Help your conlang fluency (2)

[VT45]

Zá tudu e-reń eńśrasteń većen. Luaćja eć Sajiwa? O-cuanjasu e nuavia. O-gaźiduat zá eć eń za Farega Cárebień, ba azar ca zá fátt, zá o-gaźiduat naśeń abea e. Eć dáaboa Źamiaca?

[za ˈtu.du ɛ-ɾɛ̃ ˈɛ̃x.ɾɐs.ˌtɛ̃ ˈvɛ.tʃɛn. ˈlu.ɐ.ˌtʃjɐ ɛtʃ sɐ.ˈdʒi.wɐ? ɑ-ˈku.ɐnˌjɐ.su ɛ ˈnu.ɐ.ˌvi.ɐ. ɑ-ˈgɐ.ʒi.ˌdu.ɐʔ za ɛtʃ ɛ̃ zɐ ˈfɐ.ɾɛ.ˌgɐ ˈkɐ.ɾɛ.ˌbi.ɛ̃, bɐ ˈɐz.ɐɾ kɐ za faʔ, za ɑ-ˈgɐ.ʒi.ˌdu.ɐʔ ˈnɐ.ʃɛ̃ ˈɐ.be.ˌɐ ɛ. ɛtʃ ˈda.ɐ.ˌbɑ.ɐ ˈɣɐ.miˌɐ.kɐ?]

That all sound 3S PRS interesting EMP. Where be 3S PRS Sajiwa L2? Know 1S PRS it NEG. Know IMPRS 1S PRS that be 3S PRS in the Sea Caribbean, but other than that fact, that CONJ know IMPRS 1S PRS nothing about it. Be 3S PRS near (southerly connotation) Jamaica?

That all sounds very interesting. Where is Sajiwa? I don't know it. I know it's in the Caribbean Sea, but other than that, I know nothing about it. Is it near Jamaica?

[Bristel]

Nu dí, ivó caife ce grathó mí vor gríns shínái.
[nu dʲiː | ivoː kafʲe ke graθoː miː vor grʲiːns ʃiːnaːi]
Today I am drinking coffee and enjoying the warm weather.

[Imralu]

Getting them pregnant is the aim too. But, to be honest, sometimes I just want to be cooked for, you know?

Ye, mi si, it sem yu a bwiding bok steda osban. So yu du kuk imsef?
Yeah, I understand, it's like you are a breeding buck (= male goat) instead of a husband. So do you cook yourself?

ahe bisa na kku hui kela
yes heat.food NOM.1s.ACS ADV.no break.rank.roles cook
I bisa but I don't kela.

Ngolu distinguishes between bisa cooking food simply by applying heat to make it edible, and kela, cooking as an art form, not only applying heat but also mixing ingredients, making sauces and things like that to actually make the food taste good. If initiated men prepare food for themselves, they can only bisa their food. Kela-ing their food would be an act of le hui, breaking rank roles, which is supposed to anger the god and goddess.

(Btw, I just found that "get belly" is Jamaican for "pregnant", something I'm definitely going to adopt in Sajiwan .)

It's the same in Pacific creoles, gat bel in Tok Pisin. Interested because I don't believe the Pacific creoles are in any way related to the Carribean creoles other than by their relationship to English. The Pacific creoles, Tok Pisin, Bislama, Pijin and Australian Kriol developed mostly in Australia on Sugar Cane plantations among blackbirded labourers from various islands around Australia, although apparently Australian Kriol is from the Sydney area, which I didn't know.

That's a pretty cool (and useful) distinction.

Thanks, but I can't really take the credit. Once I really understood what nachvollziehen means, I just didn't want to merge these concepts in my language. Any idea how to gloss it? If I were glossing in German, lumi would be "verstanden" and joi would be "nachvollzogen".

Mi won dola fi bay ting. Ting sem gahmn an fut an dwingk an smok an kandi an an. A mi it mi paran gi mi, an mi lif de fi yah, ova dem in stuc, an a olda bling mi af bay imsef.
I need money to buy stuff. Things like clothes and shoes and (alcoholic) drinks and sigarettes and (soft)drugs (litt: candy*) and so on. I get my food from my parents, and I live in their home, but they aren't rich, and I need to buy all fancy stuff myself.

joi ene xuua
nachvollzogen DAT.1s.ACS NOM.3s.INAN.DEF-that2
I can understand that.

Where is the word "yah" from and does it mean something like "home" or is it a locative? I can imagine it coming from the word "here" but you've already got "ya". What's the difference in pronunication? Does the <h> indicate a long vowel?

*"Real" candy is for children. If Jego would've meant actual candy, he'd probably say "ray kandi" ("real candy") or "cuga kandi" ("sugar candy") or the like.

It would be pretty funny to find a language like this without knowing the origin of the words ... there's a word for drugs and then the word for candy is "real drug" or "sugar drug", haha!

Ye, de Sajiwa it a kostom dem cal u lif de paran yah til dem ya mari. Ova dis de dem, wen man got af stedi jop, im me lif paran yah an kac imsef os.
Yes, in Sajiwa it's custom for children to live with their parents until they [the children*] marry. But these days, when someone get's a stable job, they may leave their parent's home and get their own house.

to ua ibio ha vai ha uaizues e mala
thus NOM.2s.ACS PRED-want Q stay Q search.and.find ACC.3s.INAN.NSPC house
So what about you; do you want to stay or do you want to find a house?

ha bio tiekas olima ua
Q want soon ORN-wife NOM.2s.ACS
Or do you want a wife soon?

tieka zara toba nas es oto
soon write reply NOM.1s.ACS ACC.3s.INAN.NSPC entity-thus
I'll write more of a reply soon.

zo xema zuo hu
PROG necessary NOM.C move
I've got to go.

*This is actually present in the source, as the "ya" ("here") after "dem" denotes the topic. If the parents were meant, "da" ("there") would be used.

Cool!

EDIT: Clicked the wrong colour.
EDIT: Changed bits and pieces. Added more about creoles.

[YourFace]

Šedrkavestazm?
Šedr-ka-vestazm
like-2^s-llama
do you like llamas?

[VT45]

O-pos zá omas-eńśradus mi fiań.
[ɑ-pɑs za ˈɑ.mɐs ˈɛ̃x.ɾɐ.ˌdus mi ˈfi.ɐ̃.]
Think(emotionally) 1S PRS CONJ introduce 1S JUS me REFL.
I feel like I should introduce myself.

Moa niań eć Daneś Bane.
[ˈmɑ.ɐ ˈni.ɐ̃ ɛtʃ ˈdɐ.nɛʃ ˈbɐ.nɛ.]
My name be 3S Dennis Bennett.
My name is Dennis Bennett.

Ávgo tvanitú jiarz eań zá o-lev eń Vústar, za car av cauśar Aćiarień.
[ˈav.gɑ ˈtvɐ.ni.ˌty ˈji.ɐɾz ɛɐ̃ za ɑ-lɛv ɛ̃ ˈvys.tɐɾ, zɐ kɐɾ ɐv ˈkau.xɐɾ ˈɐ.tʃi.ˌɐ.ɾi.ˌɛ̃.]
Have 1S PRS twenty two years and CONJ live 1S PRS in Worcester, the heart of culture Acadian.
I'm 22 years old and I live in Worcester, the core of Acadian culture.

Cuanjasu-jú e?
[ˈku.ɐn.ˌjɐ.su-jy ɛ?]
Know 2S FORM/2P INT it?
Do you know it?

[jal]

That all sounds very interesting. Where is Sajiwa? I don't know it. I know it's in the Caribbean Sea, but other than that, I know nothing about it. Is it near Jamaica?

Ye, it a smol aylan (twi taym ten-tu mayl) de fo-ten mayl Sos-Is fi Jameka. Acali, it a swel Smol Sajiwa (wan taym twi mayl) de sis mayl Wes, an wan smol smol aylan (smol pas wan mayl) de wan mayl Nos-Is.
Yes, it's a small island (three times twelve miles) at fourty miles South-East from Jamaica. Actually, there's also Small Sajiwa (one times three miles) at six miles West, and one very small island (less than one mile) at one mile North-East.

Sajiwa is a fictious island, at the exact location of the Morant Cays, I basically just elvated the enitire under water plateau. I have a provisional map, that's in want of finishing for over two years, which I'll publish on the board once finished.


JAL

[jal]

Ngolu distinguishes between cooking food simply by applying heat to make it edible, bisa, and cooking as an art form, not only applying heat but also mixing ingredients, making sauces and things like that to actually make the food taste good.

Again a cool distinction. I can do the first, but really not the second :).

It's the same in Pacific creoles, gat bel in Tok Pisin.

Interesting, thanks.

Thanks, but I can't really take the credit. Once I really understood what nachvollziehen means, I just didn't want to merge these concepts in my language. Any idea how to gloss it? If I were glossing in German, lumi would be "verstanden" and joi would be "nachvollzogen".

Wouldn't that be "appreciate" in English? As in "I appreciate your concerns"?

Where is the word "yah" from and does it mean something like "home" or is it a locative?

It's from English "yard". I can't take credit for it, AIU it's common in CECs to refer to home with "yard", as most living is done outside.

I can imagine it coming from the word "here" but you've already got "ya". What's the difference in pronunication? Does the <h> indicate a long vowel?

Yeah, "ya" is the common CEC word for "here", as opposed to "da", there. vowel + h indeed signifies a long vowel, almost always a reflex of earlier /r/. Originally, long vowels were lost, only to reappear after the language becoming rhoticless. I chose to use Vh instead of VV to make it look a bit different from Jamaican (Cassidy-LePage system).

So what about you; do you want to stay or do you want to find a house?

Mi in se dis ya taym. Os pe losa dolla, an mi in se dis ya taym mi go af stedi jop.
I don't know yet [litt: currently]. Houses cost lots of money, and I don't know yet whether I'll have a stable job.

Or do you want a wife soon?

It in kostom fi mari yong yong, an mi in af fis misa. So mi may ste fo noda ten ye.
It's not the custom to marry very young, and I don't have a serious girlfriend. So I might wait for another ten years.

I've got to go.

Oke, swel swit tok geda yu, luk yu leta bwo!
Ok, again nice talking to you, see you soon bro!

Cool!

Sajiwan has a feature to indicate both literal distance and topical one, depending on the position of "ya/da":

"dis ya man" - this man, the one right here
"dis da man" - that man, the one over there
"dis man ya" - this man, the one I just mentioned, the one that's the topic
"dis man da" - that man, the one that's not the topic


JAL

[Imralu]

Do you hunt or fish?

It in bis fi kac de Sajiwa, ova fi aylan, im af long long taym twadicon fi kac fis. Mos taym, it a kac yus sel. Mi af ongkl im u fis kaca, an som taym wen olide mi sel geda im.
There aren't any animals you can hunt on Sajiwa, but it being an island, it has a long tradition of catching fish. Mostly it's caught by boat. I have an uncle [i.e. some older male relative] who's a fisherman, and sometimes during the holiday I sail with him.

Ha hu azo uta ua?
Q move other island NOM.2s.ACS
Do you go to other islands?

Ha ti autamba ua?
ha ti a-uta-mbV ua
Q PRF be.LOC-island-AUG NOM.2s.ACS
Have you been to big land? (= the mainland, a continent)

Minu in ple fay sem wo fay, ova nof man mek dans o rap bakl. Mi dans i rap moc gut.
We don't play fight like war fight [i.e. we don't have the war-type mock combat], but many people compete in dance or rap battles. I dance and rap pretty good.

Au hale nas eje ntu jo mos a ueberu teuo ttu lumi ene.
first ask NOM.1s.ACS DAT.3s.ACS.DEF Imralu ACC.C what NOM.3s.INAN.NSPC rap.battle second believed understood DAT.1s.ACS
I asked Imralu what a rap battle is and I think I understand.

Tehi e zara ie kilo gai ueberu guue lo xevas ene
tehi e zara ie kilo g-ai ueberu g-uue
maybe IMP write ACC.3p.INAN.NSPC word COP-ABL.3s.INAN.NSPC rap.battle COP-GEN.2s.ACS ADV seen DAT.1s.ACS
Maybe you should write some words of one of your rap battles to show me.

Ova yu u Balu, so yu wil af dis masif bik fay no? An yu wil bos olda taym?
But you are Balu, so you must have this really big fights, right? And you must be the boss [i.e. the winner] all the time?

Zaha bege na lo zola leji azo balu.
fight.without.weapons play NOM.1s.ACS ADV solely COM.3p.ANIM.NSPC other royal.guardist
I only engage in combat sports with other Balu

To kka ho hua mies ahe johua tejo tazu xue hue tta na lo nia iu tera balu
thus no QUOT always but yes usually CAU.C skilled also COMP large NOM.1s.ACS ADV NEG.COMP NOM.3p.ANIM.NSPC majority royal.guardist
So not "always" but, yeah, most of the time because I am good at it and bigger than most Balu.

Hai leji taia toi ahe hua uaia na
if.IRR COM.3p.ANIM.NSPC Earthling thus.IRR yes always win NOM.1s.ACS
If I were to do it with people from Earth then, yeah, I would always win.

Zo to eje ntu to zo tamio na.
zo to jai ntu to zo tta-mio na
PROG thus ABL.3s.ACS.DEF Imralu thus PROG large-self NOM.1s.ACS
Now, Imralu says I'm being arrogant.

Mie kka tamio ha matta to
but no arrogant if correct thus
But one is not arrogant if one is right.

Au hale nas eje jo ha kuema une teuo kka zoi ja xi hos ahe lahe mola xi ho tehi.
first ask NOM.1s.ACS DAT.3s.ACS.DEF ACC.C Q inccorect GEN.1s.ACS second no say NOM.3s.ACS.DEF ACC.3s.INAN.DEF QUOT yes ADV-yes merely ACC.3s.INAN.DEF QUOT maybe
I asked him if I'm wrong and he didn't say "yes" only "maybe".

Uaia na.
win NOM.1s.ACS
I win.

[Clearsand]

Šedrkavestazm?
Šedr-ka-vestazm
like-2^s-llama
do you like llamas?

Woo pesénd kerná lame ne! Hai wuukwei.
/wo pə'sənd keɾ'na 'lamə nə xaɪ 'wukweɪ/
I like lamas! And turtles.

My name is Dennis Bennett.

Niihau Deenis.
/'nixaʊ 'denɪs/
Hello Dennis.

[VT45]

Ye, it a smol aylan (twi taym ten-tu mayl) de fo-ten mayl Sos-Is fi Jameka. Acali, it a swel Smol Sajiwa (wan taym twi mayl) de sis mayl Wes, an wan smol smol aylan (smol pas wan mayl) de wan mayl Nos-Is.
Yes, it's a small island (three times twelve miles) at fourty miles South-East from Jamaica. Actually, there's also Small Sajiwa (one times three miles) at six miles West, and one very small island (less than one mile) at one mile North-East.

U, waćja.
[u ˈwɐtʃ.jɐ.]
Oh, okay.
Oh, okay.

O-cuanjasu e nuavia asteu; zańgań zá eć a-noaleń leru.
[ɑ-ˈku.ɐnˌjɐ.su ɛ ˈnu.ɐ.ˌvi.ɐ ˈɐs.tɛ.ˌu; zɐ̃gɐ̃ za ɛtʃ ɐ-ˈnɑ.ɐ.ˌlɛ̃ ˈlɛ.ɾu.]
Know 1S PRS it NEG still; then again CONJ be 3S PRS INDEF island little.
I still don't know it; then again it's a small island.

Áz oden-dita bafuar, zá moa niań eć Daneś, eań zá tuaz eć Źegu?
[az ˈɑ.dɛn-ˈdi.tɐ ˈbɐ.fu.ˌɐɾ, za ˈmɑ.ɐ ˈni.ɐ̃ ɛtʃ ˈdɐ.nɛʃ, ˈɛ.ɐ̃ za tauz ɛtʃ ˈʒɛ.gu?]
As say 1S PST before, my name be 3S PRS Dennis, and CONJ yours be 3S PRS Diego?
As I said before, my name is Dennis, and yours is Diego?

Dita-jam e cuaśar?
[ˈdi.tɐ-jɐm ɛ ˈku.ɐ.ˌxɐɾ?]
Say 1S PRS PROG INT it kosher?
Am I saying it correctly?

Vau, jomia-cuanjasu źi oaleń zá o-lev áń, zá eć abea áf za fe av Źarmeni.
[vau, ˈjɑ.miˌɐ-ˈku.ɐn.ˌjɐ.su ʒi ˈɑ.ɐ.ˌlɛ̃ za ˈɑ.lɛv ã, za ɛtʃ ˈɐ.bɛ.ˌɐ af zɐ fɛ ɐv ˈɣɐɾ.mɛ.ˌni.]
Well, know 2S FAM SJV the island CONJ live 1S PRS on, CONJ be 3S PRS about half the size of Germany.
Well, you may know the island I live on, it's about half the size of Germany.

Eć niań Núeńgleń.
[ɛtʃ ˈni.ɐ̃ ˈny.ɛ̃.ˌglɛ̃.]
Name 3S PASS New England.
It's called New England.

[احمکي ارش-ھجن]

.ژي ڤشچ ر-تاخڤهو ر-غربي منشم
Žaẏ vošč ṛ-t-ʾAḵuvahu ṛ-Ḡarabi munšam.
[ʝae̯ βoçc͡ç ɹ̩taxuβahu ɹ̩ɣaɹabi munçam]
I write with the Abjad of the Arabs.

[jal]

Do you go to other islands?

Mi wok Smol fyu taym, an wan taym mi sel Jameka wah geda ongkl. Mi won mi me sel som de oda Karibyan Aylan. Ova ray mi in af nof dola fi kac sel.
I've been to Small [Sajiwa] a couple of times, and once I sailed to Jamaica with my uncle. I'd like to be able to sail some day to other Caribbean Islands. But I probably won't have enough money to buy a boat.

Have you been to big land? (= the mainland, a continent)

No, sat Jameka a soso lan mi wok im. Mi won wok dem Stet som de, ova mi in af nof dola.
No, unfortunately Jamaica is the only country I've been to. I'd like to go to the States some day, but I don't have the money for it.

Maybe you should write some words of one of your rap battles to show me.

Mi ray dis jam fo soso yu! Lisn!

I've written a "jam" (i.e. a short rap) just for you! Listen!

^Olda yunu ^pe mi tencion / mi a ^masta fi sas^pencion
^Jego Man dis u mi ^nem / an mi a ^bos fo dis ya ^gem
Mi gona ^tok pon yunu ^bwoda / bo dis ^bwo fwom dis pah ^oda

It a ^Jawu _ / ^bik ^bos ^Balu _
a tu-ten-^sevn im soso ^af / 'va im a ^royl gah no ^laf
dis man ya ^kom de yon yon ^pah / dis taym im ^lif ne minu ^yah
im in kan ^kuk imsef fi ^it / _ oda ^Jah dem mek bik ^fit
a nof nof ^uman im seks^op / im kol it ^"lay" it u fi ^jop
kos gi dem ^beli u fi ^tas / wen ten-fo ^taym no kuki ^pas
_ im a ^bik pas olda ^Balu / bos dem ^oda wen im fay yu
im go mek ^olda yunu ^kway / _ Jawu ^masif bos no ^lay

Jego starts the jam with a "siynata", signature, which is a short, boasting introduction of oneself and may contain (as in this case) a short introduction of the subject. I've marked the stress with ^ in front of the stressed syllable, and added _ where a syllable pause is due. The slash marks sentences, but is not to be taken into account rhythmically. The first line is a slow introduction (along the lines of Mr. Boombastic), followed by up-tempo, fixed rhythm lines (basically 3-1-3-1). The meaning:

All of you pay attention to me / I'm the master of suspencion
Jego Man this is my name / and I'm the boss of this game
I'm going to talk to you guys / about this dude from this other place

It is Jahu / a big boss Balu
just 27 years he is / but he's a royal guard for real [litt. no laugh]
this man comes from a far far place / now he lives near our home
he's not allowed to cook for himself [litt. cook himself to eat] / otherwise the Gods will be very angry
many women he had sex with / he calls it "lying [down]" [and] it's his job
because making them pregnant is his duty / fourteen times he didn't pass up the opportunity [litt. no cookie passed, from the expression "pass the cookie" - not take the bait]
he is the biggest of all the Balu [litt. he's bigger than all Balu] / wins [from] everyone [litt. the others] when he fights you
he would make all of you cry / Jahu [is] a massive boss for real [litt. no lie]


JAL

[Imralu]

Ngolu distinguishes between cooking food simply by applying heat to make it edible, bisa, and cooking as an art form, not only applying heat but also mixing ingredients, making sauces and things like that to actually make the food taste good.

Again a cool distinction. I can do the first, but really not the second .

Jeu na!
same NOM.1s.ACS
Me too.

The reason for the taboo is the Ngolu's bitheistic religion. Ninio is the goddess of life, creation and femininity. Uoqu is the god of death, destruction and masculinity. Neither is seen as inherently good or evil, just two sides of reality that must balance one another. Women, being able to give birth, and children, being the product of that, belong to ninio and the initiation passage of men, becoming a muja, is the process of aligning them with uoqu. This allows them to hunt but disallows them from creative cooking. There are a whole lot of loopholes and ways of allowing various creative processes to be seen as acts of destruction and vice versa.

It's the same in Pacific creoles, gat bel in Tok Pisin.

Interesting, thanks.

Kka tieua.
kka t‹i›eua
no thank‹GDV›
You're welcome.

ba valo ene jeu ixu ilia kariio
very interesting DAT.1s.ACS same NOM.3p.INAN.DEF language creole
I find creoles really interesting too.

Thanks, but I can't really take the credit. Once I really understood what nachvollziehen means, I just didn't want to merge these concepts in my language. Any idea how to gloss it? If I were glossing in German, lumi would be "verstanden" and joi would be "nachvollzogen".

Wouldn't that be "appreciate" in English? As in "I appreciate your concerns"?

Hmm, not really. Appreciate means a whole lot of other things too and in this meaning it's pretty restricted to certain uses I think. For example, where Germans might say Das kann ich nachvollziehen/verstehen., we would never say "I appreciate that," but only "understand".

Mi in se dis ya taym. Os pe losa dolla, an mi in se dis ya taym mi go af stedi jop.
I don't know yet [litt: currently]. Houses cost lots of money, and I don't know yet whether I'll have a stable job.

Ua ikka kue mala ua texi mo?
NOM.2s.ACS PRED-no cause house NOM.2s.ACS CAU.3s.INAN.DEF what
Why don't you build a house yourself? (Not advice, simply a question "why")

Sajiwan has a feature to indicate both literal distance and topical one, depending on the position of "ya/da":

"dis ya man" - this man, the one right here
"dis da man" - that man, the one over there
"dis man ya" - this man, the one I just mentioned, the one that's the topic
"dis man da" - that man, the one that's not the topic

Cool. I like that a lot. In Ngolu, spatial demonstratives and discourse demonstratives are used essentially the same way - connected strongly to grammatical person. Tie (glossed PROX) is associated with the first person, tia (MED) is associated with the second person and tio (DIST) is associated with the third person. They form contractions with nominals, generally just becoming -e, -a and -o respectively. Xuue muja is "the man by me" or "the man I mentioned", xuua muja is "the man by you" or "the man you mentioned" etc. The only place where I think it gets really interesting is to indicate something that is equally near the speaker and the listener. For example, inside a house, "this house" is generally xuua mala "the house by you", politely using the second person as the frame of reference, except for in situations of unequal dominance, where a dominant speaker will use themselves as the point of reference and say xuue mala "the house by me".

I've been to Small [Sajiwa] a couple of times, and once I sailed to Jamaica with my uncle. I'd like to be able to sail some day to other Caribbean Islands. But I probably won't have enough money to buy a boat.

No, sat Jameka a soso lan mi wok im. Mi won wok dem Stet som de, ova mi in af nof dola.
No, unfortunately Jamaica is the only country I've been to. I'd like to go to the States some day, but I don't have the money for it.

E bani aua kuajo vaia bo ua.
IMP money LOC.2s.ACS BEN.C do.everything wanted NOM.2s.ACS
I wish you money / I hope you get money to do everything you want.

Has kos anoi xuaia xi ilia igilixi
Q similar ≈teach LOC.3s.INAN.DEF-MED ACC.3s.INAN.DEF English
Do you learn English there? / Is English taught there?

Mainiu na xi lo zouas ene.
deliberately.learn NOM.1s.ACS ACC.3s.INAN.DEF ADV difficult DAT.1s.ACS
I'm learning it and finding it hard.

Tehi tali eue tejo ko xu xu ilia guue.
maybe easy DAT.2s.ACS CAU.C similar NOM.3s.INAN.DEF NOM.3s.INAN.DEF language COP-GEN.2s.ACS
Maybe it'd be easy for you because it's similar to your language.

Mi ray dis jam fo soso yu! Lisn!

I've written a "jam" (i.e. a short rap) just for you! Listen!

^Olda yunu ^pe mi tencion / mi a ^masta fi sas^pencion
^Jego Man dis u mi ^nem / an mi a ^bos fo dis ya ^gem
Mi gona ^tok pon yunu ^bwoda / bo dis ^bwo fwom dis pah ^oda

It a ^Jawu _ / ^bik ^bos ^Balu _
a tu-ten-^sevn im soso ^af / 'va im a ^royl gah no ^laf
dis man ya ^kom de yon yon ^pah / dis taym im ^lif ne minu ^yah
im in kan ^kuk imsef fi ^it / _ oda ^Jah dem mek bik ^fit
a nof nof ^uman im seks^op / im kol it ^"lay" it u fi ^jop
kos gi dem ^beli u fi ^tas / wen ten-fo ^taym no kuki ^pas
_ im a ^bik pas olda ^Balu / bos dem ^oda wen im fay yu
im go mek ^olda yunu ^kway / _ Jawu ^masif bos no ^lay

Bahe!
very.MIR
Wow!

Ttu zuo ba tazu ueberu ua
believed NOM.C very skilled rap-battle NOM.2s.ACS
I think you're very good at rap battles.

(That's a cool sentence to pronounce: [tʼú.zwó.bá.ta.zú.we.be.ɾú.wá])

Another question. Where does the word u come from? I'm guessing "who"? And how is it used?

[YourFace]

Ttu zuo ba tazu ueberu ua
believed NOM.C very skilled rap-battle NOM.2s.ACS
I think you're very good at rap battles.

Tavislavè sal ésir. Marmaz, ésè bwirtò āl Rap.
bet.1.sing.pres pron.3.sing.obj be.inf | however | be.1.sing.pres terrible at rap
I bet he is. I, however, am terrible at rap.

NOTE: The subject pronouns can be dropped, because the suffix on the verb implies the person of the subject.

[Imralu]

Kaua ti amie nu
never PRF attempt NOM.1s.ICS
I've never tried.

[jal]

I still don't know it; then again it's a small island.

Yu se olda oda Karibyan Aylan? Angwila? Kaykos Aylan? Sen Luca? Nevis?
Do you know all the other Caribbean Islands? Anguilla? Caicos Islands? Saint Lucia? Nevis?

(Jego is a bit sour over you not knowing his home island :))

As I said before, my name is Dennis, and yours is Diego?

Ye, ova "Diego" u spanyol ray. Sajiwan ray u "Jego".
Yes, but "Diego" is the Spanish ortography. In Sajiwan it's written "Jego".

Am I saying it correctly?

Ye, mi kol imsef Jego yus "zy" steda "j", sem olda mi fwen.
Yes, I call myself Jego with "zy" instead of "j", like all my friends.

(Note: "j" /dZ/ and "c" /tS/ are being deaffricated by many younger people.)

Well, you may know the island I live on, it's about half the size of Germany. It's called New England.

Sat mi in se Nyu Inglan. A wo pah im de?
Unfortuntaly I don't know New England. Where is it located?

do you like llamas?

It in lama de Sajiwa. Mi neva neva luk lama.
There are no lama on Sajiwa. I've never seen lamas.

Why don't you build a house yourself?

Mi me, ova Sajiwa u likl aylan, an it in moc gwon fi bil. An gwon pe swel nof dola. Mi me bil os de yah fi mi paran, wen im go ray.
I may do that, but Sajiwa is a small island, and it hasn't much ground for building. And ground is also pretty expensive. I may build a house at my parents', if they agree with that.

(It's not at all uncommon to build a house near or on the property of your parents, depending on the size of their "yard" and the number of children. Alternatively, when there's already a house the grand parents live in, the parents can move to there when the grand parents die, and one of the children (even if living elsewhere) may live in the "main" house.)

Do you learn English there?

Yes, I speak English very well :). Inggles u, say Sajiwan i Spanyol, ofical langwic fi Sajiwa, an olda pikin sta stodi Inggles fwom fehs ye a skul (sep de spanyol pah).
English is, besides Sajiwan and Spanish, an official language of Sajiwa, and all children start to learn English from the first year of school (except in the Spanish part*).

*Sajiwan has a relatively large Spanish speaking population, mostly living at the Northern part of the island.

I think you're very good at rap battles.

Bles yu bos!
Thank you boss!
("bos" is used by the likes of Jego to indicate respect, as opposed to just "bwo", "dude")

Another question. Where does the word u come from? I'm guessing "who"? And how is it used?

"u" is an aspectual particle typically denoting the (present) habitual, which derives from "du". "du" is still used after "u" (so "yu du" vs. "im u"). The "d" got eroded starting, probably with "im du", via "im mu", first only used after consonants, but nowadays "mi u" is also quite common. Apart from it's aspectual sense, it is also used similar to Spanish "ser" (where as "a" is used similar to "estar"), as Sajiwan is zero copula but needs some kind of verbal particle in affirmative sentences.


JAL

[VT45]

Yu se olda oda Karibyan Aylan? Angwila? Kaykos Aylan? Sen Luca? Nevis?
Do you know all the other Caribbean Islands? Anguilla? Caicos Islands? Saint Lucia? Nevis?

Jaat. Vau, lapli av zań.
[ˈjɐ.ɐʔ. vau, ˈlɐ.pli ɐv zɐ̃.]
Yes. Well, most of them.
Yes. Well, most of them.

Kaykos? Dafoań-jo za Máńśiź Ćiacuas?
[ˈkɛ.kus? ˈdɐ.fɑ.ˌɐ̃-jɑ zɐ ˈmã.ʃiʒ ˈtʃi.ɐˌku.ɐs?]
Kaykos? Define 2S FAM PRS INT the Montes Caicos?
Kaykos? Do you mean the Caicos Seamounts?

(Jego is a bit sour over you not knowing his home island )

(Can't say I blame him. Daneś won't be happy to learn that Jego doesn't know his home island either.

Ye, ova "Diego" u spanyol ray. Sajiwan ray u "Jego".
Yes, but "Diego" is the Spanish ortography. In Sajiwan it's written "Jego".

(The way that Daneś spelled it was actually Źegu, which is the closest Acadians can get to pronouncing/"Ze.go/.)

Ye, mi kol imsef Jego yus "zy" steda "j", sem olda mi fwen.
Yes, I call myself Jego with "zy" instead of "j", like all my friends.

Á jaat. Cánn moa páreńs źia-dita moa niań, zá e-reń laat Daneś, ba zá mi eań moa hrańs vi-dita Dáneiś.
[a ˈja.ɐʔ. kan ˈmɑ.ɐ ˈpa.ɾɛ̃s ˈʒi.ɐ-ˈdi.tɐ ˈmɑ.ɐ ˈni.ɐ̃, za ɛ-ɾɛ̃ ˈlɐ.ɐʔ ˈdɐ.nɛʃ, bɐ za mi ˈɛ.ɐ̃ ˈmɑ.ɐ r̥ɐ̃s vi-ˈdi.tɐ ˈda.neʃ.]
Ah yes. When my parents say 3S PRS my name, CONJ ring 3S PRS like Dennis, but CONJ me and my friends say 1P PRS Dah-naysh.
Ah yes. When my parents say my name, it sounds like Dennis, but my friends and I say dah-naysh.

(Daneś speaks with the Inner Acadian dialect, culturally considered to be the equivalent of the Estuary dialect: new and urban middle class. Amongst younger speakers, the vowels of Acadian are collapsing from /ɐ a ɛ i ɑ u y ɐ̃ ã ɛ̃ ĩ ɑ̃ ũ ỹ/ to /a a e i ɒ u y ə a æ i ɔ u y/.)

Sat mi in se Nyu Inglan. A wo pah im de?
Unfortuntaly I don't know New England.

Omas-dita zá jam saproaz. Aćiarieńs vi-cámars većen veś za Carebień.
[ˈɑ.mɐs-ˈdi.tɐ za jɐm ˈsɐ.prɑ.ˌɐz. ˈɐ.tʃi.ˌɐ.ɾi.ˌɛ̃s vi-ˈka.mɐɾs ˈvɛ.tʃɛn vɛʃ zɐ ˈkɐ.ɾɛ.ˌbi.ɛ̃.]
Say 1S JUSS CONJ be 1S PRS surprise. Acadians commerce 1P PRS EMP with the Caribbean.
I must say I'm surprised. Acadians do a lot of trade with the Caribbean.

Lút-joáv barcuz eń Sajiwa zá źiar-vuava za beanar Aćiarień? Eć blú veś a cros vaa eań a poań.
[lyʔ-ˈjɑ.av ˈbɐɾ.kuz ɛ̃ sɐ.ˈdʒi.wɐ za ˈʒi.ɐɾ-ˈvu.ɐ.ˌvɐ zɐ ˈbɛ.ɐ.ˌnɐɾ ˈɐ.tʃi.ˌɐ.ɾi.ˌɛ̃? ɛtʃ bly vɛʃ ɐ kɾɑs ˈvɐ.ɐ ˈɛ.ɐ̃ ɐ ˈpɑ.ɐ̃.]
Look 2S FAM PRS PRF boats in Sajiwa CONJ fly/display 3P PRS PROG the banner Acadian? Be 3S PRS blue with a cross white and a tree.
Have you seen ships in Sajiwa flying the Acadian flag? It's blue with a white cross and a pine tree.

(Once the words tree, three, and free collapsed into each other, pine was generalised to mean all trees. So Acadians will talk about oak pines and birch pines, but not pine pines. They call evergreens as simply pines, relying on context to discern between pines and trees in general.)

Nuatar oaleń eć luaćja of za costa av Nusamreć. Viar-sapre hruań Nújuart par źi Aśriatu Anśeń, jawańźreń miararz á za lapli nárua.
[ˈnu.ɐ.ˌɐɾ ˈɑ.ɐ.ˌlɛ̃ ɛtʃ ˈlu.ɐ.ˌtʃjɐ ɑf zɐ ˈkɑs.tɐ ɐv ˈnu.sɐm.ˌɾɛtʃ. ˈvi.ɐɾ-ˈsɐp.ɾɛ ˈr̥u.ɐ̃ ˈny.ju.ˌɐɾʔ pɐɾ ʒi ˈɐx.ɾi.ˌɐ.tu ˈɐn.ʃɛ̃, ˈjɐ.wɐ̃.ˌɣɾɛ̃ ˈmi.ɐ.ˌɾɐɾz a zɐ ˈlɐ.pli ˈna.ɾu.ˌɐ.]
Our island locate PASS off the coast of North America. Be 1P PRS separated from New York by the Strait Hudson, eight hundred meters and the most narrow.
Our island is located off the coast of North America. We're separated from New York by the Hudson Strait, only 800 meters at its narrowest.

Cvabat eć acros za Fárega Astáracona.
[ˈkvɐ.bɐʔ ɛtʃ ˈɐ.kɾɑs zɐ ˈɱa.ɾɛ.ˌgɐ ˈɐs.ta.ˌɾɐ.kɑ.ˌnɐ.]
Quebec be 3S PRS across the Sea Stadacona.
Quebec is across the Stadacona Sea from us.

O-lev eń Vústar, nuatar cápitau, eań eas tu śeś meujeń pipu.
[ɑ-ˈlɛv ɛ̃ ˈvys.tɐɾ, ˈnu.ɐ.ˌtɐɾ ˈka.pi.ˌtau, ˈɛ.ɐ̃ ˈɛ.ɐs tu ʃɛʃ ˈmɛu.jɛ̃ ˈpi.pu.]
Live 1S PRS in Worcester, our capital and house to six million people.
I live in Worcester, our capital and home to 6 million people.

Źi oaleń tudu ećgo a popúliaśeń av fuarri meujeń.
[ˈʒi ˈɑ.ɐˌlɛ̃ ˈtu.du ˈɛtʃ.gɑ ɐ ˈpɑ.py.ˌli.ɐ.ˌʃɛ̃ ɐv ˈfu.ɐ.ˌri ˈmeu.jɛ̃.]
The island all have 3S PRS a population of forty million.
The whole island's population is 40 million.

[jal]

Kaykos? Do you mean the Caicos Seamounts?

It a pah fi Tahk an Kaykos Aylan.
EDIT: It's a part of the Turk and Caicaos Islands.

(The way that Daneś spelled it was actually Źegu, which is the closest Acadians can get to pronouncing/"Ze.go/.)

Like the Portuguese?

I must say I'm surprised. Acadians do a lot of trade with the Caribbean. Have you seen ships in Sajiwa flying the Acadian flag? It's blue with a white cross and a pine tree.

No, mi in memba. A wo ye yu lif?
No, I can't recall that. In what year do you live?

(Once the words tree, three, and free collapsed into each other, pine was generalised to mean all trees. So Acadians will talk about oak pines and birch pines, but not pine pines.

Funny, in Sajiwan a tree is "pahm" (from "palm (tree)"), and a palmtree is a "koko pahm".

Our island is located off the coast of North America. We're separated from New York by the Hudson Strait, only 800 meters at its narrowest.

Mi luk luk yus gugl, ova Otson Stret de Nohs Kanada, an in say Nyo Yohk?
I searched with Google, but the Hudson Strait is in North Canada, and not close to New York?

The whole island's population is 40 million.

Dis a losa man! Nyu Inglan wil bik bik aylan! De Sajiwa lif soso et- o nayn-ten-tosan man.
That's a lot of people! New England must be a very big island! On Sajiwa there's only eighty or ninety thousand people.


JAL

[Nortaneous]

Cari feriaras letaban nayar am kereuñ? Seycennu fau erayn reunn ced* arey raccera. Deccare, ciah. Ambaccan takre taheññ?
[ˈtsaʑ fɪˈʑaɾɐs ˈɫedɐɓɐn ˈnøːɐɾ ɐm kɪˈruŋ | ˌsyˈtseʰn̥ʊ fɔ ɪˈɾøɳ ɖuʰn̥ tsɪɸ ɐˈɾy ˈɾaʰtsɪɾɐ. ɸɪ̥ʰˈtsaɾɪj, tɕaχ. m̩ˈɓaʰtsɐn ˈtakʂɪ ˈtaχɪʰn̥]
40 million people live on an island? One can hear of such strange things these days. 40 million people in one place, huh. How do they fit?

* An awkward phrasing intentionally made to sound something like cannu fal ererycu "boats full of shit". The speaker is somewhat skeptical.

Haryan, siai serhes nayar, pe ei faia letap am kereucera.
[ˈhaʑɥɐn, ɕɛi̯ ˈseɾχɪs ˈnøɐʐ, pɪj i ˈfeɐ ˈɫetɐp ɐm kɪˈɾutsɪɾɐ]
Our island, Harue, has about twenty thousand people.

[Ultimate Ridley]

Lir líyëx vàksikguä pomævē çät dùräkte, pelnasecä òduï çät tçäxòvalnavēcä òikülepren zêx kuilsïŋavålrotïkarim, gíj pelnasekim òduï çät hègïnikülepårä.
--
[lɪr lɪ̌ˈjɛːʃ vɑ̂ksɪkˈgwɑː pʰo̞ˈmɑɪvɛ̋ ˈs̪ɑːt dûˈɹɑːktɛ pʰɛlnɑsɛˈt͡ʃɑː ô̞ˈdwɪː ˈs̪ɑːt ˈt͡s̪ɑːʃô̞vɑlnɑvɛ̋ˌt͡ʃɑː ô̞.ɪˈkuːlɛpˌɹɛn zɛ᷈ʃ kwɪlˈsɪːŋɑˌvɔːlɹo̞tɪːkɑɹɪm gɪ̌d͡ʒ pʰɛlˈnɑsɛkɪm ô̞ˈdwɪː ˈs̪ɑːt ɦɛ̂ˈgɪːnɪˌkuːlɛpʰɔːɹɑː]
--

Lir

INORG-G.ART

líyëx

land

vàksi-

surrounded by-

kguä

water

po-

ORG-G.identify-

(m)æ-

1p-

vē

HAB.PRS

çät

COP

dùräkte,

Durakte

pel-

INORG-G.identify-

na-

INORG-G.3s-

se-

DUR.PRS-

cä

PAT

ò-

CAUS-

duï

everyone

çät

COP

tçäxòval-

inhabit-

na-

INORG-G.3s-

vē-

HAB.PRS-

cä

PAT

ò-

CAUS-

ikülep-

person-

ren

ORG-G.PL

zêx

number

kuils-

three-

ïŋa-

multiplied by-

vålro-

ten-

tïka-

six-

rim,

exponent

gíj

but.CNJ

pel-

INORG-G.identify-

na-

INORG-G.1s-

se-

DUR.PRS-

kim

NEG

ò-

CAUS-

duï

everyone

çät

COP

hègïn-

large-

ikülep-

person-

årä.

collective

--
Durakte Island^[1] has a population of around three million people, but we don't think that's a big chunk of our^[2] total population.
--
Lit. "The land surrounded by water that we identify to be Durakte, it is identified by everyone to be inhabited by people numbering three times ten to the power of six, but it (that number) is not identified by everyone to be a large collection of people (compared to our total)."

^[1]Durakte is a city located on the eastern coast of the East Mountain Isle; it being the capital of that territory and the first settlement built there, the island itself is often referred to as simply "Durakte" colloquially.
^[2] By "our", I mean the population of the Klimsan Empire.

(We are talking about fictional islands, right?)

[Bristel]

Caná soní enistí? Tóthái mó a só bivant en calí ercuní. Bí es nés?
Where are those islands? My people live in the Hercynian forest. Is that close?

Bivé Romhái en deshív, sevith Vandálí-che Alemhaní san nés tayont.
Romans are to the south, Vandals and Alemanni are close by as well.

[VT45]

It a pah fi Tahk an Kaykos Aylan.

(Translation please?)

Like the Portuguese?

I suppose. The thing is that /o/ in English was realised in New England as a diphthong which was broken centuries ago to /u.ɐ/. So the only back rounded vowel left is /u/.

No, mi in memba. A wo ye yu lif?
No, I can't recall that. In what year do you live?

Ocań-śeńt nuavia zá voa zá evún-bi ralaveń, ba zá eć 1250.
[ˈɑ.kɐ̃-ʃɛ̃ ˈnu.ɐ.ˌvi.ɐ za ˈvɑ.ɐ za ˈɛ.vyn-bi ˈɾɐ.lɐ.ˌvɛ̃, bɐ za ɛtʃ tvauv ˈfɛf.ti.]
Think 1S HORT NEG CONJ why be 3S COND relevant, but CONJ be 3S PRS 1250.
I can't think why that would be relevant, but it's the year 1250.

(It's the year 1250 in the Acadian calendar, but that won't be much good to Jeygo. In the Gregorian calendar, it's the year 3307 for Daneś.)

Mi luk luk yus gugl, ova Otson Stret de Nohs Kanada, an in say Nyo Yohk?
I searched with Google, but the Hudson Strait is in North Canada, and not close to New York?

Vau, o-aspavar zá źeś mát zá eveu-aut jo zá ta-luaćja tudu:
[vau, ɑ-ˈɐs.pɐ.ˌvɐɾ za ʒɛʃ maʔ za ˈɛ.vɛu-auʔ jɑ za tɐ-ˈlu.ɐ.ˌtʃjɐ ˈtu.du:]
Well, hope 1S PRS CONJ this map CONJ help 3S FUT you FAM locate INF all:
Well, I hope that this map will help you to locate everything:



(View in new tab since I think the eastern part of the map is getting cut off here.)

Dis a losa man! Nyu Inglan wil bik bik aylan! De Sajiwa lif soso et- o nayn-ten-tosan man.
That's a lot of people! New England must be a very big island! On Sajiwa there's only eighty or ninety thousand people.

Jaat, źi oaleń eć beng većen. Ef jomia-cuanjasu Źapeań, zá śeńt av Núeńgleń eań za tudu Arćepalagua Aćiarień laat Źapeań, veś Núeńgleń áz Ánśu.
[ˈjɐ.ɐʔ, ʒi ˈɑ.ɐ.ˌlɛ̃ ɛtʃ bɛŋ ˈvɛ.tʃɛn. ɛf ˈjɑ.mi.ˌɐ-ʃɛ̃ʔ ɐv ˈɣɐ.pɛ.ˌɐ̃, za ˈʃɛ̃ʔ ɐv ˈny.ɛ̃.ˌglɛ̃ ˈɛ.ɐ̃ zɐ ˈtu.du ˈɐɾ.tʃɛ.ˌpɐ.lɐ.ˌgu.ɐ ˈɐ.tʃi.ˌɐ.ɾi.ˌɛ̃ ˈlɐ.ɐʔ ˈɣɐ.pɛ.ˌɐ̃, vɛʃ ˈny.ɛ̃.ˌglɛ̃ az ˈã.xu.]
Yes, the island be 3S PRS big EMP. Know 2S FAM SJV Japan, CONJ think IMP of New England and the all Archipelago Acadian like Japan, with New England as Honshu.
Yes, the island is very big. If you're familiar with Japan, think of New England and the whole Acadian Archipelago as being like Japan, with New England as Honshu.

(This is actually a very good analogy. The island of New England is just a little bit larger than the island of Honshu, and quite mountainous as well. It's just the mountains aren't as steep. So when it comes to Daneś's cultural viewpoint, think of a blend of Feudal Japan, the Venetian Republic, and Britain brought forward to the 21st century.)

Cari feriaras letaban nayar am kereuñ? Seycennu fau erayn reunn ced* arey raccera. Deccare, ciah. Ambaccan takre taheññ?
[ˈtsaʑ fɪˈʑaɾɐs ˈɫedɐɓɐn ˈnøːɐɾ ɐm kɪˈruŋ | ˌsyˈtseʰn̥ʊ fɔ ɪˈɾøɳ ɖuʰn̥ tsɪɸ ɐˈɾy ˈɾaʰtsɪɾɐ. ɸɪ̥ʰˈtsaɾɪj, tɕaχ. m̩ˈɓaʰtsɐn ˈtakʂɪ ˈtaχɪʰn̥]
40 million people live on an island? One can hear of such strange things these days. 40 million people in one place, huh. How do they fit?

Vau, áz oden-dita Źegu, zá eć a-noaleń beng.
[vau, az ˈɑ.dɛn-ˈdi.tɐ ˈʒɛ.gu, za ɛtʃ ɐ-ˈnɑ.ɐ.ˌlɛ̃ bɛŋ.]
Well, as say 1S PST Diego, CONJ be 3S PRS island INDF big.
Well, as I told Jego, it's a big island.

* An awkward phrasing intentionally made to sound something like cannu fal ererycu "boats full of shit". The speaker is somewhat skeptical.

I notice a lot of people are skeptical of it. I wonder why. Are all these people from places where islands are all tiny?

[jal]

(Translation please?)

I've edited the original post.

I can't think why that would be relevant, but it's the year 1250.

Ah, dis esplen. Yu si, dis pah u majik pah, an it a eliyan an man wen oda taym.
Ah, that explains it. You see, this place is a magic place, and there are aliens and people from other times.

Well, I hope that this map will help you to locate everything

It luk si ay pas dis taym ay.
It seems the sea level is higher than it is currently.

(View in new tab since I think the eastern part of the map is getting cut off here.)

I didn't have that problem.

I notice a lot of people are skeptical of it. I wonder why. Are all these people from places where islands are all tiny?

De Karibyan, it a losa smol aylan. Soso Kuba an Ispanyola a bik bik, an Jameka an Pweto Riko swel in likl. Ova olda oda aylan u likl.
In the Caribbean, there are lots of small islands. Only Cuba and Hispaniola are really big, and Jamaica and Puerto Rico are also not small. But all the other islands are small.


JAL

[Nortaneous]

Bdza labzu, lqoras bguli zqara ndrashplyu da khrexal zgu njudrashes, mera tsumxs, bgulshi chubisham mqaryam zhgelchi mura zheri thaqus.
His island has a population of about two million because it doesn't have heavily mechanized agriculture or any of that.

Nie, lau seycennuan nie hateut. Serican arey ne ce, saissen, Hiaceffal, am heññ. Cannurre rauserre pian pei letakre ce.
Yes, what the mysterious voice said. I'm a fisherman from the south of Harue, in Zeuhel. But most people are farmers.

[CatDoom]

Íisaušioda lúpadabiloŋol.
[ˈiː.za.u.ʒjo.da ˈlu.pa.da.bi.lo.ŋoɫ]

"I see that many islanders have come [here]."

Tái mónu cúga lútuabili, esée ŋái su lúmili.
[ˈta.i ˈmo.nu ˈtʃuga ˈlu.twa.bi.li | eˈzeː ˈŋa.i su ˈlu.mi.li]

"My home is near the sea, but it is not an island."

Tái ma adónubili.
[ˈta.i ma aˈdo.nu.bi.li]

"I live in the city of Donu."
(lit. "I am an inhabitant of Donu" or "I am Donuan")