this post was submitted on 10 Dec 2023
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Constructed Languages

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submitted 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 

I find that translating this is a great way to come up with new bits of grammar & vocabulary when conlanging, so I decided to try translating the Lord's Prayer in my unnamed conlang. Came up with some fun stuff, such a "subjunctive" suffix to change the meaning of auxiliary verbs, a way to write first-person plural pronouns, and the use of second-person pronouns to create vocative expressions.

English
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from the evil one.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Conlang
Pen Najo, öx ʌhir ky ilŭ, son jyk'a,
hŭn k'lenĭ hoq'e son pen;
hŭn t'ʌ p'aqlak;
hŭn la kĭr ky nunka;
nɔ qlak ʌn lar ʌhi ilŭ.
Hŭ hɔ nɔ jʌšu k'ejŭ pen qlakɔ son jyk'a ky jyk'a .
Ĭ hŭ ölonɔ pen enpir son jyk'a ky jyk'a,
ʌn ölonɔr son jyk'a ky ʌkk'a öx enpir ky jyk'a.
Ĭ hŭsŭ yrusa pen jyk'a t'ʌ nelosŭr;
špe hŭ ške pen jyk'a isa ʌk öx akokor.
It'ʌ son p'aqlak ĭ ŭšap'rŭ ĭ ŭšap'ap'rŭ pen,
rokri ɔq son k'ejŭ k'an.
Anpen.

IPA
[ˈpen ˈnajo ˈøx ˈʌçiɾ ˈky ilʊ ˈson ˈjykʰa]
[ˈhʊn ˈkʰlenɪ ˈhɔqʰe ˈson ˈpen]
[ˈhʊn ˈtʰʌ ˈpʰɑqlak]
[ˈhʊn ˈla ˈkɪɾ ˈky ˈnuŋga]
[ˈnɔ ˈqlak ˈʌn ˈlaɾ ˈʌçi ˈilʊ]
[ˈhʊ ˈhɔ ˈnɔ ˈjʌʒu ˈkʰejʊ ˈpen ˈqlakɔ ˈson ˈjykʰa ˈky ˈjykʰa]
[ˈɪ ˈhʊ øˈlonɔ ˈpen ˈembiɾ ˈson ˈjykʰa ˈky ˈjykʰa]
[ˈʌn øˈlonɔɾ ˈson ˈjykʰa ˈky ˈʌkkʰa ˈøx ˈembiɾ ˈkyˈjykʰa]
[ˈɪ ˈhʊzʊ yˈɾuzaˈ pen ˈjykʰa ˈtʰʌ neˈlozʊɾ]
[ˈʃpe ˈhʊ ˈʃke ˈpen ˈjykʰa ˈiza ˈʌk ˈøx aˈkokoɾ]
[ˈitʰʌ ˈson ˈpʰɑqlak ˈɪ ʊˈʒapʰɾʊ ˈɪ ˌʊʒaˈɸapʰɾʊ ˈpen]
[ˈɾokɾi ˈɔq ˈson ˈkʰejʊ ˈkʰan]
[ˈamben]

Gloss

Pen Najo,  öx       ʌhi-r        ky       ilŭ, son       jy-k'a,
2SG Father PREP.COM be_above-GER PREP.DAT sky  PREP.POSS 1PL-1+3.PL

hŭ-n      k'lenĭ hoq'e son       pen;
want-SUBJ shine  name  PREP.POSS 2SG

hŭ-n      t'ʌ  p'aqlak;
want-SUBJ come country  

hŭ-n      la kĭ-r      ky       nunka;
want-SUBJ be build-GER PREP.DAT plan

nɔ       qlak  ʌn        la-r   ʌhi   ilŭ.
PREP.LOC earth PREP.SMBL be-GER above sky

Hŭ   hɔ   nɔ       jʌšu       k'ejŭ pen qlakɔ son       jy-k'a     ky       jy-k'a.
want give PREP.LOC DEM.PROX.1 day   2SG bread PREP.POSS 1PL-1+3.PL PREP.DAT 1PL-1+3.PL

Ĭ   hŭ   ölonɔ   pen enpi-r   son       jy-k'a     ky       jy-k'a,
and want forgive 2SG harm-GER PREP.POSS 1PL-1+3.PL PREP.DAT 1PL-1+3.PL

ʌn        ölonɔ-r     son       jy-k'a     ky       ʌkk'a     öx       enpi-r   ky       jy-k'a.
PREP.SMBL forgive-GER PREP.POSS 1PL-1+3.PL PREP.DAT 3PL.SUPAN PREP.COM harm-GER PREP.DAT 1PL-1+3.PL

Ĭ   hŭ-sŭ    yrusa pen jy-k'a     t'ʌ      nelos-ŭr;
and want-NEG lead  2SG 1PL-1+3.PL PREP.ALL enjoy_mischief-GER

špe hŭ   ške  pen jy-k'a     isa      ʌk        öx       akoko-r.
but want take you 1PL-1+3.PL PREP.ABL 3SG.SUPAN PREP.COM be_evil.GER

It'ʌ son   p'aqlak ĭ   ŭšap'-rŭ      ĭ    ŭšap'ap-'rŭ          pen,
For  be_of country and be_strong-GER and  be_very_prideful-GER 2SG

rokri  ɔq  son       k'ejŭ k'an.
before end PREP.POSS day   3PL.SUPAN

Anpen.
amen


EDIT: Fixed some errors in the IPA.
Additionally, a few notes about the gloss:

  • SUPAN means superanimate, one of the three animacies (the others being animate and inanimate). Superanimate corresponds to humans, gods, and other things of great significance like the celestial bodies.
  • This conlang's demonstratives make a three-way distinction between distance (near, slightly far. and very far) and a three-way distinction between person (speaker, addressee, and both). DEM.PROX.1 is the "meoproximal" demonstrative, meaning "that near me".
  • First-person plurals used to be two pronouns joined by (and). "Me and them", for example, would literally be ju ĭ ʌkk'a (1SG and 3PL.SUPAN). Over time, these constructions got condensed into single words, starting with jy (coming from ju ĭ). Ju ĭ ʌkk'a, for example, got shortened to jyk'a (1PL-1+3.PL), which you can see in the translation.
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[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That looks very interesting and promising so far, how long have you been working on this conlang?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

That's a hard question to answer because of how on-and-off my conlanging has been. I'll typically conlang a bunch for a couple of months, leave it for a few months, etc. I started this conlang back in early 2020, though I'd say that I only spent a smaller part of those 4 years working on it.