The Relay Museum

Korhruktukákt

Ulkáuth elàeruholikuktuvá. Úk mishlóahulukun kukánoholùikurhr. Rhrúk
akuktukúlkirhr. Ùulukturár rhrúk aìnàininú ulkáauth kuktùuránuìlkura
karhruktùushúlki. Mú ulkuktukúlkiret. Théokai toèrrukúlkik.

The elk did evil

An elk was friends with a man. But the elk's blood burned toward the man. Then
the elk attacked the man. The elk called out, and then twelve twelves of twelve
elks went there and chased the man. The first elk bit the man many times. At
that time the man was killed.

Ulkáuth elàeruholikuktuvá.

ulk<áu>th elàer<u-h-ol<i>ku-kt;u-v-á>

elk<DIR.LEAD.S>
friend<LEAD-Ø-male<INS.FOLLOW>-CLS(large_prey_animal);LEAD.S-STAT-INTRS.IND>


Úk mishlóahulukun kukánoholùikurhr.

<ú>k mishl<óa-h-ul<u>k-u>n k<u-k-á-n;o-h-ol<ùi>ku>rhr

CONTRAST<LEAD> blood<DIR.INAN.S-Ø-CLS(large_prey_animal)<LEAD>-Ø>
fire<LEAD-PERF-INTRS.IND-CLS(water);INAN.S-Ø-CLS(male)<LAT.FOLLOW>>


Rhrúk akuktukúlkirhr.

rhr<ú>k ak<u-kt;u-k-ú-lk;i>rhr

next<LEAD> attack<LEAD-CLS;LEAD.S-PERF-TRNS.IND-CLS(male);FOLLOW.S>


Ùulukturár rhrúk aìnàininú ulkáauth kuktùuránuìlkura karhruktùushúlki.

ùul<u-kt;u-r-á>r rhr<ú>k aìnàinin<ú> ulk<áau>th
k<u-kt;ùu-r-á-n<uì>lku>ra karhr<u-kt;ùu-sh-ú-lk;i>

call<LEAD-CLS;LEAD.S-PUNC-INTRS> next<LEAD> 1,728<LEAD>
elk<DIR.LEAD.S>
go<LEAD-CLS;LEAD.P-PUNC-INTRS.IND-CLS(foreign_land)<LAT.FOLLOW>>
chase<LEAD-CLS;LEAD.P-IMPF-TRNS.IND-CLS;FOLLOW.S>


Mú ulkuktukúlkiret.

m<ú> ulk<u-kt;u-k-ú-lk;i>ret

much<LEAD> bite<LEAD-CLS;LEAD.S-PERF-TRNS.IND-CLS;FOLLOW.S>


Théokai toèrrukúlkik.

th<éo>kai toèrr<u-k-ú-lk;i>k

time_in_the_past<LOC.INAN.S> death<LEAD-PERF-TRNS.IND-CLS;FOLLOW.S>

Noun morphology: (pre-stem) + STANCE.CASE.NUMBER + (incorporated GEN) +
(post-stem)

The STANCE.CASE.NUMBER affix always carries a high tone, marked with an acute
accent (e.g., á).

Noun affixes

áu - direct case (for agents and patients), singular, leading stance

áau - direct case, plural, leading stance

óa - direct case, inanimate referent


éo - unincorporated locative case, singular, inanimate referent


i - incorporated locative or instrumental case, following stance

u - incorporated locative or instrumental case, leading stance

ùi - incorporated lative case, following stance


Note on incorporation: when an incorporated noun begins with a vowel, an h- is
added to the front.


Qualifier affixes

ú - leading stance


Verb morphology: (pre-stem) + STANCE + (incorp. ABL) + (AGENT) + ASPECT + VOICE
+ (PATIENT) + (incorp. LOC/LAT) + (post-stem)

The VOICE affix always carries a high tone.

STANCE affixes

u - leading stance

AGENT/PATIENT affixes

ktu - large prey noun class, singular, leading stance

no - water/emotion noun class, singular, inanimate

lki - masculine noun class, singular, following stance

ktùu - large prey noun class, plural, leading stance


ASPECT affixes

v - stative/descriptive

k - perfective action

r - punctual, also implies immediacy or haste

sh - imperfective action


VOICE affixes

ú - transitive

á - intransitive


There is also one instance of tone sandhi:

Rising tones (marked in the form àa) become falling tones (marked aà) after high
tones (marked á).