McGUFFEY'S FIRST READER
Lesson I.
| dog | tuëk "dog" |
| the | (no direct Minza equivalent) |
| ran | šiivix "to run (move quickly on foot)" (stem: šiiv-) Ø- (3rd person singular absolutive) -u (perfective aspect) šiivu "he/she ran, has run" |
| The dog. | Tuëk. |
| The dog ran. | Šiivu tuëk. |
Lesson II.
| cat | inzu "cat" (Felis sp.) |
| mat | uumik "mat, rug" |
| is | nu (particle that introduces a question) teekix "to sit; to be (in, on, or at a location)" -a (imperfective aspect) teeka "he/she/it sits, is in/on/at" |
| on | -(m)u (locative) |
| The cat. | Inzu. |
| The mat. | Uumik. |
| Is the cat on the mat? | Nu teeka uumiku inzu? |
| The cat is on the mat. | Teeka uumiku inzu. |
Lesson III.
| it | va "he, she, it" |
| his | -(a)t (genitive case) vat "his, her, its" |
| pen | topil "pen, pencil (writing implement)" |
| hand | keł "hand" |
| a | (no direct Minza equivalent) |
| in | -(m)u (locative) |
| has | -(m)u (locative) |
| man | xažla "man (adult male human)" |
| The man. | Xažla. |
| A pen. | Topil. |
| The man has a pen. | Xažlamu topil. |
| Is the pen in his hand? | Topil nu teeka kełu vat? |
| It is in his hand. | Teeka kełu vat. |
Lesson IV.
| hen | boki "chicken" |
| fat | naži "thick, fat" |
| rat | miëz "mouse, rat" |
| box | łepa "box, carton, package" |
| big | taaži "big, great" |
| run | šiivix |
| from | za + GEN. "from (motion away from or out of)" |
| can | zmi "can; is capable of" + subject + main verb + i (subjunctive) |
| A fat hen. | Boki naži. |
| A big rat. | Miëz taaži. |
| net "top (upper part)" netu + GEN. "on (top of)" |
|
| The fat hen is on the box. | Teeka netu łepat boki naži. |
| The rat ran from the box. | Šiivu miëz za łepat. |
| Can the hen run? | Zmi boki šiivi? |
Lesson V.
| le- (classifier for personal names) | |
| Rab | le-Reeb "Rab" |
| Ann | le-Een "Ann" |
| hat | terek "hat" |
| catch | tundix "to catch; pursue and take hold of something moving" |
| see | mikix "to see" |
| See Rab! See Ann. | Miko le-Reeb! Miko le-Een. |
| ezaa "look at that!" | |
| i- (3rd person singular ergative) merix "to have (got), be in possession of" imera "he/she has (got)" |
|
| See! Rab has the hat. | Ezaa, imera le-Reeb terek. |
| Can Ann catch Rab? | Le-Reeb nu zmi le-Een itundi? |
Lesson VI.
| she | i- (3rd person singular ergative) |
| pat | kyyrix "to brush (up against), touch lightly" |
| too | epi "also, too" |
| now | šëy "now" |
| let | syrix "to let, allow, permit" |
| me | kam "I, me" y- (1st person singular ergative) |
| Ann can catch Rab. | Zmi le-Een itundi le-Reeb. |
| See! She has the hat. | Ezaa, imera terek. |
| Now Ann can pat Rab. | Zmi šëy le-Een ikyyri le-Reeb. |
| Let me pat Rab too. | Syro ykyyri kamë epi le-Reeb. |
Lesson VII.
| will | ju "will (future action)" |
| malgi "black" | |
| a black hen | boki malgi |
| the nest | łas "nest" |
| relnix "to provide for" kumu "food" le-Ned "Ned" -(l)ë (ergative case) |
|
| Ned has fed the hen. | Irelnu kumut le-Nedë boki. |
| She is a black hen. | Va boki malgi. |
| tenix "to leave, depart (from), go away (from)" | |
| She has left the nest. | Itenu łas. |
| ros "egg (hard-shelled); seed, pit (of a fruit)" -(r)i (plural of nouns) |
|
| See the eggs in the nest! | Miko rosi łasu! |
| li (3rd person plural absolutive) leňix "to get, acquire, obtain" |
|
| Will the hen let Ned get them? | Nu syri ju boki lileňi le-Nedë? |