Now a word from the Cats....

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The Babel Text

The Babel Text is an evolving database comparing how different languages, natural and artificial, can be used to translate the same passage.

Another purpose of The Babel Text is to encourage designers of model languages to demonstrate how those languages would actually be used in sustained discourse. Most langmakers (myself included) do not provide much text actually written in their language. It is hoped that The Babel Text will become a standard document for model-language designers to translate into their languages.

Thanks to Chris Bouchard for permission to use his music as heard on the Star Wars: Revelations soundtrack

From Langmaker.com:

Detailed in C.J. Cherryh's "Chanur" series, Hani has a phonology fit for lions and inspired by the sounds the author's cats made.
Uniqueness	It has a phonology fit for lions.
Language Sources	CJ Cherryh derived the phonology and a few words from the sounds her cats made. Her few sentences were expanded into the work shown on the web pages.

This is G o o g l e's cache of http://randyb.byu.edu/alioth/hanbab.html as retrieved on Apr 5, 2005 01:40:25 GMT:

Babel text for the Hani language

( CJ Cherryh's home page)

Within this translation, the hyphen (-) is used to show the morphemic boundaries. It is not in common usage to add them in either the Hani script or the standard romanization of the Hani language. Below each verse there is a morpheme for morpheme translation. Brackets ([]) are used to indicate where the Hani word boundaries fall and slashes (/) indicate the morpheme boundaries within the 'word.'

1h. Fai-shukh-aarn nai-Terra lin-aarn hen-fhaif chuch hen-fhaan.

1e. [prep/all/adj.] [s/Earth] [one/adj] [3psa/language] and [3psa/speech].

2h. Viarr, ri nai-neg shaih-hiuman-aa-im fai-rrach-haur hen-bek, ri nai-hen-aa fai-kah-gfaan Shinar-im hen-chuj-m'ha shiah-nab chuch hen-mosh-m'ha chai-nup.

2e. As, [past] [s/group] [a/human/plural/of] [prep/east/from] [3psa/journey], past [s/3p/pl] [prep/land/in] [Shinar/of] [3psa/find/3poa] [a/plane] and [3psa/dwell/3poa] [d.o./there].

3h. Ri nai-hen-aa hen-rukh-m'ha kha chai-laam, "Re nai-mur m'chaun-m'ha chai-shir-aa chuch shaohsh-aarn mur-khaumsam'ha chai-hen-aa." Nai-hen-aa chai-turr-aa-viarr hen-shiarr-m'ha chai-shir-aa chuch chai-orr-chup-viarr hen-shiarr-m'ha chai-ull.

3e. [past] [s/3p/pl] [3psa/say/3poa/reflexive] [d.o./this] [imperative] [s/1p] [1psa/make/3poa] [d.o./brick/pl] and [complete/adj] [1psa/fire/3poa] [D.O/3p/pl] [s/3p/pl] [prep/stone/pl/as] [3psa/use/3poa] [d.o./brick/pl] and [d.o./solid/oil/as] [3psa/use/3doa] [d.o/morter].

4h. Ri nai-hen-aa hen-rukh-m'ha chai-laam, "Re nai-mur mur-chi mur-chaul-m'ha chai-jiahn chuch chai-naukh tai-faat hauitia nai-mur fai-kuut-aa-khe hen-bog-m'ha; re nai-mur mur-chi mur-gaif-m'ha chai-llauhn uukh haatia khai-mur-aa kurr-aarn fai-nekhrhof fai-terra-im mur'rrib.

4e. [past] [s/3p/pl] [3psa/say/3pd.o.a] [d.o./this] [imperative] [s/1p/pl] [1p/for] [1psa/build/3poa] [d.o./city] and [d.o./tower] [possessive/relative clause marker] [future/desire/affirmative] [3psa/top] [d.o./heaven/pl] [s3pa/reach/d.o.a]; [imperative] [s/1p] [1p/for] [1psa/make/d.o.a] [d.o./name] so [not/affirm] [passive/1p/pl] [away/adj] [prep/surface/on] [prep/Earth/of] [1psa/scatter].

5e. Ri Na nai-Rraohm hen-raos uukh nai-hen h'-gfirr-m'ha chai-jiahn chuch chai-naukh, chai-faat ri-rait fai-hiuman-im nai-chaach-aa hen-chauul-m'ha.

5h. [past] Lord [s/God] [3psa/descend] so [s/3p] [3psa/see/d.o.a] [d.o./city] and [d.o./tower] [d.o./relativiser] [past/anterior] [prep/human/of] [s/child/pl] [3psa/build/d.o.a].

6e. Ri na nai-Rraohm hen-rukh-m'ha chai-laam, "fai-shukh-aarn nai-hiuman-aa hen-chan chuch hen-fhiaf; haa-hau-ro-tia khai-haamrhaohch, chai-faat ri-rait nai-hen-aa h'-siaj-m'ha, hen-haurr h'-mia-naohs-m'ha.

6h. [past] Lord [s/God] [3psa/say/d.o.a] [d.o./this] [prep/all/adj] [s/humam/pl] [3psa/unite] and [3psa/language]; [neg/fut/det/aff] [passive/nothing], [d.o./relative clause maker] [past/anterior] [s/3p/pl] [3psa/imagine/d.o.a] [3p/from] [3psa/away/hold/d.o.a].

7h. "Re nai-mur-aa m'-raos chuch nu-paarn mur-kaf-m'ha tai-hen chai-fhiaf, uukh haa-hau-ro-tia nai-hen-aa h'-rhaarn-m'ha tai-ges chai-fhaan."

7e [imp] [s/1p/pl] [1psa/descend] and [there/adj] [1psa/confuse/d.o.a] [possessive/3p] [d.o./language] so [neg/fut/det/aff] [s/3p/pl] [3psa/understand/d.o.a] [possessive/other] [d.o./speech].

8h. Uukh, ri Na nai-Rraohm kurr-aarn fai-nekhrh-of fai-terra-im mur-'-rrib-m'ha chai-hen-aa: chuch ri nai-hen-aa h'-llaig-m'ha fai-jiahn-im chai-chaul.

8e. So, [past] Lord [s/God] [away/adj] [prep/surface/on] [prep/Earth/of] [3psa/this appostrophe is for the Roman alphabet; it's not needed in the Hani script;1 r and 2r's are separate letters in Hani/scatter/d.o.a] [d.o./3p/pl] and [past] [s/3p/pl] [3psa/stop/d.o.a] [prep/city/of] [d.o./build].

9h. Rhau, ri khai-Babel, nai-faat hen'-sem-m'ha chai-kaf, nai-hen h'-pukh-m'ha; rrum ri Na nai-Rraohm shukh-aarn fai-terra-im hem-kaf-m'ha chai-fhiat: chuch ri Na nai-Rraom kurr-aarn fai-nekhrh-of fai-terra-im hem'-rrib-m'ha chai-hen-aa.

9e. Therefore, [past] [passive/Babel], [s/relative clause marker] [3psa/mean/d.o.a] [d.o./confuse], [s/3p] [3psa/call/d.o.a]; because [past] Lord [s/God] [all/adj] [prep/Earth/of] [3psa/confuse/d.o.a] [d.o./language] and [past] Lord [s/God] [away/adj] [prep/surface/on] [prep/Earth/of] [3psa/scatter/d.o.a] [d.o./3p/pl.]

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