The Kozado language

Introduction

Kozado (from Adata "koia ax dan", tongue of the mountain), is the last remaining dialect of a continuum of closely related languages and dialects once spoken in an area streching from the north of Khanalu to the west of Zophis. Theses languages progressively disapeared under the advance of more powerfull languages, and finally only Kozado remained, spoken by approximately 400 persons the villages of Abukho and Šezoińeđe, in the northen region of the Khalanu city-state (though the name of the language suggest a more western origin). This is mostly due to the fact that, unlike most of its closely related dialects, Kozado always had a small writting tradition, and was for a short time used as a lingua-franca amongts these same dialects.

At the time where interest in Adata studies started to rise, Kozado received special attentions, because it was more conservative than any other daughter from Adata, had many archaic features, and lacked several innovations common to all other adatean languages. Howether, this does not mean that Kozado did not have his own innovations. As an example, while Kozado preserved the preverbal particle of Adata (unlike other Adatean languages, which generally reanalised it either as a suffixed subject mark or as a prefixed indicative mood mark), it also extended its purposes, using it to mark negations, questions and relative close. Some have claimed that native speakers of Kozado can understand Adata without any studying, but this is exaggerated, as a brief comparison of the same sentence (I conquered those who rose against me in ten years) in both languages should prove :
Adata: I ro pethan ā ate lād kero mūkeien akā in.
Kozado (transcripted): E ro o raph šar lad zu mykab oka e peţeža.
(transliterated): I ro a raiph kier lād zō mūkaib akā i peiteige.

It should be noted that the name "Kozado" itself is an old formation and is analysed by Kozado speakers as mono-morphemic. Modern Kozado for "tongue of the mountain" would be "odat dono" (where, ironically, the word "odat", language, is Kozado reflex of the name "Adata").

 

Dialects

This grammar focuses on the dialect spoken in Abukho, but unsurprisingly, there are very few actual differences with the one spoken in Šezoińeđe. The only striking feature of the Šezoińeđe dialect is the retention of final n and ń (the later being realised as [ŋ] in this position).

Compare :

Abukho Šenoińeđe English
ilo ilon before
okro okron enemy
ia iań neck
aţeža aţežan being
O ro abiza On ro abizan He was singing

Šenoińeđe also uses a slightly different set of pronouns in the direct case, compare :
Abukho : e - do - o - ek - lakhu - a
šenoińeđe : an - don - on - i - lakhu - a

 

Phonology

Kozado has been through some important sound changes, but often the effects of these different changes have canceled each other, resulting in modern Kozado words often being closer from their Adata source that they were in earlier stages. As an example, the normal reflex of Adata /s/ in Kozado is /h/, but in many place Adata /s/ became [ʃ] under palatalisation, being thus preserved from the lenition to /h/, then later switched back to /s/.

 

Consonants

Labial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Stop pʰ p b tʰ t d kʰ k g
Nasal m n ɲ
Fricative v θ ð s z ɕ ʑ h
Approximant w l r j ʎ

Notice how Kozado exceptionally preverbed the three stop series of Adata (aspirated, voiceless and voiced). At one stage, Kozado had a ±palatal contrast, but ultimatly lost it. Most of the fricatives of Kozado are the remnant of palatalised consonants, which explain their high number (8, compared to the 3 of Adata). Note that Adata /h/ (ultimatly from Ndak Ta /s/) was lost in Kozado. Kozado /h/ comes from Adata non-palatalised /s/ and /x/.

Aspirated consonant are written ph th kh.
The palatal nasal is written ń.
The dental fricatives are written ţ đ.
The palatal fricatives are written š ž.
The labial approximant is written u.
The palatal approximant is written i.
The lateral palatal approximant is written ll.
Other consonants are written as in IPA.

 

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i ɨ u
Close-Mid e o
Open a

While Kozado is globally conservative, for vowels it is more innovative than most other Adatean language, showing a collapse of long vowels and diphthongs, and a vowel shift interfering with palatalisation and labialisation phenomenons. Kozado has two diphthongs eu and oi, but they are unrelated to Adata original diphthongs.

The close central vowel is written y, other vowels are written as in IPA.

 

Syllabic structure

Kozado is more tolerant with consonant clusters than Adata was. The basic syllabic structure is (C)(C)V(C)(C), with the following restrictions :
-Any consonant can appear word initially, except v.
-Any consonant can appear word finally, except n ń h (with the noticeable exception of pan - and).
-Possible consonant clusters : [plosive] + l r ll (initially and medially) ; most consonants + i u (initially and medially) ; v s z + most consonants (medially and finally) ; v s z + [plosive] + l r ll (medially) ; v s z + most consonants + i u (medially).
-Four consonant clusters are prohibited.

 

Allophony

Kozado sounds are relatively stable. It should only be noted that v is realised as [f] before voiceless consonants.

 

Stress

Stress normaly falls word initially. In other cases, it is marked with an acute : á é í ó ú ý.

 

Morphology

Nominal morphology

Kozado nouns do not inflect. At all. The few remaining Adata plurals and singulative forms have been relexicalised as indepandant words.

 

Article

Kozado has developed both a definite (out of the demonstrative) and an indefinite article (out of the number "one").

Their use is extremely frequent, they can actually be considered compulsory. Even names require them. The only case when they are omitted is when a quantifier or a declarative pronoun is used, and when directly adressing someone (vocative).

The definite article is ze, pluralising to zak.

The indefinite article is ša, pluralising to .

 

Quantifiers

They're generally well preserved from Adata :
pho - few
nam - some
oph - many
me - none/no
ez - all/each

 

Demonstratives

The three way deixis has reduced to a two way deixis :
ho - this, pl. hok
se - that, pl. sek

 

Adjective

Adjective do not decline, but Kozado has developed a productive way to derive adjectives from nouns, adding a suffix -o (originating in the Adata preposition ax). If the noun ends in a vowel, some complications occure :
i, y, e + o > io
o, u + o > uo
a + o > eu

More irregular formations exist, but these are old formations which have been lexicalised and are no longer productive. Examples :
do mountain > dono (of the) mountain
zim mud > zima muddy

But regular forms of the previous may appear as well : duo, zimo (sometimes the regular form and the irregular form have slightly different meanings).

All adjectives can be used as nouns (generally meaning "the one which is...").

 

Personnal pronouns

Kozado merged the direct and oblique cases, and reanalised the possessive as a new oblique case. Direct case is now used for subject and direct object of the verb, and oblique case for everything else (which still include possession).

Direct Oblique
1SG e oz
2SG do ad
3SG o ok
1PL ek osk
2PL lakhu alav
3PL a oka

 

Correlative Pronouns

Some suppletions and new formations are to be observed, but overall the correlative pronouns are well preserved.

Query This That Some No Every
Adjective šaz ho se nam me ez
Person/thing šaz haš sež naph maš ez
Place esty hol sel nal mol al
Time eša zeša sehu nophu mohu ahu
Way ep sep namep ezep
Reason odyz seth noph moth

 

Prepositions and conjunctions

Kozado prepositions invariably govern the oblique case. When two forms are given, the second form is used if the next word starts with a vowel.
ańe - out of, from
aširet - up to, until
oth - in, inside, among
- with
il - to, towards, into
o/ol - or
ob - near to, by
pa/pan - and
raph - along, via, during
rozab - without
ţeb - as, like

 

Numerals

Cardinal Ordinal x10 (old) x10 (new)
1 ša lešá šar
2 io lio ior
3 zu lyzú zur
4 by lybý byr
5 du lydú dur
6 za lezá er za šar
7 mo lymó mar mo šar
8 yd lyd ydar yd šar
9 ńe leńé ńir ńe šar
10 šar lyró iph

Some analogies have taken place : za (6) and lio (2nd) instead of expected *a and *lyzó.

The forms er, mar, ydar and ńir are archaic, and generally not used in everyday speech, but they're still the standard in Kozado literature (though the new, more regular forms are gaining acceptance even there).

Other numbers are generally transparent : šar mo (17), ior zu (23), ydar du or yd šar du (85). But numbers ending with 1, 2 or 6 are created by the mean of the suffixes -eš, -uz and -ella, respectively.

Thus : ioreš (21), duruz (52), erella or za šarella (66).

Ordinal number are formed by prefixing ly-, which becomes l- before a vowel or a semi-vowel and le- before ša, šar, za, ńe and ńir. This prefix is never stressed.

 

Verbal morphology

The Adata verbal system is mostly preserved in Kozado, the main differences being :
-Merger of the habitual and imperfective aspects.
-Reanalysis of the passive voice as a mediopassive voice.
-Loss of the futilitive mood (futilitive forms being lexicalised as full new verbs).
-Loss of the negative marking on mood prefixes (a new constuction involving the preverbal particle is used).
-Reanalysis of several moods as tenses.
-A general tendency towards analogy and regularisation.

 

The stem

Kozado verbs have only two possible stems, which are apperent from the citation form, the imperfective singular active, ending either in -es or -as

 

Valency, Number and Aspect.

Verbs are marked for two aspects (imperfective and perfective), two numbers (singular and plural) and two voices (active and mediopassive). Example conjugations :

Abizes to sing

Active Mediopassive
Singular Plural Singular Plural
Imperfective abizes abiz abizis abiz
Perfective abiza abizeb abize abizib

Zemas to live

Active Mediopassive
Singular Plural Singular Plural
Imperfective zemas zem zemis zem
Perfective zemo zemab zeme zemib

 

-es verbs come from Adata -e stem, and -as verbs from -a stem. Originally, the mediopassive forms of -as verbs were identical to the active forms of -es verbs. This caused a lot of deponent -as verbs to be reanalysed as regular -es verbs, often leading to dublets. Following sound changes, Adata -i stems would have merged the active and mediopassive voices in all but one form. They were thus reanalysed as -es verb (from which they were already close in form). Adata -o and -u stems then merged with -as and -es verbs respectively, again because there were few differences between them. Under the influence of remaining deponent verbs, the passive voice was reanalyed as mediopassive (with either a passive or a reflexive meaning). Finally, as the identicity of -es verb active forms and -as verbs mediopassive forms was creating increasing ambiguities, the -as verbs mediopassive forms were made identical to -es verbs mediopassive forms.

The increasingly irregular habitual active singular forms, which have been lost in the conjugation, sometimes became lexicalised as nouns.

 

Tense and mood

Kozado verbs know 3 moods (indicative, cohortative and conditional) and 2 tenses (non-future and future), which combine freely together to form 6 combinations, marked with prefixes. There are two set of prefixes, I and II, and it is generally not possible to know which one will be used, so this is always precised after the citation form of a verb. Prefixes also have different forms wether the verb begins with a consonant or a vowel.

I II
Consonant Vowel Consonant Vowel
Non-future Indicative - - - -
Cohortative i- i- i- i-
Conditional py- poz- pi- paz-
future Indicative ho- h- ha- s-
Cohortative zo- z- za- z-
Conditional y- yk- i- iš-

there are a few predictible irregularities :
-After the non-future cohortative prefix, an initial t changes to h, while an initial ţ changes to s.
-After an i- prefix, an initial i changes to e.

 

The verbal noun

The verbal noun is formed with the suffix -eža, replacing the valency/number/aspect suffix. However, -as verbs generally have irregular verbal nouns. Example :
zemas to live > zimeža
raţalas to order > raţelleža
sezas to wash > sižeža (sometimes also haplologised to seža)

But regularised forms are also in use : zemeža, raţaleža, sezeža, etc...

 

se - to be

Despite some analogy, the copula remained largely irregular in Kozado. The mediopassive voice has been formed by the mean of suppletion, out of the Adata verb ta, to become (it exceptionally preserved the archaic passive voice ending of -as verbs, identical to the active voice ending of -es verbs).

Active Mediopassive
Singular Plural Singular Plural
Non-future Indicative Imperfective se tes teţ
Perfective o ba ta teb
Cohortative Imperfective is iađ ihes iheţ
Perfective io ib iha iheb
Conditional Imperfective pis piţ pytes pyteţ
Perfective pi pib pyta pyteb
future Indicative Imperfective has haţ hotes hoteţ
Perfective ho hab hota hoteb
Cohortative Imperfective zas zaţ zotes zoteţ
Perfective zo zab zota zoteb
Conditional Imperfective ys ytes yteţ
Perfective yk yb yta yteb

The verbal noun is aţeža.

When the perfective indicative active non-future singular form o is followed by a 3SG direct pronoun (also o) they contract together to uo.

 

Preverbal Particle

Where Adata used only two preverbal particles, Kozado has extended their number.

ro : affirmative particle, adds no particular meaning, but its use is compulsory before any verb.
ras : negative particle (from adata ro asi (it) isn't), used to mark negation.
re : quotative particle.
ris : negative-quotative particle (from adata rē asi).
zu : relative clause particle (from adata preposition ).
zas : negative-relative clause particle (from adata zō ro asi).
pras : interrogative particle (from adata ipa ro si how is (it)).
promaţ : negative-interrogative particle (from adata ipa ro mathe how isn't (it)).

 

Syntax

Noun Phrase

The canonical order for the Kozado noun phrase is :
[possessive/genitive phrase] - [determiner] - [head noun] - [adjectival phrase] - [prepositional phrase] - [relative clause].

A noun can take one and only one determiner. Count as a determiner : articles, quantifiers, demonstratives and adjectival forms of correlative pronouns.

A special case must be made with cardinal numbers. If the noun is indefinite, a cardinal number takes the place of the determiner, before the noun. But if the noun is definite, the determiner place will be already filled with an article or a demonstrative, and thus the cardinal number is treated as an adjective, and goes after the noun.

 

Adjectival phrase

The typical adjectival phrase follows this model :
[adjective] - [adverb]

When several adjectival phrases are stacked after a noun, some priority order must be applied :
-Cardinal numbers used as adjective come first.
-Ordinal numbers come second.
-Most adjectives come next.
-Oblique pronoun used as possessive adjectives come last.

 

Comparative and superlative constructions

They're formed the same way, using the adverbs ńez (more) and az (less), and the preposition ţeb (for comparison).

Examples :
Ze iob bophro ńez.
The man strong more
The strongest man.

Zaro ńez ţeb beze az.
drunk more as sick less
More drunk than sick.

Do ro se ţeb ok dado az.
you preverb. be as him viril less
You are less viril than him.

 

Genitive phrases

To form a genitive phrase, the possessor noun is put before the head-noun, and a 3rd person oblique pronoun, agreeing in number with the possessor, is put after the head-noun. In more archaic usage, the possessor nouns can follow the oblique article. It should be noted however that this construction is used less frequently in Kozado than it was in Adata, as the possessor noun is often turned into an adjective instead (particulary if it's the name of a country).

Examples :
Ze Kahod ze šerú ok.
the Kaxad the king his
The king of Kaxad.

But :

Ze đezoklo kahodo.
the land Kaxad-adjective
The land of Kaxad.

 

Verb phrase

Kozado, like Adata, is basically SVO, but with many VSO sentences occuring as well. The canonical order for the verb phrase is as such :
[prepositional phrase] - [preverbal particle] - [head verb] - [verbal noun] - [adverbal phrase] - [prepositional phrase] - [noun phrase]/[verbal noun]

Just like in Adata, adpositional phrases are ordered [time] - [manner] - [place].

 

Preverbal particule usage

As already stated, a conjugated verb must be preceded with a preverbal particule, even when such particule adds no particular meaning.

Examples :
Zak iob ro abizeţ.
the.PL man preverb. sing
The men are singing.

Zak iob ras abizeţ.
the.PL man preverb.NEG sing
The men are not singing.

With other preverbal particule than ro and ras, subject and verb exchange their positions, and a direct-subject pronoun is put in the oblique case rather than the direct case. If the object of the verb is an adjective or an adjectival phrase, the later is moved between the inverted verb and subject.

Examples :
I ro abes re abizeţ zak iob.
I preverb. say preverb.QUOT sing the.PL man
I say that the men are singing.

I ro abes ris abizeţ zak iob.
I preverb. say preverb.QUOT.NEG sing the.PL man
I say that the men are not singing.

Zu abizeţ zak iob.
preverb.REL sing the.PL man
The men who are singing.

Zas abizeţ zak iob.
preverb.REL.NEG sing the.PL man
The men who are not singing.

Pras abizeţ zak iob.
preverb.INT sing the.PL man
Are the men singing ?

Promaţ abizeţ zak iob.
preverb.INT.NEG sing the.PL man
Aren't the men singing ?

 

Aspect and tense usage

In the Non-future tense, Imperfective indicates an ongoing or incomplete action, Perfective a completed action.

E ro abizes.
I preverb. sing-IPFV
I am singing/I sing.

E ro abiza.
I preverb. sing-PFV
I sang/I have sung.

In the future tense, Imperfective indicates an action not yet started, while Perfective indicates an action envisaged as being completed in the future.

E ro habizes.
I preverb. FUT-sing-IPFV
I will sing.

E ro habiza.
I preverb. FUT-sing-PFV
I will have sung.

 

Voice usage

The active voice is pretty staightforward. The mediopassive voice has several functions : it marks primarily passiveness and reflexivity, but is sometimes also used when the subject perform the action for is own benefit, or for a reciprocal action.

Ze obop ro abizis
the song preverb. sing-PASS
The song is being sung.

Ek ro eniţ
we preverb. see-PASS
We see ourself.

E ro abizis
I preverb. sing-PASS
I am singing for myself.

A ro eniţ
they see-PASS
They see each other.

 

Mood usage.

The indicative marks the factuality of a given statement.

Ze domu osk ro ţešemas aţ ze Kosall.
the city-state our preverb. trade with the Xšali
Our city-state trades with the Xšali

The cohortative marks an urge, a necessity or a strong desire to see action accomplished.

Do ro ibipes o.
you preverb. CHRT-punish he
You must punish him.

The conditional expresses an hypothetical action, an action which will happen under conditions.

E ro pozabizes opu e ras o beze.
I preverb. COND-sing if I preverb.NEG be-PFV sick
I would sing if I wasn't sick.

 

Imperative

Kozado features several way to form imperative statement. The commonest is to use the indicative form of a verb without any subject nor preverbal particle.

Bonozes !
Pray !

The use of the cohortative instead of the indicative marks insistance, but is also more formal.

Ibonozes !
IMP-pray
(You really ought to) pray !

A polite imperative is formed using the conditional.

Pybonozes !
COND-pray
Would you pray ?

The most formal and polite formula consist of a negative question, with the verb in the conditional future.

Promaţ ybonozes ad ?
preverb.NEG.INT FUT.COND-pray you
Won't/wouldn't you pray ?

 

Compound form

Kozado has a compound construction, formed with the verb "to be" as an auxiliary and the main verb as a verbal noun, which had a dynamic or an inchoative aspect to the verb. Two order are possible : In the conjuct order, the verbal noun comes right after the auxiliary, while in the disjunct order, the verbal noun comes at the very end of the verb phrase.

The conjuct order is more common and has no particular additional meaning :

E ro ađanomo raph zu lad oth ze Kholo pan e ro o ađanomeža il ze Zaphi.
I preverb. live-PFV during three year in the Khalanu and I preverb. be.PFV live-VBN to the Zophīs
I lived in Khalanu for 3 years, then I moved to/went to live in Zophīs.

The disjunct order insist on the validity of the statement, and is perceived as more formal.

Ek ro ba uaţ il hol oteža.
we preverb. be.PL.PFV yesterday to here come-VBN
We came here yesterday (we can assure you so).

 

Sample text

Ze Senoko, ze šerú šazu, ze đezoklo kahodo ze šerú ok, ze Zom pa ze Thal ze mekot oka, ro abes sep:
The Sinakan, the king great, the land Kaxad the king its, the Sun and ze Moon the brother their, speaks thus:

"Ilo e ro o oth ze mez oz ze pakeţe ok apeža, ez đezoklo rylo ro ba šeko il oz. Zak đezoklo rylo mozar ro abeb sep: "Ze mez ok ro o ša šerú bophro. O ro o patheža oph đezoklo okro. Pan o ro o ša nok aţeža. Do zu se apeža ok ath ze mez ok ze pakeţe ok ro se ša đeph."
"Before I am in the father my the throne his sitting , all country foreign were hostile to me. The country foreign nearby spoke thus: "The father his was a king brave. He was conquering many country ennemy. And he was a god becoming. But who is sitting him on the father his the throne his is a child."

Eša e, ze Zom pa ze Thal ze mekot oka, ro o ath ze mez oz ze pakeţe ok apeža, ilo e ro o noneža il zu ba šeko il oz zak đezoklo rylo, e ro ta il ze Ophoz zak mezak ok nańeža. E ro mezake a pan e ro o ze to oz il ze mekeţe mola elleža. E ro aba sep: "Adaš oz, zak šenoraţ ze moi ok, zu pozaţ zak đezoklo mozar e ţeb ša đeph ro iropozaţ e. Pan a ro ađ poheža ze đezoklo keţio ad zak kalo ok, adaš oz! Ienozopas zak odeţe!"
When I, the Sun and the Moon the brother their, was in the father my the throne his sitting, before I was going to who were hostile to me the country foreign, I was to the Ophai the feast its going. I celebrated them and I was the hand my to the mother shining raising. I spoke thus: "Mistress my, the star the light their, who name the country nearby I as a child belittle I. And they are attacking the land holy your the border its, mistress my! Strike-down the heathen!"

Ze Ophoz ro rotho ze mob oz zak llezé ok. O ro o e elleža pan o ro o ze bophu il ze iţio oz hapheža. E ro o raph šar lad zu mykab oka e peţeža. E ro o a peţeža. E ro o oph ieţi, eš by pan eš har obeža, pan e ro o a il ze đezoklo kahodo plozeža."
The Ophai heard the mouth my the word its. She was me raising-up and she was the strength to the arm my giving. I was in ten years who contested them I conquering. I was they conquering. I was many prisoner, ox and sheep capturing, and I was they to the land Kaxad sending."

 

Sinakan, the great king, the king of the land of Kāxad, brother of the sun and the moon, spoke thus:

Before I sat on the throne of my father, all the foreign countries were hostile towards me. The nearby countries spoke thus: "His father was a brave king. He conquered many enemy countries. And he became a god. But he who sits on the throne of his father is a child."

When I, brother of the sun and moon, sat on the throne of my father, before I went to the foreign countries which were being hostile towards me, hapilly I went to the feasts of Ophai. I celebrated them to my benefit, and I rose my hand to the shining mother. I spoke thus: "My mistress, light of the stars, the nearby countries who name me a child belittle me. And they begin to attack the border of your holy land, my mistress! Strike the heathens down!"

Ophai heard the words of my mouth. She rose me up and she gave strength to my arm. I conquered those who rose against me in ten years. I conquered them. I captured many prisoners, oxen and sheep, and I sent them back to the land of Kāxad."

 

Line-by-line comparison with Adāta (mother language) and Ćđadĕ (sister language) :

Sinakan, dizaka xezor, dizaka ax las ax Kāxad, mēkat ax Zama on ax Thālo, ro abise sip:
Ze Senoko, ze šerú šazu, ze đezoklo kahodo ze šerú ok, ze Zom pa ze Thal ze mekot oka, ro abes sep:
Ćvin sjeb Sjenkĕnro, đjesk xizor, đjesk ćx lćs ćx Kāxd, mēxt ćx Zćm un ćx Tālo:

Īlanu i ro ape ob ōpākātia ax meze ai, eze dizakalas rūlas ro īr hēkon īla in.
Ilo e ro o oth ze mez oz ze pakeţe ok apeža, ez đezoklo rylo ro ba šeko il oz.
Īlnu jero ćbņ uv ōbagatjĕ ćx mizaj, iz đjeskĕlĕ rūlzro vi hēgon īl jen.

Dizakalas rūlas kasus ro abin sip:
Zak đezoklo rylo mozar ro abeb sep:
Ovđjeskĕlĕs rūlz gćsusro ćviv sjeb:

"Meze aka ro a dizaka perā.
"Ze mez ok ro o ša šerú bophro.
"Mizagro ćn đjesk bira.

A ro īrahophian ādizakalas akāran.
O ro o patheža oph đezoklo okro.
Ćro hupin ovđjeskĕlĕs ćgarĕn.

On a ro tan iu naka.
Pan o ro o ša nok aţeža.
Un ćro dćn jwe nćg.

Dal a apeien aka ob ōpākātia ax meze aka ro zasi iu dephi."
Do zu se apeža ok oth ze mez ok ze pakeţe ok ro se ša đeph."
Đćl ćt jwe đipi ćro ć jwe ćbjĕn uv ōbagatjĕ ćx mizag."

Hola i, mēkat ax Zama on ax Thālo, ro ape ob ōpākātia ax meze ai, īlanu i ro nonan atha dizakalas rūlas atheien akā hēkon īla in, i ro zanonan īla zāti ax Ophai.
Eša e, ze Zom pa ze Thal ze mekot oka, ro o ath ze mez oz ze pakeţe ok apeža, ilo e ro o noneža il zu ba šeko il oz zak đezoklo rylo, e ro ta il ze Ophoz zak mezak ok nańeža.
Hul ćbņ uv ōbagatjĕ ćx mizaj jero, mēxt ćx Zćm un ćx Tālo, īlnu jero nun ćt ovđjeskĕlĕs rūlz ćg wez hēgon īl jen, jero ōvo nun īl ovzādi ćx Upaj.

I ro zamizākon ā on i ro habapan ton ai īla mina mala.
E ro mezake a pan e ro o ze to oz il ze mekeţe mola elleža.
Jero mjezagon ān un jero hćbĕvĕ dunaj īl mjen mćl.

I ro abin sip:
E ro aba sep:
Jero ćvin sjeb:

"Edaki ai, khēnu ax āzē, dizakalas kasus papazeien akā īla in iu dephi ro uphōnaphanan in.
"Adaš oz, zak šenoraţ ze moi ok, zu pozaţ zak đezoklo mozar e ţeb ša đeph ro iropozaţ e.
"Iţkjaj ćxin kēnu ćx ovze, wephonĕphĕnĕv jen ovđjeskĕlĕs gćsusro ćg wez babćzjĕn īl jen jwe ­điphi.

On ak ro sāten paso ax kālas ax las dōtin ādo, edaki ai!
Pan a ro ađ poheža ze đezoklo keţio ad zak kalo ok, adaš oz!
Un ćxro sādv bćsjĕn ćx ovgalĕs ćx lćsađo đōdin, iţkjaj ćxin!

Īēnazapa adōtin!"
Ienozopas zak odeţe!"
Ćđodin īenzĕb!"

Ophai ro rathon lezē ax maba ai.
Ze Ophoz ro rotho ze mob oz zak llezé ok.
Upajro rćton ovCze ćx mćvaj.

A ro ulan in on a ro saphin baphor īla itian ai.
O ro o e elleža pan o ro o ze bophu il ze iţio oz hapheža.
Ćro welņ jen un ćro sćpin vćpor īl jetjĕnaj.

I ro pethan ā ate lād kero mūkeien akā in.
E ro o raph šar lad zu mykab oka e peţeža.
Jero hupin ćd lađ ru ān ćg wez mugjĕn āga jen.

I ro pethan ā.
E ro o a peţeža.
Jero hupin ān.

I ro abuien āiātī, bū on xāra on i ro pilazan ā īla las ax Kāxad.
E ro o oph ieţi, eš by pan eš har obeža, pan e ro o a il ze đezoklo kahodo plozeža.
Jero ćvujĕn opjadi un ovvu un ofxar un jero bilćzņān īl lćs ćx Kāxd.

 

A transliteration of the text which more accuratly reflect Kozado's native spelling (compared with the usual transcription, and Adāta):

Zē Sinakan, zē kiērō xiezō, zē dizaklax kāxadax zē kiērō ak, zē Zam pen zē Thāl zē mēkat akā, ro aibeis sip:
Ze Senoko, ze šerú šazu, ze đezoklo kahodo ze šerú ok, ze Zom pa ze Thal ze mekot oka, ro abes sep:
Sinakan, dizaka xezor, dizaka ax las ax Kāxad, mēkat ax Zama on ax Thālo, ro abise sip:

"Īla i ro a ath zē meiz az zē pākāiti ak aipeige, eiz dizaklax rūlax ro be hiēko īl az. Zāk dizaklax rūlax mazār ro aibeib sip: "Zē meiz ak ro a kie kiērō baphrax. A ro a petheige oph dizaklax akra. Pen a ro a kie nak aiteige. Dau zō si aipeige ak ath zē meiz ak zē pākāiti ak ro si kie dieiph."
"Ilo e ro o oth ze mez oz ze pakeţe ok apeža, ez đezoklo rylo ro ba šeko il oz. Zak đezoklo rylo mozar ro abeb sep: "Ze mez ok ro o ša šerú bophro. O ro o patheža oph đezoklo okro. Pan o ro o ša nok aţeža. Do zu se apeža ok ath ze mez ok ze pakeţe ok ro se ša đeph."
"Īlanu i ro ape ob ōpākātia ax meze ai, eze dizakalas rūlas ro īr hēkon īla in. Dizakalas rūlas kasus ro abin sip: "Meze aka ro a dizaka perā. A ro īrahophian ādizakalas akāran. On a ro tan iu naka. Dal a apeien aka ob ōpākātia ax meze aka ro zasi iu dephi."

Eixe i, zē Zam pen zē Thāl zē mēkat akā, ro a ath zē meiz az zē pākāiti ak aipeige, īla i ro a noneige īl zō be hiēko īl az zāk dizaklax rūlax, i ro tā īl zē Ophai zāk mizāk ak noineige. I ro mizākē ā pen i ro a zē to az īl zē mikāiti malāx uileige. I ro aibe sip: "Edaik az, zāk kiēnarait zē maxuī ak, zō pazait zāk dizaklax mazār i tiēb kie dieiph ro īrapazait i. Pen ā ro aid paxeige zē dizaklax kāitiax ād zāk kālax ak, edaik az! Īēnazapais zāk adōiti!"
Eša e, ze Zom pa ze Thal ze mekot oka, ro o ath ze mez oz ze pakeţe ok apeža, ilo e ro o noneža il zu ba šeko il oz zak đezoklo rylo, e ro ta il ze Ophoz zak mezak ok nańeža. E ro mezake a pan e ro o ze to oz il ze mekeţe mola elleža. E ro aba sep: "Adaš oz, zak šenoraţ ze moi ok, zu pozaţ zak đezoklo mozar e ţeb ša đeph ro iropozaţ e. Pan a ro ađ poheža ze đezoklo keţio ad zak kalo ok, adaš oz! Ienozopas zak odeţe!"
Hola i, mēkat ax Zama on ax Thālo, ro ape ob ōpākātia ax meze ai, īlanu i ro nonan atha dizakalas rūlas atheien akā hēkon īla in, i ro zanonan īla zāti ax Ophai. I ro zamizākon ā on i ro habapan ton ai īla mina mala. I ro abin sip: "Edaki ai, khēnu ax āzē, dizakalas kasus papazeien akā īla in iu dephi ro uphōnaphanan in. On ak ro sāten paso ax kālas ax las dōtin ādo, edaki ai! Īēnazapa adōtin!"

Zē Ophai ro ratha zē mab az zāk lieizē ak. A ro a i uileige pen a ro a zē baphō īl zē iitia az xaipheige. I ro a raiph kier lād zō mūkaib akā i peiteige. I ro a ā peiteige. I ro a oph iāitī, āik bū pen āik xār abeige, pen i ro a ā īl zē dizaklax kāhadax plazeige."
Ze Ophoz ro rotho ze mob oz zak llezé ok. O ro o e elleža pan o ro o ze bophu il ze iţio oz hapheža. E ro o raph šar lad zu mykab oka e peţeža. E ro o a peţeža. E ro o oph ieţi, eš by pan eš har obeža, pan e ro o a il ze đezoklo kahodo plozeža."
Ophai ro rathon lezē ax maba ai. A ro ulan in on a ro saphin baphor īla itian ai. I ro pethan ā ate lād kero mūkeien akā in. I ro pethan ā. I ro abuien āiātī, bū on xāra on i ro pilazan ā īla las ax Kāxad.

 

Lexicon

Adjectives

Some adjectives have two, slightly different forms, given under the same gloss.

Kozado - English

beze - sick, ill
bophro - strong, brave
bophuo - tough
dado - viril
dono, duo - (of the) mountain(s)
epiáp - light
iar - thick
kahodo - of Kaxad
keţia, keţio - holy
lemé - long
lumú - other, another
mepiáp - heavy
mola - shining
mozar - nearby, close
mur - narrow
nopho - small
obý - short
okro - ennemy
pe - big
rylo - foreign
šazu - great
šeko hostile
ţath - wide
ytho - thin
zaro - drunk
zima, zimo - muddy, dirty

 

Adverbs

az - less
ilo - before
ńez - more

 

Nouns

abiz - song (see also obop)
adaš - mistress
ado - chain of mountain, rocky landscape
amelle - bird
az - snake
azob - people, person
bophu - strength
by - ox
do - mountain
domu - city-sate, capital city
đeph - child
đezoklo - land, country
eđakie - wife
emekot - family, brotherhood
ezim - swamp
ha - water (see also )
har - sheep
hoth - louse, parasite, bug
ia - neck
ieţi - prisoner
iob - man, human
iţio - arm
- water (archaic)
kalo - border
Kahod - Kaxad
Kosall - Xšali
lad - year
llezé - word
mažé - worm
mekeţe - mother
mekot - brother
mez - father
mezak - feast, celebration
mob - mouth
moi - light
nok - god
noleph - animal
ńiré - woman
obop - song, tune, music
odat - language
odeţe - heathen
opaz - fish
pakeţe - throne
raţ - praise, support, incentive
si - dog
šenoraţ - star
šerú - king
Thal - moon
to - hand
žaka - husband
zekeţe - life
zim - mud
Zom - sun

 

Verbs

For each verb, the following informations are given:
-The citation form of the verb (active singular imperfective, non-futur indicative).
-The set of mood/tense prefixes used (I or II).
-The irregular verbal noun(s) (normally only for -as verbs - remember that regularised forms are also in use).
-The basic meaning.
-The dynamic or inchoative meaning conveyed by compund conjugation.
-An asterisk after an irregular verbal noun means that the regular one is rarely or not used at all.

abes(I) - to speak/say, tell
abizes(I) - to sing/start to sing
ađanomas(I), ađanameža - to live/move, clear off (permanently)(see also zemas)
apes(I) - to be sited/to sit
bipes(II) - to punish/start to punish
bonozes(I) - to pray/start to pray
enas(II), ińeža* - to watch/start to watch
enes(II) - to see/glimpse
enozopas (II), enozapeža - to strike down/being to strike down
haphes(I) - to be generous/to give
ťiropozas(II), iropazeža - to belittle, despise/insult
mezakas(II), mezešeža, mešeža, mezeža - to celebrate/start to celebrate
mykas(I), mišeža, meža - to contest/revoke, dismiss
nonas(I), nańeža - to walk/to go
obežes(I), obeža* - to hold/to capture
otas(I) - to move, travel/come (no irregular verbal noun)
pathas(II), peţeža - to rule over/conquer
plozas(II), plazeža - to feed/send
pohas(I) paseža - to attack/start to attack
pozas(I) pazeža - to name/call, send for
raţalas(I), raţelleža - to order, command (permanently)/give an order, ask something
rothas(I), raţeža - to listen, hear/locate, pick out
se(irregular), aţeža - to be/become (irregular conjugation, see verbal morphology)
sezas(II), sižeža, seža - to wash/start to wash
ţešemas(II), ţešimeža - to trade/start to trade
ylas(I), elleža - to carry, bear/raise, lift
zemas(II), zimeža - to live/be born