New Language

As you may know, one of my other hobbies is creating "conlangs" and "conworlds". It's basically a form of creative expression for me in my spare time. Some people like to draw pictures, some like to write stories, I like to create languages and fictional countries. One of my most recent projects is "Antarctican language" or "Napaakisu" in the local language. I've devoted a website that I've created to the project. Here is the link:

http://www.geocities.com/napaakisu/

I have about a 16,000 word dictionary and rudimentary grammar on the website as well as a bit of a description of "the Antarctica of an alternate universe".

Here is an example of text from Antarctican. It is Article #1 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (the most translated document in the world apparently)

NAPAAKISU TRANSLATION:

Kifefu hehupa uo haxoha uu penuxu panuno nupa pahepa lukiko tipopi nupa lukiko pepanu ai. Ia nihote faso kosifu nupa xuxuno, nupa ia sosa xuto mumi lukima mesoki fakoso kakoli faso papena ai.


Here are translations of the same document to other languages:

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.


FRENCH TRANSLATION:

Tous les êtres humains naissent libres et égaux en dignité et en droits. Ils sont doués de raison et de conscience et doivent agir les uns envers les autres dans un esprit de fraternité.


GERMAN TRANSLATION:

Alle Menschen sind frei und gleich an Würde und Rechten geboren. Sie sind mit Vernunft und Gewissen begabt und sollen einander im Geist der Brüderlichkeit begegnen.


SPANISH TRANSLATION:

Todos los seres humanos nacen libres e iguales en dignidad y derechos y, dotados como están de razón y conciencia, deben comportarse fraternalmente los unos con los otros.


RUSSIAN TRANSLATION:

Все люди рождаются свободными и равными в своем достоинстве и правах. Они наделены разумом и совестью и должны поступать в отношении друг друга в духе братства.


CHINESE TRANSLATION:

人人生而自由，在尊嚴和權利上一律平等。他們賦有理性和良心，並應以兄弟關係的精神相對待。


JAPANESE TRANSLATION:

すべての人間は、生まれながらにして自由であり、かつ、尊厳と権利と について平等である。人間は、理性と良心とを授けられており、互いに同 胞の精神をもって行動しなければならない


ARABIC TRANSLATION:

يولد جميع الناس أحراراً ومتساوين في الكرامة والحقوق. وقد وهبوا عقلاً وضميراً وعليهم ان يعامل بعضهم بعضاً بروح الإخاء.


INUKTITUT (ESKIMO) TRANSLATION:

Inuit tamarmik inunngorput nammineersinnaassuseqarlutik assigiimmillu ataqqinassuseqarlutillu pisinnaatitaaffeqarlutik. Solaqassusermik tarnillu nalunngissusianik pilersugaapput, imminnullu iliorfigeqatigiittariaqaraluarput qatanngutigiittut peqatigiinnerup anersaavani.


SWAHILI TRANSLATION:

Watu wote wamezaliwa huru, hadhi na haki zao ni sawa. Wote wamejaliwa akili na dhamiri, hivyo yapasa watendeane kindugu.


HINDI TRANSLATION:

सभी मनुष्यों को गौरव और अधिकारों के मामले में जन्मजात स्वतन्त्रता और समानता प्राप्त है। उन्हें बुद्धि और अन्तरात्मा की देन प्राप्त है और परस्पर उन्हें भाईचारे के भाव से बर्ताव करना चाहिए।


HAWAIIAN TRANSLATION:

Hānau kū'oko'a 'ia nā kānaka apau loa, a ua kau like ka hanohano a me nā pono kīvila ma luna o kākou pākahi. Ua ku'u mai ka no'ono'o pono a me ka 'ike pono ma luna o kākou, no laila, e aloha kākou kekahi i kekahi.


SWEDISH TRANSLATION:

Alla människor äro födda fria och lika i värde och rättigheter. De äro utrustade med förnuft och samvete och böra handla gentemot varandra i en anda av broderskap.


FINNISH TRANSLATION:

Kaikki ihmiset syntyvät vapaina ja tasavertaisina arvoltaan ja oikeuksiltaan. Heille on annettu järki ja omatunto, ja heidän on toimittava toisiaan kohtaan veljeyden hengessä.


ESPERANTO TRANSLATION:

Ĉiuj homoj estas denaske liberaj kaj egalaj laŭ digno kaj rajtoj. Ili posedas racion kaj konsciencon, kaj devus konduti unu al alia en spirito de frateco.


In any case, these are just a fraction of the languages that this document has been translated in. The last one I put up there, Esperanto, is actually a constructed language in of itself. It was created in 1887 by Dr. Zamenhof, a Polish doctor who had a vision of creating a neutral language for global communication that wouldn't favour any one ethnic group over another. It was definitely a lofty goal even if it didn't match up to expectations. Esperanto is by far the most successful of the constructed languages we have today and as many as a couple of million people can speak it fluently in the world.

As you can tell, I'm a linguaphile and I probably will be posting lots more linguistic tidbits here in the future...

Until next time...