Supplement:
Babel Story

English Text

¹Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. ²As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. ³They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. ⁴Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth. ⁵But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. ⁶The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. ⁷Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” ⁸So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. ⁹That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Láadan Translation with Morphemic Analysis & Retranslation into English

¹Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.

¹Bíide thi doni wum daneth nede neda hiya wáa, i medi with woho beth.

¹The entire earth has only one language at this time, and all people speak it.

²As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

²Úyahú mewida with henedim, meredeb ben raboth Shinaresha; menohim i menahabelid ben núusha.

²When people come to the east, they find a plain at Shinar; they stop traveling and begin to dwell there.

³They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar.

³Medi ben hin hinedim, “Wil mehel len yóhudeth menedebe i mehóowahal beneth.” Meduth ben yóhudeth hoth udethusha i donimutheth hoth dóshidihudethusha.

³They say to each other, “Let’s make many bricks and fire them unusually well.” They use bricks in the place of stone and bitumen instead of mortar.

⁴Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.

⁴Id medi ben, “Wil mehel len miwitheth shumatheden olimedim raheb úwanú aril zha lenethoth mehan witheshub woho i leneth meralolineshub ra Donisha wum mesh.”

⁴And then they say, “Let us make a city with a tower up to heaven so that our name will be known by all people and we shall not be dispersed across the whole Earth.”

⁵But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building.

⁵Izh ril sháad Lahila úwanú láad Ba mehel with miwitheth i shumathetheháath.

⁵But the Holy One comes in order to perceive the city and tower they were building.

⁶The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.

⁶Di Lahila, “Bíi bere thónashub mehin ben shonidam nede i medi ben wozhe wodaneháa hihóoth, ébere aril methad meshub ben wonédeshub wodaleth wahahóo wa.

⁶The Holy One says, “If they who are one tribe and who speak the same language have just begun to do even this, then they will be able to do any intended thing at all.

⁷Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

⁷Wil dórawedeth Lan dan benethoth úwanú aril mehen ra ben hin hineth.”

⁷Let us go and make their language unclear so that they may not understand each other.”

⁸So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.

⁸I rabuth Lahila beneth núude Donidim wum mesh, i menóhel ben miwitheth.

⁸And the Holy One broadcast them thence across the entire Earth, and they stopped building the city.

⁹That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

⁹Hotheth hi zhashub Babel hiwáanehóo—beróo dórawedeth Lahila dan withethoth woho núushahóo. Rabuth Lahila beneth núude Donidim wum mesh.

⁹For this reason this place is called Babel—because there the Holy One made their language unclear. From there the Holy One scattered them across the entire Earth.

Láadan Text

¹Bíide thi doni wum daneth nede neda hiya wáa, i medi with woho beth. ²Úyahú mewida with henedim, meredeb ben raboth Shinaresha; menohim i menahabelid ben núusha. ³Medi ben hin hinedim, “Wil mehel len yóhudeth menedebe i mehóowahal beneth.” Meduth ben yóhudeth hoth udethusha i donimutheth hoth dóshidihudethusha. ⁴Id medi ben, “Wil mehel len miwitheth shumatheden olimedim raheb úwanú aril zha lenethoth mehan witheshub woho i leneth meralolineshub ra Donisha wum mesh.” ⁵Izh ril sháad Lahila úwanú láad Ba mehel with miwitheth i shumathetheháath. ⁶Di Lahila, “Bíi bere thónashub mehin ben shonidam nede i medi ben wozhe wodaneháa hihóoth, ébere aril methad meshub ben wonédeshub wodaleth wahahóo wa. ⁷Wil dórawedeth Lan dan benethoth úwanú aril mehen ra ben hin hineth.” ⁸I rabuth Lahila beneth núude Donidim wum mesh, i menóhel ben miwitheth. ⁹Hotheth hi zhashub Babel hiwáanehóo—beróo dórawedeth Lahila dan withethoth woho núushahóo. Rabuth Lahila beneth núudehóo Donidim wum mesh.