Historical context
This section is not a narrative text, but a set of short sample sentences. Lerch explains that he first translated Bacmeister's examples into Turkish and then asked Kurdish speakers for the Kurmanji and Zaza equivalents.
Research note
The Zaza sentences are given in Lerch's historical phonetic writing, not normalized to modern Zazaki orthography. Notes mark witness differences or probable spelling/transcription errors visible in the source.
Zaza (Lerch yazımı)English
Aláh ńe merén’u.
God does not die.
Mē̱rdṳ́m é̱meri yai qílmu.
A human being's life is short.
Daíke eílāne (eílekāni) χóe zāf sinén’a.
The mother loves her children.
T̮íd̮e̱ yai zāf šid é̱stu.
She has much milk in her breasts.
Myẹ̄́rde yai h̔as kén’u.
Her husband loves her.
Ā́ya d̮éni hé̱mle̱ya.
This woman is pregnant.
Še̱š rṓd̮e yau lād̮ ārd.
Six days ago she gave birth to a son.
Dáh̔a ńe wé̱ša.
She is still sick.
Keína yai h̔e̱t rúeništa bermén’a.
Her daughter sits beside her and cries.
Lā́d̮e t̮íd̮e ńe wén’u.
The child does not want to suckle.
Keína hé̱m’a pai ńe šuén’a.
The girl cannot yet walk.
Yau sé̱re di̥ ā́šme bía.
She was born one year and two months ago.
Ḗ̱n’ie t̮ehér hé̱m’e lā́d̮i wé̱ši.
These four boys are all healthy.
Yau ve̱rī́e vāz dāmu, aúe díene perén’u (kai kén’u), aúe h̔irī́ne lauk vā́nu, aúe t̮eherī́ne h̔o̤wén’u.
The first runs, the second jumps, the third sings, the fourth laughs.
Ḗ̱n’oe me̱rdúm t̮i̥mi yai (d̮ai) kṓri.
This man is blind.
D̮éniai yai (d̮ai) ké̱ra.
His wife is deaf.
Vé̱ngi me̱ (Sé̱ki ma vā́d̮i) ńéšna wén’a.
She does not hear that we are speaking.
Beraí tú’e pṳ́reš neiyén’u.
Your brother sneezes.
Wai tú’e rā kaúta.
Your sister is sleeping (in the translation: "slept").
Baúki ši̥má h̔ayaú rú’eništu.
Your father is awake.
Tā́neki wén’u.
He eats and drinks very little.
Ziṅd̮ h̔a myā́ne súrotide.
The nose is in the middle of the face.
Di̥ língi mā é̱sti, hérgu dé̱sti mā́de pāṅd̮ ingíšti é̱sti.
We have two feet and five fingers on each hand.
Γí̥ži̥k sé̱rede yén’u.
Hair grows on the head.
Dendā́ni zuā́ṅ h̔a fé̱kde.
The tongue and the teeth are in the mouth.
Dé̱stu rā́št qóatu sei dé̱sti t̮é̱pi.
The right arm is stronger than the left.
Yau múye dé̱rga bāryéka.
A hair is long and thin.
Gṓ’eni sū́ra.
Blood is red.
Éstei sei ké̱ri sā́γí.
Bones are hard like stone.
Māsé̱de t̮ími é̱sti, gṓšye t̮íni.
The fish has eyes, but no ears.
Ḗ̱n’oe teir hyedíki ferén’u.
This bird flies slowly.
Nišén’u ā́rdda.
It comes down to the ground.
Pé̱li teíride mú’i siaí é̱sti.
It has black feathers in its wings.
Dā́rede vé̱lgō té̱ze, gíli hi̥šni é̱sti.
The tree has green leaves and thick branches.
Ē̱no’e teir nā́kure bāryék é̱sta, bṓ’et̮e qí̥lma é̱sta.
This bird has a pointed beak and a short tail.
Halyẹ̄́ne wẹ̄́da h̔áki sepī́ é̱sti.
In its nest it has white eggs.
Adí̥r ve̱šén’u, du, qí̥le, ko̤mṳ́r me̱ vién’i.
The fire burns: we see the smoke, the flame, and the coals.
É̱n’a lā́de aúke lé̱ze šuén’a.
The water in the river flows quickly.
Āšme e̱stárera pī́la, rṓd̮era qí̮d̮a.
The moon is larger than the stars and smaller than the sun.
Vizyẹ̄́ri šā́nde varán varā́.
Yesterday evening rain fell.
Eíru sebá me múndiai aíšma fátma día.
This morning I saw the rainbow.
Šau tārī́u, rōd̮ rṓštu.
At night it is dark and by day bright.
Mā kā́li bekí zazád̮e.
We speak Zaza.
Ši̥mā zazád̮a záni?
Do you know how to speak Zaza?