thereof into Ayeri.

And because he’s right and this is indeed a text with some interesting structures and vocabulary, here’s the thing in Baranxe’i:

Śaphēvira maŋujakanen śīr otahēvira? Ŋē, viśun serem ēþ ġa tait maŋvaranu. Ēþaumē mēsau hiso aimat lākluja kamat otahēvīra, tśā viśu ha sinðu atmaun maŋul aŋśinra. Otahēvīra lunāno ā śvādāno ā eivāśāno valkus bileśarsi kautlīśsi aŋana asaġtvumē hēfkokś – mēzu þinu ha’inun ētēn āmuŋī õn aumḗ almu bajika taipú a’i ajires mē – mēzu juŋanuhēŋ eivaśul htvu þintvu ha’inuŋ aśvarna ā ha’inuś hēvīŋarhām sepna ajireña, autśā āmuŋú arusar ētīrtu. Āmur ŋalfaþ eikśmuf, ēlāþo iś śaphēvīra haþa aimat lākluja kamat otahēvīra, ŋalesar hēvīr ratanux aś ētkanuja, atmaun maŋussinen īŋokś? Taiþem ēþ a’i ēlāst mē. Ha ðeir ajuŋal asvarnanuf ā hõŋ þinun ha’inus kavata ŋasanú sereino õn uśño varnanuf. Þinus ētkuŋ ētes.

Baranxe’i – Inari and Andala: An Introduction

A quick video in Baranxe’i for your delight:

Try and guess what’s going on before reading on!

Baranxe’i: Numerals

Originally, I wanted to write a post on Baranxe’i sandhi, but I seem unable to write the rules down in a way that makes sense outside of my head (and it’s difficult to disentangle diachronic rules that are important to analyse inherited compounds and derived forms from synchronic rules which govern suffixes and clitics), so I thought I’d make a post about numerals in Baranxe’i instead.

Because who loves numerals? This guy does.

Numerals – Aŋurana

Baranxe’i employs a decimal counting system.

Cardinal Numerals

Among cardinals, Baranxe’i makes a distinction between numerals as used for counting (which are also the number names), and numerals as used to indicate the quantity of a noun.

one	am	[ɑːm]
two	aþar	[ˈɑːθɐɾ]
three	eik	[eɪ̯k]
four	śi	[ʃiː]
five	air	[ɑɪ̯ɾ]
six	haz	[hɑːz]
seven	źu	[ʒuː]
eight	hā	[hɒː]
nine	leið	[leɪ̯ð]
ten	tainen	[tɑɪ̯nən]

To indicate the quantitiy of a noun, the adjective forms of the numbers have to be used (pronunciation only given for the stem).

one	mā	[m-]
two	aþrā	[ˈɑːθɾ-]
three	eikā	[ˈeɪk-]
four	śā	[ʃ-]
five	airā	[ˈɑɪr-]
six	hazā	[ˈhɑːz-]
seven	źvā	[ʒβ-]
eight	hājā	[hɒːj-]
nine	leiðā	[ˈleɪð-]
ten	tainen	[ˈtɑɪnən]

So, if one counts ewes in Baranxe’i, one poins their finger at them and goes “am, aþar, eik, śi…”, but if one talks about them, it’s “ma koða / aþrava koðava / eikaja koðaja / śaja koðaja /…”

Baranxe’i: Phonology – Vowels

Baranxe’i has eight fully phonemic vowels, which in Standard Baranxe’i have three main realisations: that in a stressed syllable (lengthened, iśñajatkanu, I), in an unstressed, non-final syllable (unchanged, mēźu, M), and in a final syllable (reduced, vimujatkanu, V).

These gives the following main vowels for SB:
/ / – I – M – V
/a/ – [ɑː] – [ɑ] – [ɐ]
/ɒ/ – [ɒː] – [ɒ] – [ɒ̆]
/e/ – [eː] – [e] – [ə]
/ɛ/ – [ɛː] – [ɛ] – [ɛ̆]
/i/ – [iː] – [i] – [ɪ]
/y/ – [yː] – [y] – [ʏ]
/o/ – [oː] – [o] – [ɤ]
/u/ – [uː] – [u] – [ɯ]

In addition, there is a marginal phonemic distinction between [u] and [ɯ], but due to its extremely limited appearance it is generally not counted.

The SB diphthongs are /aʊ̯ aɪ̯ eɪ̯ ɛɪ̯ oɪ̯/, of which /oɪ̯/ is extremely rare.

Baranxe’i: Phonology – Consonants

Baranxe’i has a consonant inventory of medium size, with four main series plus a marginal series, four  ‘other’ consonants, and a few other marginal phones.

The four series are generally referred to as the labial, dental, alveolar and velar series. Each contains a voiced and a voiceless stop, a voiced and voiceless fricative, and a voiced nasal (with the exception of the alveolar series, which contains two voiced and two voiceless fricatives, or affricates):
Labial /p b ɸ β m/
Dental /t d θ ð n/
Alveolar /s z ʃ ʒ ɲ/ + /ts dz tʃ dʒ/
Velar /k g x ɣ ŋ/
The other consonants are the two liquids /r/ and /l/, /h/ and the glide /j/.
The marginal phonemes are the preaspirated stops /ʰp ʰt ʰs ʰk/ and the dental stop with nasal release /tⁿ/.

Baranxe’i – The Sugar Fairies

First of all, I want to post a Baranxe’i drabble I wrote recently. It’s a quick summary of the second half of the origin story of the Sugar Fairies, a class of mythical beings who lurk in the night and try to first sex up, then devour unsuspecting travellers.

The drabble doesn’t contain the first part of the story (fairies complain about the creation of humans, the gods make concessions, but one group demands to receive honey, the most sacred of all substances) and doesn’t detail the results of the curse (the fairies eat human flesh to capture the taste of sugar), but here it is, nevertheless:

English

Baranxi, the cunning god, took bamboo and pushed it into honey. He gave it to the fairies and said to them: “Well, honoured sisters, this is the honey plant. Till the soil, plant it, and you shall harvest an abundance of honey!”
The fairies went away, planted the honey-bamboo in the soil, and it grew and grew and flourished and flourished.

After the harvest of the plants, the fairies ground them into a paste, and tried to sell it. But the first man they tried to sell it to laughed and said to them: “Oh, sisters, someone tricked you! This isn’t honey!”
The fairies became furious, chopped the man into pieces, dipped him into the paste, and ate him.

Baranxi, the god of justice, came and said to them: “Oh, sinners! Had you been angry with me, you would have been in the right. But you sinned. The plant I gave you is sugar, and you shall always crave it, but you shall never get it.”
He went away, and the cursed fairies wept.

—

Baranxe’i

Baranxi anar leimīrśi jaśãn sahnānis ā xõ mēlēf hirdānisun. Þokrandaŋ juŋānisun ā kunānīseŋ: “Ŋē, ðeitaja ēmanðkanaja, viśu ha lunlu mēlē. Sadźaja rauvun, vīlsajaunus, ā mēlēnhaŋen nalñisaþa!”
Þokrandaja āmursānaśa, mēlēnjaśãn xõ rauvuf vīlsānaśa, ā mandu lolunāno ā luslosāno!

Aś nalnimē lunaltvu, þokrandaja okśāsar śvāðataśauŋ ā kśauġaun maulānaśa. Rausa āŋi alē’i þini ha’inir kśauġaun maulānaśa xaxanānis ā kunānīsēŋ: “Ŋo, ðeitaja, leimī̃r daŋānestra! Viśu ha a’i mēlē mē!”
Þokrandaja raxsānaśa ā alē’in śanihānaśa ā okśaur jāŋānaśans ā vaurānaśans.

Baranxi anar farantu xaśtānis ā kunānīseŋ: “Ajā, zurŋana! Raxśēþamat, zantú raþāþa. Rausa zurŋāneþa. Lunlun juŋāŋanunans ha lēifēś, fīzau ŋaliśāþaun, mēsau irnēziśāþaun!”
Āmursānis, þokrandaja rañulaukāŋanaja rokantānaśa.

—

Gloss

Baranxi anar leimīrśi jaśãn sahnānis ā xõ mēlēf hirdānisun.
Baranx•i anar leimīr-ś•i jaśa[n]n sahn-ān-i-s ā xõ mēl•ē-f hird-ān-i-s=u-n
Baranxi•M deity trick-ADJ•M bamboo[ACC] take-PST-M-ABS and in honey•F-ADPOS push-PST-M-ABS=3.INAN-ACC
Baranxi, the tricky deity, took bamboo and pushed it into honey.

Þokrandaŋ juŋānisun ā kunānīseŋ:
þokrand-a-ŋ juŋ-ān-i-s=un ā kun-ān-i-s=se-ŋ
fairy-F-ACC.PL give-PST-M-ABS=3.INAN.ACC and say-PST-M-ABS=3.ANIM.PRES-ACC.PL
He gave it to the fairies and said to them:

“Ŋē, ðeitaja ēmanðkanaja, viśu ha lunlu mēlē.
ŋē, ðeit•a-ja ēmanð-k-an•a-ja, viś•u ha lunl•u mēl•ē”
well, sibling.OTHER•F-PL revere-PASS-PTCP•F-PL, MED•INAN be.3.INAN plant•INAN honey•F
“Well, revered sisters, this is the honey plant.

Sadźaja rauvun, vīlsajaunus, ā mēlēnhaŋen nalñisaþa!”
sadź-a-ja rauv•u-n, v-īl-s-a-ja=u-n=u-s, ā mēl•ē-n-haŋen nalñ-is-a-t-ja
cut-F-PL soil•INAN-ACC, CAU-below-VBLZ-F-PL=3.INAN-ACC=3.INAN-ADPOS, and honey•F-ACC-too_much harvest-FUT-F-2-PL
Cut open the soil, lower it into it, and you will harvest too much honey!”

Þokrandaja āmursānaśa, mēlēnjaśãn xõ rauvuf vīlsānaśa, ā mandu lolunāno ā luslosāno!
þokrand-a-ja āmur-s-ān-a-s-ja, mēlē-jaśa[n]n xõ rauvu-f v-īl-s-ān-a-s-ja, ā mand•u lo~lun-ān-o ā lus~los-ān-o
fairy-F-PL away-VBLZ-PST-F-ABS-PL, honey-bamboo[ACC] in soil-ADPOS CAU-below-VBLZ-PST-F-ABS-PL, and DIST•INAN INT~grow-PST-INAN and INT~spread-PST-INAN
The fairies went away, lowered the honey-bamboo into the soil, and it grew a lot and spread a lot.

Aś nalnimē lunaltvu, þokrandaja okśāsar śvāðataśauŋ ā kśauġaun maulānaśa.
aś naln•i-mē lunl-tu-u, þokrand•a-ja okśā[s]r śvād-jat-a-s-ja=u-ŋ ā kśauġ-a=u-n maul-ān-a-s-ja
after harvest•M-TEMP fruit-GEN.PL-INAN, fairy•F-PL mush[INSTR] become-CAU-F-ABS-PL=3.INAN-ACC.PL and sell-INF=3.INAN-ACC try-PST-F-ABS-PL
After the harvest of the fruit, the fairies turned them into a mush and tried to sell it.

Rausa āŋi alē’i þini ha’inir kśauġaun maulānaśa xaxanānis ā kunānīsēŋ:
rausa m-k•i alē•i þin•i ha’in•i-r kśauġ-a=u-n maul-ān-a-s-ja xaxan-ān-i-s ā kun-ān-i-s=sē-ŋ
but one-ORD•M man•M PROX•M REL•M-DAT sell-INF=3.INAN-ACC try-PST-F-ABS-PL laugh-PST-M-ABS and say-PST-M-ABS=3.ANIM.PRES-ACC.PL
But the first man whom they tried to sell it to laughed and said to them:

“Ŋo, ðeitaja, leimī̃r daŋānestra! Viśu ha a’i mēlē mē!”
ŋo, ðeit•a-ja, leimīr daŋ-ān-e-s=tra! viś•u ha a’i mēl•ē mē
oh, sibling.OTHER•F-PL, trick exhibit-PST-ANIM-ABS=2.DAT.PL! MED•INAN be.3.INAN NEG1 honey•F NEG2
“Oh, sisters, s/he played you a trick! This isn’t honey!”

Þokrandaja raxsānaśa ā alē’in śanihānaśa ā okśa[u]r jāŋānaśans ā vaurānaśans.
þokrand-a-ja rax-s-ān-a-s-ja ā alē•i-n śanih-ān-a-s-ja ā okśā[u]r jāŋ-ān-a-s-ja=ns ā vaur-ān-a-s-ja-ns
fairy-F-PL furious-VBLZ-PST-F-ABS-PL and man•M-ACC chop_up-PST-F-ABS-PL and mush[ADPOS] CAU\give-PST-F-ABS-PL=3.SG.ANIM.ABS.ACC and eat-PST-F-ABS-PL=3.SG.ANIM.ABS.ACC
The fairies became furious and chopped the man up and put him into the mush and ate him.

Baranxi anar farantu xaśtānis ā kunānīseŋ:
Baranx•i anar faran-tu xaśt-ān-i-s ā kun-ān-i-s=se-ŋ
Baranxi•M god law-GEN come-PST-M-ABS and say-PST-M-ABS=3.ANIM.PRES-ACC.PL
Baranxi, the god of law, came and said to them:

“Ajā, zurŋana! Raxśāþamat, zantú raþāþa. Rausa zurŋānaþa.
ajā, zurŋ-a•n-a! rax-s-j-a- ̄-t-ja=mat, zant-ú rat-j-a- ̄-t-ja. rausa zurŋ-ān-a-t-ja
oh, sin-F•AGT-PL! furious-VBLZ-SJV-F-SJV-2-PL=1.SG.OBL, righteous-ADV stand-SJV-F-SJV-2-PL. but sin-PST-F-2-PL
“Oh, sinners! Had you become angry at me, you would have stood righteously. But you sinned.

Lunlun juŋāŋanunans ha lēifēś, fīzau ŋaliśāþaun, mēsau irnēziśāþaun!”
lunl•u-n juŋ-ān-k-an•u-n=ans ha lēi-fēś, fiz-sau ŋal-is-j-a- ̄-t-ja=u-n, mē-sau irnēz-is-j-a- ̄-t-ja=u-n
plant•INAN-ACC give-PST-PASS-PTCP•INAN-ACC=1.SG.INST be.3.INAN sweet-salt, all-time.ADV want-FUT-SJV-F-SJV-2-PL=3.INAN-ACC, NEG-time.ADV get-FUT-SJV-F-SJV-2-PL=3.INAN-ACC
The plant given by me is sweet salt, you shall want it all the time, you shall get it none of the time!”

Āmursānis, þokrandaja rañulaukāŋanaja rokantānaśa.
āmur-s-ān-i-s, þokrand-a-ja rañu-lauk-ān-k-an•a-ja rokant-ān-a-s-ja
away-VBLZ-PST-M-ABS, fairy-F-PL bad-bind-PST-PASS-PTCP•F-PL cry-PST-F-ABS-PL
He went away, the cursed fairies cried.

Note: Infixes are marked with [] because I can’t use angular brackets here.