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
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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.
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Proto-Laenkean
| *ŋakʰtʰas kʰegtʰezajte wotʼ
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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.
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Kirvic
ჹაკთას·ო·კათი
Ṇakthas ō kāthi
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① ჹაკთას·ლიაკე·ისმოას·ხოიბუს·კათიზი·ლირვის
② ან·ლიზისკე·ა·ბოკთა·ბათა·აქქიტა
③ ა·ჭიათა·ღარა·პოსსიტა
④ ოკ·ა·აკანტა·პოსსიტა·აწუსკი
⑤ ჹაკთას·კათიზინ·ვომის
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① Ṇakthas, liāke ismōas ḥōibūs, kāthizi lirvis,
② an līzīske ā bōktha batha ākkhita,
③ ā c̣iatha ṛara pōssita,
④ ōk ā akanta pōssita acūskī.
⑤ Ṇakthas kāthizīn vomis:
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Laefevian
| Ñaht ô heiþir
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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 ormyte kungwede angear.
⑨ Ô ñaht hwalôhkas señwêdôze.”
⑩ Maeǧ ke ylmis, ñaht jøpjøžis humbyrrele.
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Radestrian
| U Gaks ar i hjeðe
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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.
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| Forms in bold are direct descendants of forms in the Proto-Laenkean text.
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Riyan