Ini

Nicole Perrin

An' tana kukukin'anan' tu ukukin' ut tu apani.
Nipam kintampanuk tu kunakunt ut to apani at tu kununu ut tu ani.
Pam kintampanak tu apani tu mup mim, kan kampanak tu ani min kam takim kununukanak.
Pam manakinak a numikina umpitamut tu ununuka tun'kutimum tu map, pam kanta tupanikat tu apani.
Ah! Tu nikinin' apani! Am panantukat u ikapintantamu atanutak nun'!
Pakak, mak tu unamantipa.

Firstly, speak about the story of chaos.
The weapons of chaos are made with the bones of the sea.
The chaos made them so that the sea would not freeze but would flow freely.
When an evil wizard took the flow and boiled it, it became the chaos.
Oh, beautiful chaos, it surrounds you, mystery-life!
You are indeed reality.

an'       tana    kukukin'anan'       tu       ukukin' ut  
impf.impr firstly speak-about.2sgmasc def-neut story   of 

tu       apani
def-neut chaos

nipam            kintampanuk  tu       kunakunt  ut 
pass.dp.impf.nar make.3plneut def-neut pl.weapon of 

tu       apani at   tu       kununu  ut tu       ani
def-neut chaos with def-neut pl.bone of def-neut sea

pam         kintampanak  tu       apani tu       mup     
dp.impf.nar make.3sgneut def-neut chaos def-neut 3plneut 

mim     kan         kampanak       tu       ani min 
so-that nf.impf.neg freeze.3sgneut neut-def sea but 

kam         takim  kununukanak.
nf.impf.nar freely flow.3sgneut

Pam         manakinak    a          numikina umpitamut  
Dp.impf.nar take.3sgmasc indef-masc evil.adj magic-doer 

tu       ununuka tun'kutimum  tu       map     
def-neut flow    boil.3sgmasc def-neut 3sgneut 

pam         kanta tupanikat      tu       apani
dp.impf.nar then  become.3sgneut def-neut chaos

ah  tu       nikinin'  apani am       panantukat       
oh  def-neut beautiful chaos impf.nar surround.3sgneut 

u          ikapintantamu  atanutak nun'
indef-neut pres-part.live mystery  2plmasc

pakak  mak     tu       unamantipa
indeed 2sgneut def-neut reality

Notes

Ini is VSO. Before the verb, as the first word in the sentence, is a particle indicating voice, tense and mood. If any of the above are unmarked, the "defaults" are active, present, imperfect and indicative. The narrative mood is used to tell stories - most of this passage uses it. The main part of the verb must agree with the subject in gender and number - possible genders are masculine, feminine and neuter (usually anything non-human). Also, there are no cases whatsoever.

Abbreviations

impf imperfect
nar narrative
neut neuter
def definite article
indef indefinite article
pres-part present participle
sg singular
pl plural
masc masculine
dp distant past
neg negative
pass passive
impr imperative
nf near future

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