Literature:Schleicher's fable

Schleicher's fable (PIE: avis akvāsas ka) is an artificial text composed in the reconstructed language Proto-Indo-European (PIE), published by the German linguist August Schleicher in 1868 (the year of his death). Schleicher was the first scholar to compose a text in PIE. The fable is entitled "Avis akvāsas ka" ("The Sheep and the Horses"). Various scholars have published revised versions of Schleicher's fable since his original text as the idea of what PIE should look like changed over time. The fable may serve as an illustration of the significant changes that the reconstructed language has gone through during the last 140 years of scholarly efforts.

Translations

Schleicher's fable

English

The Sheep and the Horses

On a hill, a sheep that had no wool saw horses, one of them pulling a heavy wagon, one carrying a big load, and one carrying a man quickly. The sheep said to the horses: "My heart pains me, seeing a man driving horses". The horses said: "Listen, sheep, our hearts pain us when we see this: a man, the master, makes the wool of the sheep into a warm garment for himself. And the sheep has no wool". Having heard this, the sheep fled into the plain.

Proto-Indo-European (PIE)

Schleicher, 1868

Avis akvāsas ka

Avis, jasmin varnā na ā ast, dadarka akvams, tam, vāgham garum vaghantam, tam, bhāram magham, tam, manum āku bharantam. Avis akvabhjams ā vavakat: kard aghnutai mai vidanti manum akvams agantam. Akvāsas ā vavakant: krudhi avai, kard aghnutai vividvant-svas: manus patis varnām avisāms karnauti svabhjam gharmam vastram avibhjams ka varnā na asti. Tat kukruvants avis agram ā bhugat.

Hirt, 1939

Owis ek’wōses-kʷe

Owis, jesmin wьlənā ne ēst, dedork’e ek’wons, tom, woghom gʷьrum weghontm̥, tom, bhorom megam, tom, gh’ьmonm̥ ōk’u bherontm̥. Owis ek’womos ewьwekʷet: k’ērd aghnutai moi widontei gh’ьmonm̥ ek’wons ag’ontm̥. Ek’wōses ewьwekʷont: kl’udhi, owei!, k’ērd aghnutai vidontmos: gh’ьmo, potis, wьlənām owjôm kʷr̥neuti sebhoi ghʷermom westrom; owimos-kʷe wьlənā ne esti. Tod k’ek’ruwos owis ag’rom ebhuget.

Lehmann and Zgusta, 1979

Owis eḱwōskʷe

Gʷərēi owis, kʷesjo wl̥hnā ne ēst, eḱwōns espeḱet, oinom ghe gʷr̥um woǵhom weǵhontm̥, oinomkʷe meǵam bhorom, oinomkʷe ǵhm̥enm̥ ōḱu bherontm̥. Owis nu eḱwobh(j)os (eḱwomos) ewewkʷet: "Ḱēr aghnutoi moi eḱwōns aǵontm̥ nerm̥ widn̥tei". Eḱwōs tu ewewkʷont: "Ḱludhi, owei, ḱēr ghe aghnutoi n̥smei widn̥tbh(j)os (widn̥tmos): nēr, potis, owiōm r̥ wl̥hnām sebhi gʷhermom westrom kʷrn̥euti. Neǵhi owiōm wl̥hnā esti". Tod ḱeḱluwōs owis aǵrom ebhuget.

Adams, 1997

H₂óu̯is h₁ék̂u̯ōs-kʷe

[Gʷr̥h_xḗi] h₂óu̯is, kʷési̯o u̯lh₂néh₄ ne (h₁é) est, h₁ék̂u̯ons spék̂et, h₁oinom ghe gʷr̥h_xúm u̯óĝhom u̯éĝhontm̥ h₁oinom-kʷe ĝ méĝh_am bhórom, h₁oinom-kʷe ĝhménm̥ h_xṓk̂u bhérontm̥. h₂óu̯is tu h₁ek̂u̯oibh(i̯)os u̯eukʷét: 'k̂ḗr h_aeghnutór moi h₁ék̂u̯ons h_aéĝontm̥ h_anérm̥ u̯idn̥téi. h₁ék̂u̯ōs tu u̯eukʷónt: 'k̂ludhí, h₂óu̯ei, k̂ḗr ghe h_aeghnutór n̥sméi u̯idn̥tbh(i̯)ós. h_anḗr, pótis, h₂éu̯i̯om r̥ u̯l̥h₂néh_am sebhi kʷr̥néuti nu gʷhérmom u̯éstrom néĝhi h₂éu̯i̯om u̯l̥h₂néh_a h₁ésti.' Tód k̂ek̂luu̯ṓs h₂óu̯is h_aéĝrom bhugét.

Kortlandt, 2007

ʕʷeuis ʔkeuskʷe

ʕʷeuis iosmi ʕuelʔn neʔst ʔekuns ʔe 'dērkt, tom 'gʷrʕeum uogom ugentm, tom m'geʕm borom, tom dgmenm ʔoʔku brentm. ʔe uēukʷt ʕʷeuis ʔkumus: kʷntske ʔmoi kērt ʕnerm ui'denti ʔekuns ʕ'gentm. ʔe ueukʷnt ʔkeus: kludi ʕʷuei, kʷntske nsmi kērt ui'dntsu: ʕnēr potis ʕʷuiom ʕulʔenm subi gʷormom uestrom kʷrneuti, ʕʷuimus kʷe ʕuelʔn neʔsti. To'd kekluus ʕʷeuis ʕe'grom ʔe bēu'gd.

Lühr, 2008

h₂ówis h₁ék’wōsk^we

h₂ówis, (H)jésmin h₂wlh₂néh₂ ne éh₁est, dedork’e (h₁)ék’wons, tóm, wóg’^hom g^wérh₂um wég’^hontm, tóm, b^hórom még’oh₂m, tóm, d^hg’^hémonm h₂oHk’ú b^hérontm. h₂ówis (h₁)ék’wob^hos ewewk^we(t): k’ḗrd h₂g^hnutoj moj widntéj d^hg’^hmónm (h₁)ék’wons h₂ég’ontm. (h₁)ék’wōs ewewk^w: k’lud^hí, h₂ówi! k’ḗrd h₂g^hnutoj widntb^hós: d^hg’^hémō(n), pótis, h₂wlnéh₂m h₂ówjom k^wnewti séb^hoj g^whérmom wéstrom; h₂éwib^hosk^we h₂wlh₂néh₂ né h₁esti. Tód k’ek’luwṓs h₂ówis h₂ég’rom eb^huge(t).

Atlantic

La Xari i lus Chavolyus

E incop un criu una xari siny noia viḍeil arpol chavolyus, nu e ilus cu aḍ troiri nu cur garvi, nu oltr cu aḍ fiariri nu oniri grandi, i nu oltr cu aḍ fiariri charilomenti nu hom. Dixil la xari âlus chavolyus: «Intra pinyu-m murt, pandu viḍi nu hom cu aḍ duhiri chavolyus.» I dixirunt lus chavolyus: «Oiḍi, xari! Nus intra pinyomu-n murt pandu lûnc viḍimu: nu hom, il partun, charpil la noia dâ xari i an fail nu vistiment chariḍ pro sivi. I dindi la xari ê siny noia.» Lûnc oiḍiṭ, la xari cucuril imbura nila proniṭoṭi.

Harākti

Latin

Hāvi nu ākuē

Hāvi, kuah nē kahti hulanāh, hūet ākun: sen velkaman guerhat vegan, sen megid dāistān, sen endūhsān pitaiman. Hāvi dēket ākām: "Kēr-met mē idāiti, hauēmanin endūhsān hagman ākun." Ākuē dēker: "Stōnlu, hāvi! Kardai-set apan idānti hauēmanei: endūhse, asha, hulanās hāvēn īeti tentsi ghermā lubāran, nu hāvi nē kahti hulanāh." Kā stonsuese ghembet hāvi gimrai.

Cuneiform

𒇻𒄿 𒉡 𒀁𒆪𒂍	UDU-i nu ā-ku-ē
𒇻𒄿 𒆪𒀪 𒌋𒉡 𒅗𒀪𒋾 𒄷𒆷𒈾𒀀𒀪 𒄷𒌋𒀉 𒀁𒆪𒌦	UDU-i ku-ah ŪL ka-ah-ti hu-la-na-a-ah hu-u-et ā-ku-un
𒊺𒂗 𒃾𒂖𒅗𒈠𒀭 𒄖𒅕𒄩𒀖 𒊺𒂗 𒃲𒄉 𒁕𒀀𒅖𒋫𒀀𒀭	se-en ve-el-ka-ma-an gu-er-ha-at se-en GAL-id da-a-is-ta-a-an
𒊺𒂗 𒇽𒌷𒇻𒀀𒀭 𒁉𒋫𒅎𒀭 𒁲𒂊𒆠𒀉 𒀁𒅗𒀀𒄠	se-en LÚ.U₁₉.LU-a-an pi-ta-im-an UDU-i de-e-ke-et ā-ka-a-am
𒊮𒅀 𒈨𒂊 𒄉𒀁𒄿𒋾 𒄩𒌋𒂍𒈠𒉌𒅔 𒇽𒌷𒇻𒀀𒀭	ŠÀ-YA me-e id-ā-i-ti ha-u-ē-ma-ni-in LÚ.U₁₉.LU-a-an
𒄩𒀞𒈠𒀭 𒀁𒆪𒌦 𒀁𒆪𒂍 𒁲𒂊𒆠𒅕 𒅖𒌈𒌑𒄧𒇻 𒇻𒄿	ha-ag-ma-an ā-ku-un ā-ku-ē de-e-ke-er is-to-o-on-lu UDU-i
𒊮𒄭𒀀𒉌 𒀊𒀭 𒄉𒀀𒀭𒋾 𒄩𒌋𒂍𒈠𒉈𒄿 𒇽𒌷𒇻𒂊	ŠÀ-ḪI.A-NI ap-an id-a-an-ti ha-u-ē-ma-ne-i LÚ.U₁₉.LU-e
𒂗𒀀 𒄷𒆷𒈾𒀀𒀸 𒇻𒂊𒂗 𒐊𒂊𒋾 𒋼𒂗𒍣 𒄄𒅕𒈠𒀀	BĒLU-a hu-la-na-a-as UDU-e-en ī-e-ti te-en-tsi ghe-er-ma-a
𒌆𒊏𒀭 𒉡 𒇻𒄿 𒌋𒉡 𒅗𒀪𒋾 𒄷𒆷𒈾𒀀𒀪 𒅗𒀀	TÚG-ra-an nu UDU-i ŪL ka-ah-ti hu-la-na-a-ah ka-a
𒅖𒌈𒄧𒋗𒂊𒊺 𒄄𒁽𒁁𒀉 𒇻𒄿 𒆤𒅎𒊏𒄿	is-to-on-su-e-se ghe-em-be-et UDU-i gi-im-ra-i

Lifashian

So masy aw tí esyúi

Nyé masy, pesy hawláná ne astát, elerset esyúás; nyé nyam arabam karetántám etenget, nyé nyim tangtom duwsátam eberet, nyé lengom nyim báturom eberet. So masy tós esyúwi amulút: «Mintat syardém duwsa résy mewi puréti, pimbe báturom, esyúám lúkétom, wilémi.» Tí esyúi tási masyí amulút: «Hú, a masy! Mintá syardéa duwsa résy ósmi puréti, pimbe histom wilémas: nyé bátur, so kirius, et tosy masyé hawlánam eynemeti. Dán méat hawlánehi ha tosy masyé esti.» Histom ahút, so masy gacewam ham at peliné etinemat.

Socovíc

Sovēc v porosele

Sova vētla bo foječon qobáj jerí porosi; okdomov foježórer čobid merčab, okrobov fojeshab rób homol, v šolefov fojeshab ęso išǫ. Sovēc jamári porosili: «Lébov li márér, rájoto ęso mosožéro porosi.» Porosele jamáre: «Stosmeqi, sova, lébov lone márér, rájili ve: ęs, baqlov, qošē noposlu qobájvobi sovēto ham molbes. Vén sovētla bo jef qobáj.» Somoqa ve, sovēc jebráhi en mesvójovo.

Yassi

Wok au sǝl

Wok kǝ yiṇ ow na wrase, sal ksase. Əs ās man wazan wyan, ǝs ās maz kāṇ twan, ǝs ās man kim twan. Wok mnase: "Mǝnǝy sǝl mǝx̌k kte kǝ ksam kǝ kim sǝl pse". Sal mnasel: "Kǝr, yo wok! Mǝlk sǝl mǝx̌k kte tar ksǝsamǝl kǝ kim ow nme aw qati yǝl pew rām ce. Au wokal ow maš na wrase." Wok yǝ krab wṇal wamnase.

Backstory

When Yassi was discovered by Western linguists, they first thought it was an Iranian, at least Indo-Iranian, language and therefore translated the Schleicher's fable into Yassi for comparison purposes. Though it was then discovered that Yassi rather belongs to the Uralic family, a significant part of its vocabulary remains Iranian: Words like ās (horse), maz (big), wazan (wagon, cart) and wok (sheep) are loanwords from (Eastern?) Proto or Old Iranian.

Avendonian

En uno ogo, uno scapo ce ne abia nila vula saio peredi, uno tianti uno vagno svaro, uno draganti una lasto grota, e uno draganti uno menisco snelie. El scapo segui a li peredi: "El erte mede me smerta, seianti uno menisco drivanti peredi." Li peredi seguin: "lose, scapo, li erte nosde nos smertan cando vi seiamos eco: uno menisco, el ero, mace la vula d'el scapo en una cleditio varma per se. E'l scapo ne abe nila vula." Posde orenti eco, el scapo flovo en la evanita.

Soc'ul'

Nivlaux Neinei

Mum'ay eý, añ'uc'iý neinei nivlaux āhñ'in' nivla xen'e, āhñ'ihtsireu jál a r'úh (heavy), āhucuzax jál ád hum xeuiad, āhñ'ihcuzax hez'i r'úl jál a cé. Añ'xauc nivlaux neinei: "Sectabl'a ehc', āhsehuc' cé āhhanr'úí neinei." Añ'xauc neinei: "Cozuei, cuoj nivlaux, sectabl'a ehc' xil eý āhsecuc': atx cé, riýan, al tsed' coil je nivla nivlaux xenuz. Āhñ'in' nivla xen'e nivlaux." Miu añ'uei, añ'jeiñño nivlaux mim'uj je.

Nivlaux

wooly animal

Neinei

horse.PL

Mum'ay

hill

eý,

at

añ'-uc'-iý

CL4>CL4-see-PASS

neinei

horse.PL

nivlaux

wooly animal

āh-ñ'in'

REL-COP.CL4>CL4

nivla

wool

xen'e,

without

āh-ñ'ih-tsireu

REL-CL4>CL2-pull

jál

one

a

ACC.CL2

r'úh

wagon

(heavy),

heavy

āh-u-cuzax

REL-CL4>CL5-carry

jál

one

ád

ACC.CL5

hum

load

xeuiad,

big

āh-ñ'ih-cuzax

REL-CL4>CL2-carry

hez'i

ADVZ

r'úl

quickly

jál

one

a

ACC.CL2

cé.

man

Añ'-xauc

CL4>CL4-say

nivlaux

wooly animal

neinei:

horse.PL

"Sec-tabl'a

1>1-hurt.PASS

ehc',

heart

āh-seh-uc'

REL-1>CL2-see

cé

man

āh-han-r'úí

REL-CL2>CL4-drive

neinei."

horse.PL

Añ'-xauc

CL4>CL4-say

neinei:

horse.PL

"Coz-uei,

2>2-hear

cuoj

VOC

nivlaux,

wooly animal

sec-tabl'a

1>1-hurt.PASS

ehc'

heart

xil

short time

eý

at

āh-sec-uc':

REL-1>1-see

atx

make

cé,

man

riýan,

master

al

ACC.CL3

tsed'

clothes

coil

REFL

je

for

nivla

wool

nivlaux

wooly animal

xenuz.

from

Āh-ñ'in'

REL-COP.CL4>CL4

nivla

wool

xen'e

without

nivlaux."

wooly animal

Miu

PROG

añ'-uei,

CL4>CL4-hear,

añ'-jeiñño

CL4>CL4-flee

nivlaux

wooly animal

mim'uj

plain

je.

to