Guess the Language, anyone?

[kuroda]

Oh! Oh! I actually know this one! So many years of my life spent on this language family, if not on this specific member!

I'm gonna shut up and let others take a crack at it today though. It feels totally unfair to me, otherwise,

[gufferdk]

Oh! Oh! I actually know this one! So many years of my life spent on this language family, if not on this specific member!

I'm gonna shut up and let others take a crack at it today though. It feels totally unfair to me, otherwise,

Just post it and have your moment in the sunshine. If there is a place on this forum to do that, this is it. Also people have had 24 hours to post at this point and noöne has.

I thought this was too obscure to be guessed in the first post but I guess I should have chosen another language family with you around

[opipik]

Paleo-Siberian?

EDIT: Nivkh?

[gufferdk]

Paleo-Siberian?

EDIT: Nivkh?

Nope

[opipik]

Tungusic?

[gufferdk]

Tungusic?

Yes

[opipik]

Even?

EDIT: Nanai?

[gufferdk]

Even?

EDIT: Nanai?

Neither.

[opipik]

Ulch?

[gufferdk]

Ulch?

No

[opipik]

Orok?

[gufferdk]

Orok?

No
I have noticed that the three latest languages you have guessed are all southern tungusic languages. The language of the sample is in the northern branch of tungusic.

[opipik]

Udege?

[gufferdk]

Udege?

Yes!

If anyone are interested the sample, taken from "A grammar of Udihe", by Nikoleava and Tolskaya, translates to:

The cat hunts for mice in the house, the marten hunts for squirrels in the forest,and the tiger hunts for boars and kills men's domestic animals, horses, cows and others. It also kills men. But it is afraid of the elephant. In warm countries hunters sitting on elephants hunt for tigers, and they also dig (holes) in the ground on the roads so that the tiger falls inside.

[hwhatting]

So, slon(o) must mean "elephant", an obvious loan from Russian.

[gufferdk]

So, slon(o) must mean "elephant", an obvious loan from Russian.

Correct. If anyone are interested the whole breakdown is as follows:

Kəige ʒugdi-du siŋə-wə wākca-ini,
cat house-DAT mouse_ACC hunt-3SG
The cat hunts for mice in the house,

kahi bua xuən-di-ni oloxi-wə wākca-ini,
marten place top-DAT-3SG squirrel-ACC hunt-3SG
the marten hunts for squirrels in the forest,

kuti-tənə nakta-wə wākca-ini, nī 'o-wə-ni - muji-wə, jehæ-we-də, xōŋto-wə-de wā-ini.
tiger-CONT boar-ACC hunt-3SG man domestic.animal-ACC-3SG horse-ACC cow-ACC-FOC other-ACC-FOC kill-3SG
(and) the tiger hunts for boars and kills men's domestic animals, horses, cows and others.

Nī-wə-də wā-ini.
man-ACC-FOC kill-3SG
IT also kills men.

Slono-ʒi-tənə kuti ŋələ-ini.
elephant-INST-CONT tiger be.afraid-3SG
But it is afraid of the elephant.

Ņamahi bua-du wākca-i nī slono-lo ūŋ-ka-si, kuti-wə wākca-iti,
warm place-DAT hunt-PRP man elephant-LOC sit-PERF-PC.SS tiger-ACC hunt-3PL
In warm countries hunters sitting on elephants hunt for tigers,

xaisi nā-wə-də xokto-di-ni ulə-iti tiŋmə-ləgə-ni.
also ground-ACC-FOC road-DAT-3SG dig-3PL fall-PURP-3SG
and they also dig (holes) in the ground on the roads so that it falls inside.

[opipik]

Nianna utamaha nna besiꞌinna binni anka ttuntuha nna uxina ixe loba ka binni nna rána ka nuha:
—Utele ttu ttu ka tubi gele leni binni anka ttuntu‑na kini siꞌirubana reasana idilha.

[gufferdk]

Nianna utamaha nna besiꞌinna binni anka ttuntuha nna uxina ixe loba ka binni nna rána ka nuha:
—Utele ttu ttu ka tubi gele leni binni anka ttuntu‑na kini siꞌirubana reasana idilha.

Is it spoken somewhere in Melanesia.
(I know that this is somewhere between one fifth and one seventh of all languages on Earth, but it is still better than nothing

[Mâq Lar]

Nianna utamaha nna besiꞌinna binni anka ttuntuha nna uxina ixe loba ka binni nna rána ka nuha:
—Utele ttu ttu ka tubi gele leni binni anka ttuntu‑na kini siꞌirubana reasana idilha.

The initial geminates make me think of Chuukese/Trukese (whichever spelling you prefer).

[opipik]

Nianna utamaha nna besiꞌinna binni anka ttuntuha nna uxina ixe loba ka binni nna rána ka nuha:
—Utele ttu ttu ka tubi gele leni binni anka ttuntu‑na kini siꞌirubana reasana idilha.

Is it spoken somewhere in Melanesia.
(I know that this is somewhere between one fifth and one seventh of all languages on Earth, but it is still better than nothing

Nope, it isn't.

The initial geminates make me think of Chuukese/Trukese (whichever spelling you prefer).

It's not Chuukese.

[hwhatting]

So, slon(o) must mean "elephant", an obvious loan from Russian.

Correct. If anyone are interested the whole breakdown is as follows:
(snip)[/i]

Thanks for the confirmation and the breakdown!

[gufferdk]

Nianna utamaha nna besiꞌinna binni anka ttuntuha nna uxina ixe loba ka binni nna rána ka nuha:
—Utele ttu ttu ka tubi gele leni binni anka ttuntu‑na kini siꞌirubana reasana idilha.

Is it spoken somewhere in Melanesia.
(I know that this is somewhere between one fifth and one seventh of all languages on Earth, but it is still better than nothing

Nope, it isn't.

The initial geminates make me think of Chuukese/Trukese (whichever spelling you prefer).

It's not Chuukese.

I am blank. Can we have a hint?

[opipik]

I am blank. Can we have a hint?

It is spoken in the Americas.

[jmcd]

Ist sie uto-aztekisch?
Is it Uto-Aztecan?

[Xephyr]

Omaha-Ponca?