First Linguifex Relay/Valian

Here follows the Valian source text for the First Linguifex Relay. Note that it is strictly forbidden to create public English translations of this text and its derivations while the relay is running, so please avoid doing so. It only spoils the fun. If you are not partaking in the relay, do not worry, a proper translation will be published after the relay has run its course.

Saola Peadid

ilmana riigin vaevannain
saolana saolain elennain
saolana viihma tarvasin
(äryanänna peadid)
lumalle aega
täsarma hiiva
västamma aura
(äryanänna peadid)
neesta Vastaa
ruunann' pahaa!

Dictionary

ilmaan: to wander, to go over, to walk, to go astray.

riik: a domain, a land, a kingdom.

vaevanna: a dreamer.

saolaan: to sing, to chant.

saola: a song, a tune, a chant.

elenna: unliving, non breathing.

viihma: death, disease.

tarvas: an oak tree, a tree.

aryaan: to leave, to flee, to abandon.

pead: a sparrow; peadid (dual form, metaphorical usage) lovebirds, an affectionate couple.

lumalle: frost, icing cold, a form of melancholy associated with wintertime.

aega: a sharp point, a jab, a stab, a dolt, a tip.

täsaan: to freeze, to become ice, to solidify.

hiiva: water, a body of water, (archaic) the ocean.

vastaan: to pass by, to overlook, to flow around, to run rapidly.

aura: time.

nee: third person singular, equivalent of «he, she, it»

-st: suffix that means "and, too", alternative form -sta (chiefly poetic).

Vastaa: a personification of winter, Father Winter.

ruunanna: one who knows, one who sees.

pahaa: mysteries, secrets. (no plural)

Notes

Consonant gradation is something to be mindful of, see Valian consonant gradation. Another thing to be mindful of is stem vowel changes in class I verbs (type magaan) when changing tenses and parts of speech.

Word order is primarily SVO with modifiers coming after the head. There are some exceptions, e.g. compound words/phrases as siisede ('hope-path') instead of expected *sedesiit (*'path-hope').

The genitive is formed by apposition, see Valian syntax for a more thorough in-depth explanation.

Nouns do not inflect for much, see Valian noun inflection.

Verbs are easy to inflect, cf. guide on Valian verb tenses for a guide. Relevant endings in this text are -na, -nänna, 3sg and 3pl.pst respectively.

nb. Valian is a zero-copula language.

Some handy derivational morphemes

• -mma/-ma: turns a verb into a noun that indicates the verb action, e.g. ruunamma ('seeing')
• -nna: turns a verb into a noun that carries out the verb action, e.g. saolanna ('singer')
• e- : creates a negative version of the verb, e.g. eselaan ('to silence') from e + saolaan