These tentative Caucasian versions of the fable contain vocabulary and morphosyntax by Starostin and Nikolayev (1994). An early stage is represented in both fables, before the fixation of particles as case suffixes.
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Proto-Northeast Caucasian |
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ʡīlχu ɦɨčwĭar-gi |
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ʡīlχu kwi ƛwāħnɨn ɦwe ina |
ɦɨčwĭar agwana; |
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ʔi ɦĕq̇wa hwǝ̄lkwēm ʔīqar, |
ʔi ɦăχe rä̆χ:am, |
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ʔi ćwĭjo ä̆χi ĭχ:er. |
ʡīlχu ɦɨčwĭar ʔiʔwina: |
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“jĕrḳwĭ zā ʔăc̣ĕ, |
hĭrḳwĕm ămc̣ĕr ɦɨčwĭar ărḳĕwr.” |
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ɦɨčwĭar ʔiʔwina: “χĭq̇ē ʡīlχu! |
jĕrḳwĭ ža ʔăc̣ĕ ămc̣ĕr, |
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hĭrḳwĕ, ʔāƛ̣i, ʡīlχuar ƛwāħnɨm |
ču āwʎwĕr ḳǖčwɨ̆m hŏq̇ē, |
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ʡīlχuar-ra ƛwāħnɨ ɦwe a.” |
ma χĭq̇ēse ʡīlχu qwɨ̆ʔrūdi ilqwāna. |
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Proto-Northwest Caucasian |
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χʷǝ č́ʷara-gjǝ |
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χʷǝ ja laśʷam mә q́ˤ:an |
č́ʷara pǝʎ́an; |
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mǝ χwanǝta k:ʷǝm q:irǝ, |
mǝ čʷǝχʷa čʷam, |
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mǝ ć̣ǝm pasa mǝš́ʷrǝ. |
χʷǝ č́ʷara q̇́ˤan: |
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“źǝʁʷǝ sā ǵʷǝ, |
q:ać̣am ć̣arǝ č́ʷara ḳ́ʷarǝ.” |
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č́ʷara q̇́ˤan: “q:́ˤʷa χʷǝ! |
źǝʁʷǝ š́a ǵʷǝ ć̣arǝ, |
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q:ać̣a, ł́a, č́ʷara laśʷam |
ʎ́ʷa ḳ́ač̣ʷǝm čǝ-wǝ, |
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χʷiara-gjǝ laśʷam mә q́ˤ:a.” |
nǝ q:́aˤʷasa χʷǝ rǝq:ʷada q:ˤʷan. |