Tirelat
Herman Miller

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"Does one see with wells and a person?"

All wells can indeed be cut up into tiny pieces.
It is one well out of many wells.
The moving well is the first name; it really moves through the sky quickly.
The motionless thing is another name, because it always is.
The other name is a giving well or a dying well.
After a while, it falls out of the black sky.
The last well is actually not a well at all.
For a long time he can see it, so he shows himself.
It breaks its own strengths like many tears.

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"Tlizhalhazan vjaki tai mikvidu zhu zharh?"

Ispa ttehaban mi naji mikvidu myn metta falh.
Jtuulhan si lii mikvidu za tadri mikvidu.
Si rhaavi mikvidu jtuulhan se lima rhadeky,
ispa tiskini jrhaavilhan vi rizi u riiva.
Su rhaavibakavit jtuulhan se hoida rhadeky, kavaal shmai jtuun.
Se hoida rhadeky jtuulhan si make mikvidu tsy si kazingi mikvidu.
Keila diizhu, jkattalhan za kavu riiva.
Si najma mikvidu ispa jtuulhakan si mikvidu.
Zha humini jlizhabaz mii da, javi jlizhakulhan sii.
Jtashalhan mai su-zaniat ba tadri numi.

Pronunciation (X-SAMPA):

[t@"liz`aKa%zan v\jaci ta:j "mikv\iDu z`u "z`ar_0]
["ispa "ttExa%Ban mi "naji "mikv\iDu m1n "mEtta "faK]
[j@"tu:Kan si "li: "mikv\iDu za "tad4i "mikv\iDu]
[si "r_0a:v\i "mikv\iDu j@"tu:Kan sE "lima "r_0aDEk1]
["ispa "tiscini j@"r_0a:v\iKan v\i "rizi u "ri:v\a]
[su "r_0a:v\iBaka%v\it j@"tu:Kan si "makE "mikv\iDu t_s1 si "kaziNi
"mikv\iDu]
["kE:jla "di:z`u j@"kattaKan za "kav\u "ri:v\a]
[si "na:jma "mikv\iDu "ispa j@"tu:Kakan si "mikv\iDu]
[z`a "xumini j@"liz`abaz "mi: da javi j@"liz`aku%Kan "si:]
[j@"tas`a%Kan ma:j su"zaniat ba "tad4i "numi]

"Tližałazan vjaki tai mikvidu žu žaŕ?"
Ispa ttehaban mi naji mikvidu myn metta fał.
Jtúłan si lí mikvidu za tadri mikvidu.
Si ŕávi mikvidu jtúłan se lima ŕadeky, ispa tiskini jŕáviłan vi rizi u ríva.
Su ŕávibakavit jtúłan se hoida ŕadeky, kavál šmai jtún.
Se hoida ŕadeky jtúłan si make mikvidu ċy si kaziŋi mikvidu.
Keila dížu, jkattałan za kavu ríva.
Si najma mikvidu ispa jtúłakan si mikvidu. Ža humini jližabaz mí da, javi jližakułan sí.
Jtašałan mai su-zaniat ba tadri numi.

Pronunciation:

[təˈliʐaɬaˌzan ʋjaci taːj ˈmikʋiðu ʐu ˈʐar̥]
[ˈispa ˈttɛxaˌβan mi ˈnaji ˈmikʋiðu mɨn ˈmɛtta ˈfaɬ]
[jəˈtuːɬan si ˈliː ˈmikʋiðu za ˈtadɾi ˈmikʋiðu]
[si ˈr̥aːʋi ˈmikʋiðu jəˈtuːɬan sɛ ˈlima ˈr̥aðɛkɨ]
[ˈispa ˈtiscini jəˈr̥aːʋiɬan ʋi ˈrizi u ˈriːʋa]
[su ˈr̥aːʋiβakaˌʋit jəˈtuːɬan si ˈmakɛ ˈmikʋiðu ʦɨ si ˈkaziŋi ˈmikʋiðu]
[ˈkɛːjla ˈdiːʐu jəˈkattaɬan za ˈkaʋu ˈriːʋa]
[si ˈnaːjma ˈmikʋiðu ˈispa jəˈtuːɬakan si ˈmikʋiðu]
[ʐa ˈxumini jəˈliʐabaz ˈmiː da javi jəˈliʐakuˌɬan ˈsiː]
[jəˈtaʂaˌɬan maːj suˈzaniat ba ˈtadɾi ˈnumi]

Notes:

Basic word order in Tirelat is SVO. Adjectives precede nouns, and adverbs typically precede the verbs they modify. Any phrase may be appended to the beginning of a sentence as the topic.

Nouns in Tirelat have six genders. Case markers, which identify the case of a noun phrase, agree with the head noun in gender.  There are no definite or indefinite articles. Pronouns are typically omitted, and only used when necessary for identification or emphasis.

There is no obligatory distinction between singular and plural in nouns.  Number is typically expressed by other means, such as the personal pronoun prefixes on the verb, or by using adjectives such as one, some, all, or many. Although there are ways of expressing the concept "plural", the absence of a plural marker doesn't always imply "singular".

A verb root may be used by itself as a participle (optionally with a passive or middle voice suffix), modifying a noun as an adjective. The main verb of a clause always has a personal pronoun prefix, which agrees with the subject (if any), and a number of suffixes (at least an aspect suffix, unless the verb is in the imperative form).

Tirelat has numerous evidential suffixes that are attached to verbs. These suffixes come in pairs, distinguishing between past and non-past tense. For the purpose of this translation, I've put the text into the non-past tense, with the inferential non-past evidential. This implies that the evidence for a statement is inferred from various sources, and is the least marked of the evidential forms.

Tirelat also has two aspects: perfective and imperfective. Perfective is used for completed actions as well as habitual actions; imperfective is generally limited to actions or states in progress at the time in question.

Grammatical abbreviations:
3g   third person, general: either singular or plural (subject of verb)
     (similar to English "one", German "man", French "on", etc.)
3s   third person, singular (subject of verb)
3p   third person, plural (subject of verb)
3r   third person, reflexive (possessive prefix, "his/her/its own")
ACC  accusative (case marker)
ADV  adverb-forming suffix (English "-ly")
CAUS causative (verb derivational suffix)
CES  cessative (verb derivational suffix; to cease doing or being)
G    gender agreement (adjective suffix)
IN   inferential, non-past (verb suffix)
IPF  imperfective aspect (verb suffix)
LOC  locative (case marker)
NEG  negative
NOM  nominative (case marker)
OBL  oblique case (object of a locative phrase, among other things)
PF   perfective aspect (verb suffix)
PL   plural
POT  potential (able to)
QU   marks the clause as a question (verb suffix)

Interlinear version:

(Title)
t -lizha-lha-za-n  vjaki tai mikvidu zhu zharh?
3g-lizha-IN -QU-PF vjaki tai mikvidu zhu zharh?
 

ispa t -teha-ba -n  mi  naj-i mikvidu myn mett-a falh.
ispa 3g-teha-POT-PF ACC naj-G mikvidu myn mett-G falh.

j -tuu-lha-n  si  li-i mikvidu za tadr-i mikvidu
3s-tuu-IN -PF NOM li-G mikvidu za tadr-G mikvidu

si  rhaavi mikvidu j -tuu-lha-n  se  lima rhadeky,
NOM rhaavi mikvidu 3s-tuu-IN -PF NOM lima rhadeky,

ispa tiski-ni  j -rhaavi-lha-n  vi  rizi u   riiva.
ispa tiski-ADV 3s-rhaavi-IN -PF LOC rizi OBL riiva.

su  rhaavi-ba -ka -vit j -tuu-lha-n  se  hoida rhadeky,
NOM rhaavi-POT-NEG-vit 3s-tuu-IN -PF NOM hoida rhadeky,

     kavaal shmai j -tuu-n.
     kavaal shmai 3s-tuu-PF.

se  hoida rhadeky j -tuu-lha-n  si  make mikvidu tsy si  kazi-ngi mikvidu
NOM hoida rhadeky 3s-tuu-IN -PF NOM make mikvidu tsy NOM kazi-CES mikvidu

keila diizhu, j -katta-lha-n za kav-u riiva.
keila diizhu, 3s-katta-IN-PF za kav-G riiva.

si  najma mikvidu ispa j- tuu-lha-ka -n  si  mikvidu.
NOM najma mikvidu ispa 3s-tuu-IN -NEG-PF NOM mikvidu.

zha humi-ni  j -lizha-ba -z   mii    da, javi j -lizha-ku  -lha-n  sii.
zha humi-ADV 3s-lizha-POT-IPF 3s.ACC da, javi 3s-lizha-CAUS-IN -PF sii

j -tasha-lha-n  mai    su-zaniat ba tadr-i numi.
3s-tasha-IN -PF ACC.PL 3r-zaniat ba tadr-G numi.

Abbreviations used in vocabulary:
A, E, I, O, U, Y: the six Tirelat noun genders
n    noun
adj  adjective
v    verb
dv   dynamic (intransitive) verb
sv   stative (intransitive) verb
tv   transitive verb
conj conjunction
prep preposition
top  topic-marking particle

Vocabulary:
ba (prep) like, in the manner of.
da (top) since, as (a postposition, which makes the preceding phrase into a
topic).
diizhu (n, O) time, duration, period, interval.
falh (n, A) piece.
hoida (adj) other, another.
humi- (sv) long (of duration).
ispa (adv) indeed, really, truly.
javi (conj) therefore.
katta (tv) to fall.
kav- (sv) black.
kavaal (conj) because.
kazi- (sv) alive, to live. (kazi-ngi "dying, to die"; "dead" is {lvani}.)
keila (prep) after.
li- (adj) one, single.
lima (adj) the first (in a series).
lizha- (tv) to see (perceive visually); lizhaku = "to show".
make (tv) to give.
mett(i)- (sv) tiny.
mikvidu (n, I) well (a water well, < "mik-vidu" meaning "water-source").
myn (prep) resulting in.
naj- (adj) all, every, each.
najma (adj) the last, final.
numi (n, I) tear, teardrop.
rhaavi- (dv) to move, go.
rhadeky (n, E) name (derived from the verb "rhade-": to call, name).
riiva (n, U) sky.
rizi (n, I) through.
shmai (adv) always.
sii (pron) myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, etc.
tadr- (adj) much, many.
tai (adj) some, more than one.
tasha (tv) to break, fracture.
teha- (tv) to cut, slice.
tisk(i)- (sv) quick, fast, rapid.
tsy (conj) or (inclusive; and/or).
tuu- (v) to be (copula).
vit (n, U) thing, object, item.
vjaki (prep) with, using, by means of.
za (prep) of, out of, from.
zaniat (n, U) strength, intensity.
zha (prep) during, for.
zharh (n, A) person, a being capable of using language.
zhu (conj) and.