Rhean text

Rhu u lai draazu yuraim, ki histatis'na otok' miriom.
Nagesie zduais' o "Kraza, yai draazu yur-ak tecurya."
Tant zduaim o "Yai tecurud laazat."
Rhu eya draaz so tak'em iz'aim.
Jic'akitadve otok'a kain miriom.
Kai an-rhebyobas' as'e, ki du tai kai z'akor polz as'e.

Rhean morphemic breakdown

Rhu u lai draaz-u yur-aim, ki histat-is'-na otok'-0 mir-iom.
Nages-ie zdu-ais' o "Kraza, yai draaz-u yur-ak tecur-ya."
Tant zdu-aim o "Yai tecurud-0 laaz-at."
Rhu eya draaz-0 so tak'em iz'-aim.
Jic'akit-adve otok'-a kai-n mir-iom.
Kai an-rhebyobas' as'e, ki du tai kai z'ako-r polz as'e.

Rhean glossary

GLOSSARY OF SUFFIXES

-0		- 	accusative case (unmarked accusative on consonant stems)
-a		-	genitive case (for consonant stems)
-adve		-	gerund (works like an adverb)
-ak		-	infinitive
-aim		-	1st person singular, past tense (-ak v.)
-ais'		-	3rd person singular, past tense (-ak v.)
-at		-	2nd person singular, presnet tense (-ak v.)
-ie		-	adverb
-iom		-	1st person singular, past tense (-ek v.)
-is'		-	3rd person singular, present tense (-ek v.)
-n		-	accusative case
-na		-	turns verb into modifying clause: VERB-is'-na NOUN = the NOUN which VERBs
-r		-	genitive case (for vowel stems)
-u		-	dative case
-ya		-	2nd person singular imperative (-ek v.)

GLOSSARY OF WORDS

an-		-	(prefix) very
as'e		-	"to be", 3rd person singular, past tense
du		-	that, the fact that ...
draaz		-	house
eya		-	that, that one
histat.ek	-	be in trouble, distress, despair
iz'.ak		-	to enter
jic'akit.ek	-	to be surprised, startled
kai		-	wife
ki		-	and
kraza		-	please
laaz.ak		-	need
lai		-	your
mir.ek		-	see
nages		-	confused
o		-	object marker particle (omitted when object precedes verb)
otok'		-	man
polz		-	the whole, the entirety
rhebyobas'	-	pregnant
rhu		-	(and) so...
so		-	with (takes instrumental)
tai		-	his/her ... (3rd person singular possessive adjective)
tak'em		-	3rd person sg. pronoun, instrumental
tant		-	3rd person sg. pronoun, dative
tecur.ek	-	to help
tecurud		-	help, assistance
u		-	to (takes dative)
yai		-	my
yur.ak		-	to go
zdu.ak		-	say
z'ako		-	problem

Rhean grammar notes

Rhean (Rheava Izka) is a language with relatively "free" word order, but with a strong "preference" for the Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) construction in simple sentences. When a subject or object comes after the verb, it can be marked with a particle like ai for subject, o for object. These are also used for subject and object emphasis.

Adjectives usually come before the noun to which they refer, as do modifying clauses.

There are no articles (the, a, an). The verb "to be" is irregular (of course!) so I gave the forms for it when it appeared. I also gave the forms for irregular pronouns.

Verbs are given in the infinitive .ak / .ek, and I've marked this with a period.

Nouns have five cases: nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, and instrumental. I have given the cases taken by nouns following the prepositions used here. The genitive case used ON ITS OWN without any preposition indicates possession, or the meaning "of".

Smooth English translation

So I went to your house, and I saw a distressed man.
He said confusedly, "Please, help me get home."
I said to him "You need my help." **
So I entered that house with him.
I saw with surprise the wife of the man.
She was very pregnant, and I realised that his wife was the whole problem.

** This sentence in the Nesheti version didn't seem to make any sense: "Amun ishunzi genziwan." "me-DAT need-3pl help". So keeping in mind the rule about passing on something that makes sense, I guessed.