First Linguifex Relay/Themsaran

Here follows the Themsaran 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.

Ga̋lnàu horáš

Šánokrátnaver lúavâ, i̋egèr,
Ga̋lèv ašt snamíge,
Ránga̋ltnev prâiš,
Luajǎžetnevi títhâr banéžach horašách,
Fǒnìe dánefra̋tē ħanárvē,
Fǒnìe thnǎŧȅ, fǒnìe rīvédrē,
Títhâr kýndêlker ħárvènir,
Luajǎžetnevi títhâr banéžach horašách,
Hébāŋkêv Cholšîe,
Tósasáŧ Cholšîe ŋírámbétȅ.

Gloss

ga̋lnàu horáš
singing-3/4SG.M>SG.DEF/CONJ songbird

šá-nokrá-tn-aver lǔav-â, i̋egr-Ø,
LOC.APP-wander-APP-PASS.PRES.3/4SG.F land-SG.DEF dream.SG.INDEF

ga̋l-èv ašt snamíg-e,
sing-PASS.PRES.3/4SG.M without intention-SG.INDEF

ran-ga̋l-tèn-ev prâiš-Ø,
about.APP-sing-APP-PASS.PRES.3/4SG.M murder.SG.INDEF

lua-jǎž-tn-vi títh-âr banéž-ach horaš-ách,
COM.APP-fly-APP-ACT.PRES.3/4PL.M lover-PL.INDEF songbird-PL.INDEF

fǒn-ìe d<án>efra̋t-ē ħ<ir>árv-ē,
sea-SG.DEF rage<ACT.PART>-SG.M.DEF change<PASS.PART>-SG.M.DEF

fǒn-ìe thnǎŧ-ȅ, fǒn-ìe h<an>ásk-ē,
sea-SG.DEF cold-SG.M.DEF sea-SG.DEF freeze<ACT.PART>-SG.M.DEF

títh-âr kýndêl-ker ħárvn-ir,
two-INDEF season-3/4PL.F>SG.INDEF/CONJ change-PL.INDEF

lua-jǎž-tn-vi títh-âr banéž-ach horaš-ách,
COM.APP-fly-APP-ACT.PRES.3/4PL.M lover-PL.INDEF songbird-PL.INDEF

hé-bāŋk-êv cholš-îe,
IPFV-be_silent-PASS.PAST.IPFV.3/4SG.M deep-SG.DEF

tós-asáŧ cholš-îe ŋ<ír>ámbét-ȅ.
see-ACT.PAST.PFV.3/4SG.M>4SG.M deep-SG.DEF cover<PASS.PART>-SG.M.DEF

Wordlist

Nouns are presented in their singular indefinite, adjectives in their singular attributive indefinite, and verbs in the 1st person jussive.

Themsaran	English	Notes
ga̋lnè	singing, song	noun, f, 2, k
horáš	songbird	noun, m, 1, th
ga̋lî	sing	verb
nókrâi	drift, wander	verb
lǔavè	ground, earth	noun, f, 2, k
i̋egèr	dream	noun, m, 1, k
ašt	without, sans	preposition
snamíge	intention, goal, purpose	noun, f, 2, k
prâiš	murder, assassination	noun, m, 1, g
jāžî	fly	verb
títhâr	two	numeral
banéž	lover	noun, m, 1, k
fǒn	ocean, sea	noun, m, 3, k
défra̋tâi	rage, gust, gale	verb
ħarvî	change (transitive)	verb
thnǎŧ	cold, frigid	adjective, 1/2, k
haskâi	freeze (intransitive)	verb
kýndêl	season, period	noun, m, 1, g
ħárvène	change	noun, f, 2, k
ba̋ŋkêiv	be silent (used in mediopassive)	verb
Chólš	"the deep", ocean personified	noun, m, 3, th
tósâi	see	verb
ŋámbétî	cover, conceal	verb

Grammar

See the main article.

Notes

Nouns

Nouns decline for number, definiteness and possessedness (my, your, his...) and belong to either masculine or feminine gender. There are three declension paradigms and four accent paradigms (one of k, š, th, g) for nouns and adjectives.

Possession

The possessed noun is declined for its own number and definiteness and the possessor's gender and number, in a tonally modified (downstep is not on the ending) form of the 3rd person possessed form (called the conjunct form): klajái ("her house") vs klájài ātmán (my mother's house). In most instances the possessee precedes the possessor.

Definite nouns

The definite forms can be used as a vocative.

Adjectives

Adjectives agree with nouns in number, gender (for "1/2" adjectives 1 is masculine, 2 is feminine, 3 has its own gender pattern), definiteness and possessedness (except for the lack of conjunct forms for adjectives). There is additionally a predicate adjective inflection, not used here.

Verbs

Verbs agree with the definite object as well as the subject in number, person and gender, and conjugate for present, past and future tenses, perfective and imperfective aspects, and for active, mediopassive, causative and applicative voices. There are, broadly speaking, three different conjugations based on the thematic vowel.

Mediopassive voice

The mediopassive voice is used in passive or reflexive meaning, and also in impersonal sentences.

Applicative voice

The applicative voice promotes an indirect or oblique object of the verb to the direct object. It is marked with a mandatory suffix -t(e)n before the personal affix and with an optional prefix. Here the applicative prefix ša- has been used for the locative object, rán- for the and lua- indicates that the object is comitative.

Participles

The active participle is formed by adding the infix <an> and removing final vowels from the 3rd person masculine, and the passive static participle with the infix <ir> added to the bare stem. All participles are 1/2, k.

Obviate

3/4SG.M>4SG.M denotes that the definite object is an obviate 3rd person, or 4th person.