Appendix:Literature/Schleicher's fable

Schleicher's fable is an artificial text composed in the reconstructed language Proto-Indo-European (PIE), published by the German linguist August Schleicher in 1868 (the year of his death). Schleicher was the first scholar to compose a text in PIE. The fable is entitled Avis akvāsas ka ("The Sheep and the Horses").

Various scholars have published revised versions of Schleicher's fable since his original text as the idea of what PIE should look like changed over time. The fable may serve as an illustration of the significant changes that the reconstructed language has gone through during the last 140 years of scholarly efforts.

English

The Sheep and the Horses

① A sheep that had no wool saw horses, ② one of them pulling a heavy wagon, ③ one carrying a big load, ④ and one carrying a man quickly. ⑤ The sheep said to the horses: ⑥ “My heart pains me, seeing a man driving horses.” ⑦ The horses said: “Listen, sheep, our hearts pain us when we see this: ⑧ a man, the master, makes the wool of the sheep into a warm garment for himself. ⑨ And the sheep has no wool.” ⑩ Having heard this, the sheep fled into the plain.

Proto-Laenkean

*ŋakʰtʰas kʰegtʰezajte wotʼ

① *ŋakʰtʰas ᵐbæjngʱetʼad hæjzi pesŋwajʔas kajʔjeci kʰegtʰezed lɯrdʔjedeci, ② slɯhezɯso ʔasas kʼjiwgecetʼad hutlétad ᵐbajkʰjebowci, ③ slɯhezɯso ʔasas garad bʱajttʰad bʱajtjebowci, ④ slɯhezɯso ʔasas kʰeghɯɟ skamtʰad bʱajtjebowci. ⑤ ŋaktʰas kʰegtʰeziwm dwomjedeci: ⑥ “bʱehr̥hen cʼaman skæjtʼʔr̥bʱaci gʱe skamtʰas ᵐbæjngʱes kʰegtʰezed skjupʼʔaci lɯrdʔakʰus.” ⑦ kʰegtʰez dwomjawdetja: “hm̥íwtʼʔar, ŋakʰtʰas, ᵑgjm̥tʼór̥heziwco cʼameziwco skæjtʼʔr̥bʱaci ᵐbæjngʱehɯɟ lɯrdʔɯwtʼos gʱe: ⑧ skamtʰas, hwl̥tʼkʰwés, ŋakʰtʰɯg pesŋwajʔɯg ɟiwkʰeced ɟrɯkʰad ᵑgihm̥ ⁿdetʔaci. ⑨ skajdʱgʱe ŋakʰtʰad hæjzi pesŋwajʔas kajʔʔaci.” ⑩ ᵐbæjngʱehɯɟ skajdʱad humjedeci, ŋakʰtʰas rwewŋm̥ ʔɯci pæwkʼjedeci.

Kirvic

ჹაკთას·ო·კათი Ṇakthas ō kāthi
① ჹაკთას·ლიაკე·ისმოას·ხოიბუს·კათიზი·ლირვის
① Ṇakthas, liāke ismōas ḥōibus, kāthizi lirvis,

Laefevian

Ñaht ô heiþir
① Ñaht, kwiǧ pênjis señwêda, laljis heiþi, ② makwiruôns san mêšis žoǧwe uste, ③ san virêsis ôrte vênte, ④ san kô haiskaj virêsis irrane. ⑤ Ñaht lônmis heiþiron: ⑥ „Jam vi šubbas, maeǧ dalla irrane, kwiǧ žieddas heiþi.” ⑦ Heiþir unhnulžôs: „Ympohdar, ñaht, jam šubbas njundi, maeǧ dallod ke·lo: ⑧ irran, luhwe, ñyn ñahtugôtan señwêdôtan tannas kungwede angear. ⑨ Ô ñaht hwalôhkas señwêdôze.” ⑩ Maeǧ ke ylmis, ñaht jøpjøžis humbyrrele.
Forms in bold are direct descendants of forms in the Proto-Laenkean text.

Gloss

	Ñaht,	kwiǧ	pênjis	señwêda	laljis,	heiþi,
/	ˈŋaxt |	kwiɣ	ˈpɛɲis	ˈseŋwɛda |	ˈlaʎis	ˈxeiθi /
	sheep.nom.sg	rel	have_not-ind.pret-3s	wool-gen.sg	see-ind.pret-3s	horse-acc.pl
	“A sheep that had no wool saw horses,”

	makwiruôns	san	mêšis	žoǧwe	uste,
/	ˈmakwiruɔns |	ˈsan	ˈmɛʃis	ˈʒoɣwe |	ˈuste /
	which-pl.abl-rel	one	pull-ind.pret-3s	heavy-acc.sg	cart-acc.sg
	“one of them pulling a heavy wagon,”

	san	virêsis	ôrte	vênte,
/	ˈsan	ˈvirɛsis	ˈɔrte |	ˈvɛnte /
	one	carry-ind.pret-3s	big-acc.sg	load-acc.sg
	“one carrying a big load,”

	san	kô	haiskaj	virêsis	irrane,
/	ˈsan	kɔ	ˈxaiskaj	ˈvirɛsis	ˈirrane /
	one	and	quickly	carry-ind.pret-3s	human-acc.sg
	“and one carrying a man quickly.”

	Ñaht	lônmis	heiþiron:
/	ˈŋaxt	ˈlɔmmis	ˈxeiθiron /
	sheep.nom.sg	say-ind.pret-3s	horse-dat.pl
	“The sheep said to the horses:”

Radestrian

U Gaks ar i hjeðe
① Gaks, vân gjeș hreņuog húe, híðirid vareș, ② antí vjes gjeș às baðiș veled áșevú, ③ às gjoriș mjekst vjetivú ④ ar às skanslișt așuorcí vjetivú hâle. ⑤ U gaks i híðirín dvomeș: ⑥ „Stjátș-en a tasms, ádei híðiríe hedxeșe skanslișt vart.” ⑦ I hjeðe dvomú: „Areta, gakse. Dzatorín stjátș a tasms, ádete kjestad vartú: ⑧ eș skanslieþs, u slica, hreņúvur u gaksk lmiriș rnoland dzin de. ⑨ O u gaksa hreņuog hjeaș.” ⑩ Lecjúl kad, gjeș u gaks erja hvakst anșușe.
Forms in bold are direct descendants of forms in the Proto-Laenkean text.

Gloss

	Gaks,	vân	gjeș	hreņuog	húe,	híðirid	vareș,
/	ˈɡaks |	vɤn	jɛʃ	ˈhrɛŋuoɡ	ˈhuːɛ |	ˈhiːðirid	ˈvarɛʃ /
	sheep-nom.sg	3s.anim-dat	rel=3s	wool-gen.sg	neg.pst-depers.sg	horse-pl-acc	see.pst-ind-3s
	“A sheep that had no wool saw horses,”

	antí	vjes	gjeș	às	baðiș	veled	áșevú,
/	ˈantiː	vjɛs	jɛʃ	ˈas	ˈbaðiʃ	ˈvɛlɛd	ˈaːʃɛvuː /
	from-amongst	3p.anim-gen	rel=3s	one-nom	heavy	cart-acc.sg	pull-prespart-adv
	“one of them pulling a heavy wagon,”

	às	gjoriș	mjekst	vjetivú,
/	ˈas	ˈjɔriʃ	ˈmjɛkst	ˈvjɛtivuː /
	one-nom	big	load-acc.sg	carry-prespart-adv
	“one carrying a big load,”

	ar	às	skanslișt	așuorcí	vjetivú,	hâle.
/	ar	ˈas	ˈskansliʃt	aˈʃuortsiː	ˈvjɛtivuː	ˈhɤlɛ /
	and	one-nom	man-acc.sg	quick-adv	carry-prespart-adv	be.pst-ind-depers.sg
	“and one carrying a man quickly.”

	U	gaks	i	híðirín	dvomeș:
/	u	ˈɡaks	i	ˈhiːðiriːn	ˈdvɔmɛʃ /
	def.anim.sg	sheep-nom.sg	def.anim.pl	horse-dat.pl	say.pst-ind-3s
	“The sheep said to the horses:”

	„Stjátș	-en	a	tasms,	ádei	híðiríe	hedxeșe	skanslișt	vart.”
/	ˈstʃaːtʃ	ɛn	a	ˈtasms |	ˈaːdei	ˈhiːðiriːɛ	ˈhɛdʒɛʃɛ	ˈskansliʃt	ˈvart /
	hurt.npst-ind-3s	1s-dat	def.inan.sg	heart-nom.sg	when=1s	horse-ins.pl	drive-prespart-adj-anim	man-acc.sg	see.npst-ind-depers.sg
	“"My heart pains me, seeing a man driving horses."”

	I	hjeðe	dvomú:	„Areta,	gakse.
/	i	ˈʃɛðɛ	ˈdvɔmuː |	ˈarɛta	ˈɡaksɛ /
	def.anim.pl	horse-nom.pl	say.pst-ind-3p	listen.imp-2s	sheep-voc.sg
	“The horses said: "Listen, sheep,”

	Dzatorín	stjátș	a	tasms,	ádete	kjestad	vartú:
/	ˈdzatɔriːn	ˈstʃaːtʃ	a	ˈtasms |	ˈaːdɛtɛ	ˈtʃɛstad	ˈvartuː /
	1pe-emph.dat	hurt.npst-ind-3s	def.inan.sg	heart-nom.sg	when=1pe	this-emph.acc.sg	see.npst-ind-depers.pl
	“"our hearts pain us when we see this:”

	eș	skanslieþs,	u	slica,	hreņúvur	u	gaksk	lmiriș	rnoland	dzin	de.
/	ɛʃ	ˈskanslieθs |	u	ˈslitsa |	hrɛˈŋuːvuːr	u	ˈɡaksk	ˈlmiriʃ	ˈrnɔland	dzin	ˈdɛ /
	that=3s	man-nom.sg	def.anim.sg	master-nom.sg	wool-ins.sg	def.anim.sg	sheep-gen.sg	warm	clothing-acc.sg	refl-dat	make.npst-ind-depers.sg
	“a man, the master, makes the wool of the sheep into a warm garment for himself.”

	O	u	gaksa	hreņuog	hjeaș.”
/	ɔ	u	ˈɡaksa	ˈhrɛŋuoɡ	ˈʃæːʃ /
	and	def.anim.sg	sheep-dat.sg	wool-gen.sg	neg.npst-ind-3s
	“And the sheep has no wool."”

	Lecjúl	kad,	gjeș	u	gaks	erja	hvakst	anșușe.
/	ˈlɛtʃuːl	kad |	jɛʃ	u	ˈɡaks	ˈɛrja	ˈhvakst	ˈanʃuʃɛ /
	hear-pspart-adv	this-acc.sg	foc=3s	def.anim.sg	sheep-nom.sg	onto=def.inan.sg	plain-acc.sg	run_away.pst-ind-depers.sg
	“Having heard this, the sheep fled into the plain.”