Namɨdu/Texts

Tsinakan Text

This example is from a stele erected outside Mɨbaz (Muəbaz/Momuva’e) by Sɨntsen (Siənčæn/Tsinakan), the greatest of the ancient Edok (Edák/Ndak) emperors. To capture the feeling of the text this translation preserves some archaisms such as rud for "man" and wemmu for "mother."

Sis Sɨntsen, kros atsak yelos Akozyad, wa amekot yelɨdoł wa yeluñɨb, me bi: Isłu hyeppen i mu lepeło yebodde i epe, sed yak kasyoł ɨm uro esnek. Sen kasyoł mek bi:
"Odud ya bodde kros tsak rema sen a os sahyoł asezzuł. Ÿosso odun a ryen nogga mus. Dod odu a dyop, arud rema sis a mu lepeło yebodde a epe,” sip."
Sorma sen i amekot yelɨdoł wa yeluñɨb mu lepeło yebodde i epe, wa isłu wen i yesahyoł rema sed ok ɨm uro esnek nwen, sen i yezwizze Nawuboz nwen. Sen i obu kettsem wa sen i yets twen ñatołed yewemmu uła. Sen i me bi:
“Tsɨza, toł nazbÿa, yede ksussilos, rema yede ok ɨm dyop sekkak, ɨbu dzappak. Ÿosso hyeppen ok skokło naweddenilos leku pubbɨtek, tsɨza! E ñassis eps!" sip.
Sen Uboz zlegga namobbe i ryettu. Sen a ɨbu uła wa ɨmen a yets idÿe ryen dzɨku mus. Sen i gyeddze rema sen ok ɨbu dzappak rye ro zlyod asezzuł wa eps. Sen i zmottsud wa zbwes wa zgyopsa kreta, wa sen i obu gyo los Akozyad piła.

Thus speaks Tsinakan, the great king, king of the land of Kasadgad, brother to the sun and moon: Before I sat on the throne of my father, all the foreign countries were hostile against me. The neighboring foreign countries spoke thus:
"His father was a valiant king. He had conquered enemy countries. Then he became a god. But the one who now sits on the throne of his father is a child."
When I, brother to the sun and moon, sat on the throne of my father, even before I went to the foreign countries who were hostile against me, I went to the feasts of the mother goddess. I celebrated them and I lifted my hand toward the shining mother. I spoke thus:
"O my mistress, light of the stars, the neighboring countries who called me 'a child' have belittled me. Then, they have started to attack the borders of your holy land, my mistress! Strike the heathen down!"
The mother goddess heard the words of my mouth. She rose me up and strengthened my arm. I defeated those who rose against me in ten years. I have destroyed them. I captured prisoners, oxes and sheep, and I sent them back to the land of Kasadgad.

Breakdown

Sis Sɨntsen, kros atsak yelos Akozyad, wa amekot yelɨdoł wa yeluñɨb, me bi: Isłu hyeppen i mu lepeło yebodde i epe, sed yak kasyoł ɨm uro esnek.

• NULL.AUX Tsinakan / brave APP-king DAT-land APP-Kasadgad / and APP-younger.brother DAT-sun and DAT-moon / speak QUOT / before start-PAST I on throne DAT-father I sit / NULL.AUX-IMP all NOM.PL-foreign.country DAT.me hostile act-PL

Sen kasyoł mek bi:

• NULL.AUX-PAST NOM.PL-foreign.country speak-PL QUOT

"Odud ya bodde kros tsak rema sen a os sahyoł asezzuł.

• be-IMP his father brave king that NULL.AUX-past he many PL-foreign.country conquer.

Ÿosso odun a ryen nogga mus. Dod odu a dyop, arud rema sis a mu lepeło yebodde a epe,” sip.

• now be-PAST he like god grow / but be he punk / APP-man that NULL.AUX he on throne DAT-father he sit / END.QUOT

Sorma sen i amekot yelɨdoł wa yeluñɨb mu lepeło yebodde i epe, wa isłu wen i yesahyoł rema sed ok ɨm uro esnek nwen,

• when NULL.AUX-past I APP-younger.brother DAT-sun and DAT-moon on throne DAT-father I sit / and before plan-PAST I DAT-NOM.PL-foreign.country that NULL.AUX-IMP they DAT.me hostile act-PL go

Sen i yezwizze Nawuboz nwen.

• NULL.AUX-PAST I DAT.PL-feast GEN-Ombási go

Sen i obu kettsem wa sen i yets twen ñatołed yewemmu uła. Sen i me bi:

• NULL.AUX-past I them honor and NULL-AUX.past I my hand GER-shine DAT-mother lift / NULL.AUX-past I speak QUOT

“Tsɨza, toł nazbÿa, yede ksussilos, rema yede ok ɨm dyop sekkak, ɨbu dzappak.

• my.lady / light GEN.PL-star / PROG NOM.PL-neighboring.land that PROG they DAT.me punk call-PL me insult-PL.

Ÿosso hyeppen ok skokło naweddenilos leku pubbɨtek, tsɨza!

• now start-PAST they PL-border GEN-holy.land you attack-PL / my.lady

E ñassis eps!" sip.

• IMPER traitor destroy / END.QUOT

Sen Uboz zlegga namobbe i ryettu.

• NULL.AUX-PAST Ombási PL-word GEN-mouth I hear

Sen a ɨbu uła wa ɨmen a yets idÿe ryen dzɨku mus.

• NULL.AUX-PAST she DAT.me raise and cause-PAST she my arm like strong grow

Sen i gyeddze rema sen ok ɨbu dzappak rye ro zlyod asezzuł wa eps.

• NULL.AUX-PAST I those that NULL.AUX-PAST they DAT.me insult-PL within ten PL-year conquer and destroy

Sen i zmottsud wa zbwes wa zgyopsa kreta, wa sen i obu gyo los Akozyad piła.

• NULL.AUX-PAST I PL-slave and PL-ox and PL-sheep capture / and NULL.AUX-PAST I them to land APP-Kasadgad send

A Recipe

The signature dish of Lasomo in Classical times was seu od ópôxeu, a meat stew with dried fruits. In Huyfárah, where it was known as opwo, it became popular in the 1st or 2nd century YP. This version from an 11th-century Mɨdu cookbook is much changed from its original Lasomoran form, incorporating rich and opulent ingredients befitting an upper-class feast, such as chicken meat, expensive spices, and an imported sweet wine from the region of Khodai.

Opwo
Sis a ho napiñña nonnanu, wa sis a ho nadɨ rełgło yog. Sis a ryeddeł pyon howe napiñña isezzuł, wa sis a yebu nadɨ rełgło te mos akodag bwogge. Sis a ñi wos zɨmyał nadyog. Myeda a skyewe nadyog. Uyo sis a masa wa mos bomma nadyog; uyo tułas wa ñura wa kikki wa idɨño. Sis a yotu hɨbi, gyorikłu rełgło odu ñopsa pyon kɨnzo ułga. Ugłu to a yebu hɨbɨ, sis a te anyen zboddał wa zɨzi lod tsek. We a opwo mu mik bwo tyottu znoyu yog.

Opwo
Hack the meat of a chicken into small pieces and put it in a large pot. Then take a jar of chicken broth, and mix it with a little Khodai wine in the pot. Add two or three egg yolks (leaving out the whites), cow's milk, and a bit of flour. Then add cinnamon, cloves, kiki, and salt. Boil everything until appetizingly thick. When the stew is finished cooking, sprinkle it liberally with raisins and pickled apples. Serve the stew upon bread or broad noodles.

Grammatical notes: written series of instructions tend to use the indicative mood rather than the imperative in Namɨdu. Normally this would employ the impersonal zrud, but this cookbook attributes the recipes to a cook named Ñe Oño ("Mrs. Crayfish"), who is something of a stock character in Namɨdu literature.