Name That Language!

[bradrn]

Now that I have my computer back here's a new text:

mæ ljo bigce siʔhæʔceka bari tæn kala poel aʔloʔcmu diŋke. bigtaceʔka bari kɽiloʔnɖæ ɖiʔpiaʔceʔka bari hɽiŋ toŋgwarla ɖile ɖwa ugnturiaʔ wigke. wigla ɖwa wigce kela ɖwa muta alæʔke ljo haboʔ boke. ljo haboʔbola huŋdæke bæke. selamboeʔ huŋdæke bæke ɖe bobo muta ejograŋla ljo læʔke ɖakce basoŋke. goɽæo ljo wege. ljo wela mmwiŋ mæʔbare baya ɖokra sgwa kece giŋsiaʔ giŋsiaʔ nlugce clæ clæ ugboʔceka bari moʔmnægne buti bwaʔtarce mmwiŋ unæŋu latoʔceʔka mæ bigcog ɖæte bbigɖiŋke ljo.

OK, I’ll bite… is it Papuan?

[Vijay]

Do any Papuan languages have retroflex consonants, though? Given especially the fact that I see <gb>, I have a feeling you'd have better luck looking towards one of the languages spoken on the West African coast, perhaps a Gbe or Kru language.

[bradrn]

Do any Papuan languages have retroflex consonants, though? Given especially the fact that I see <gb>, I have a feeling you'd have better luck looking towards one of the languages spoken on the West African coast, perhaps a Gbe or Kru language.

There’s a couple with retroflexes, I think. And /gb/ is definitely attested: eastern New Guinea is really the only area outside Africa where it’s common.

[Raholeun]

Given especially the fact that I see <gb>, I have a feeling you'd have better luck looking towards one of the languages spoken on the West African coast, perhaps a Gbe or Kru language.

It could be the case that I am overlooking it, but the only <gb> sequence I see could just as well have a syllable split.

[Karch]

No, it's not Papuan, and yes, /gb/ is just a cluster.

[bradrn]

No, it's not Papuan, and yes, /gb/ is just a cluster.

Pity, I know Papuan language quite well. In that case… hmm, what languages have /æ ʔ ɖ/ and are agglutinating?… a Munda language, perhaps?

EDIT: Is it Gtaʔ?

EDIT2: Found it, it’s Gtaʔ; the text is from Anderson 2008, starting from line (ii) for some reason. (The key diagnostic features were /æ/ and the consonant clusters.)

[Karch]

It is indeed Gta?. The text starts from the second line, because the first line contains the ethnonym.

[bradrn]

Next text:

Ënu achuchi bëráma nun ‘anibu ‘ia kana ñuikasin. Ax ka ‘iakëxa achushi nun xutakaman ñuixuan “bëráma ‘ia usaisa uni ‘iakëxa” kixun. Ax kaisa ‘iakëxa achushi uni an ‘axankë. Atian ‘ainbi kaisa a ui-saokin kara ‘axania kixun a uni ‘unanyamakë ‘iakëxa uinbi uinikë uninbi. Atian casi kamabi nëtën kaisa a uni kwankëshín. ‘Axani kwanxun kaisa bëakëxa ‘itsaira tsatsa tsatsa ñapa usabu.

[Karch]

Spoken in South America?

[bradrn]

Spoken in South America?

Yes. (That much is obvious.)

[Karch]

Panoan?

[bradrn]

Yes.

[Karch]

Does it have 4 vowels?

[bradrn]

Does it have 4 vowels?

No.

[Karch]

Cashibo-Cacataibo?

[bradrn]

Cashibo-Cacataibo?

Yes, very good. Your turn!

[Karch]

bilä kuza amnoobi
nəmdə tarčaabərdža
bilä šejmübü džaabpi
axsaʔ ibi šejmüt
konzandebi
saaɣər bəraaba saarbi

šojdʲooba saarbi
məlle oʔbtəbi
urɣaba toʔbtoobi
mana jit hälaastə
padaʔ saɣər bəraanə!
padabi saaɣən bəraanə

[Aftovota]

Is it Ethiopian Semitic?

[Karch]

No.

[bradrn]

It’s Chadic, isn’t it?