Matthew, Chapter 1, in Dëne Sųłıné — Kirkby, 1881
About this text
The work is the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 1 only (verses 1–25 complete), in Dëne Sųłıné (Chipewyan), in the Evans syllabic script as printed. It comes from The New Testament, translated into the Chipewyan language, printed in London for the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1881 (the Gospels first issued 1878); the printer was Gilbert and Rivington, Limited. Its translator was William West Kirkby (1827–1907). Status: DRAFT — pending human and community review.
Provenance: the source copy is Internet Archive item chigothitostomom00unse, a scan of the 1881 edition (406 leaves), and this transcription was made from that item’s page images. The book was published in 1881 and its translator died in 1907; it is public domain in Canada (life plus 70 years, expired 1977) and in the United States (published before 1930).
This is the people’s own book, recovered and set here exactly as it was printed. It is not a Sacred Name edition: the names in it stand as its own translators printed them. The collection’s own edition in this language waits for the partnership, as the doorway of this language says.
How it was recovered: this is a transcription from the page images, made glyph by glyph — the item’s machine text had failed, its syllabic type misread as Greek and Cyrillic look-alikes. The sole key used was the book’s own printed key, the “Chipewyan Syllabarium” standing in its front matter (leaf 8 of the scan); no other edition or system was used, and no reading was filled from anywhere else. Leaf 10 (printed page 7) carries the book heading, the chapter heading and verses 1–17; leaf 11 (printed page 8) carries verses 18–25. Word division, verse numbers, commas and periods are as printed, and a “ / ” in the text marks a printed line break within a verse, and stands exactly. There are no [?] marks in this chapter: the count is 0 — no character was left unread.
The reservations, which ride with this text: a small number of glyph-value assignments carry documented reservations, listed in full in the notes at the end so that a fluent reader of Kirkby’s syllabics can audit them first. In substance: (1) the sign read ᔨ (yi) and its dotted form; (2) the recurring genealogy formula ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, whose small final sign is read as final l; (3) final r against final th, two close signs in this typeface; (4) the dot at verse 23 assigned to the ko syllable; (5) a name at verse 3 whose final sign touches the next in one impression; (6) the g-row assignments, the weakest cells in the key; and (7) Kirkby’s spellings of the biblical names are his own and stand exactly as printed, not normalised toward the English names. Seven reservations in all await a fluent reader’s audit.
Extent counted: chapter 1 only — 25 verses. The rest of the New Testament in this edition has not been transcribed in this phase.
Matthew 1
Book heading, as printed: ᐅᓂ ᐟᖇ ᗂᐡ ᒪᗱ ᐯᑎᑌ.
Chapter heading, as printed: ᑎᖇ ᐯᓴᖇᔭ.
1 ᑎᑎ ᐁᑎᓇᔨᓯ ᔨᓯ᙭ ᐁᑯᓄᓀᐡ, ᐁᑎᓂ ᑌᐱᐨ ᐯᓴᔨ ᐁᑎᓂ, ᐁᑎᓂ ᐁᐯᓴᓴᒼ ᐯᓴᔨ / ᐁᑎᓂ ᗱ, 2 ᐁᐯᓴᓴᒼ ᐊᘂᐟ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᐊᘂᐟ ᗯᑯᐨ ᗁᐟᕤᓂᐟ ᙡ, ᗯᑯᐨ ᗱᑕᑎᐢ ᙡ ᐯᗰᖇ ᑕᐅᖇ ᙡ ᐆᐯ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, / ᐆᐯ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, 3 ᗱᑕᑎᐢ ᘂᒪᐢ ᐯᑎᘂᑌ ᐯᐡᐁᐢ ᙡ, ᘂᘂ ᙡ ᐆᐳᐯ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᐯᐡᐯᐢ ᐁᐢᓴᒼ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᐁᐢᓴᒼ / ᐁᐢᓴᒼ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ ᙡ, 4 ᐁᓴᓴ ᐁᒥᑌᑕ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᐁᒥᑌᑕ ᐣᐊᐢᑯ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ ᙡ, ᐣᐊᐢᑯ ᔩᑯᐳ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ ᙡ, 5 ᔩᑯᐳ ᓴᑲ ᐯᑎᑌ ᐆᐳᐢ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᐆᐳᐢ ᓴᑯ ᐯᑎᑌ ᐅᐯᐨ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᐅᐯᐨ ᗯᖉ ᗁᐟᕤ / ᓂ ᙡ. 6 ᗯᖉ ᑲᐅᐟᐢ ᓂᓂ ᑌᐱᐨ ᐆᐟᔨ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᑌᐱᐨ ᑲᐳᐟᐢ ᓂᓂ ᐁᐡ ᗰᐟᐎ ᕞᕫ ᓴᐡᐊᐊᐢ / ᐯᑎᑯᐅ ᐯᑎᑌ ᔩᑯᑯᐳ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, 7 ᔩᑯᑯᐳ ᔩᐅᐳᐳᐊᓴᒼ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᔩᐅᐳᐳᐊᓴᒼ ᐁᐸᓴ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᐁᐸᓴ ᐁᘂ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ ᙡ, 8 ᐁᘂ ᗱᓴᐸᑯ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ ᙡ, ᗱᓴᐸᑯ ᗱᑯᐊᓴ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᗱᑯᐊᓴ ᐅᘂᐊᐡ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ ᙡ, 9 ᐅᘂᐊᐡ ᗱᑯᓴ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᗱᑯᓴ ᐊᗴᐢ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᐊᗴᐢ ᐃᐢᑭᐊᐢ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ ᙡ, 10 ᐃᐢᑭᐊᐢ ᒪᑎᘂᐡ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᒪᑎᘂᐡ ᐁᑯᑯ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᐁᑯᑯ ᗱᘂᐊ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ ᙡ, 11 ᗱᘂᐊ ᗰᑎᑎᐊᐢ ᙡ ᐯᗰᖇ ᙡ ᐆᐳᐯ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᑕᐅᐨᐣᑎᓂᑭ ᑌᓂ ᗰᑎ ᐸᐯᓴᑯ ᑯᑯ / ᑕᐆᐳᐯᐃᐟᗱ ᓂ, 12 ᐸᐯᓴᑯ ᑯᑯ ᓂᓂᐟᑯ ᐅᑲᐆ ᗰᑎᑎᐊᐢ ᘂᑯᖉᐁ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᘂᑯᖉᐁ ᘂᐆᐯᐯ ᗁᐟᕤ / ᓂ ᙡ, 13 ᘂᐆᐯᐯ ᐊᐱᐅᐨ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᐊᐱᐅᐨ ᐃᑯᐁᑭᓴ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ ᙡ, ᐃᑯᐁᑭᓴ ᐁᘂᑯ ᗁᐟᕤ / ᓂ ᙡ, 14 ᐁᘂᑯ ᘂᑯᐟ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᘂᑯᐟ ᐊᗰᓴ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᐊᗰᓴ ᐃᐡᐅᐨ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ ᙡ, 15 ᐃᐡᐅᐨ ᐃᐡᐁᘂ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᐃᐡᐁᘂ ᒪᑯᑯ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ ᙡ, ᒪᑯᑯ ᗯᑯᐨ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ ᙡ, 16 ᗯᑯᐨ ᔩᔩ ᗁᐟᕤᓂ, ᐁᐡᓂ ᒪᑯᐃ ᐯᓂᓂ ᐁᐡᓂ, ᒪᑯᐃ ᐯᑎᑎ ᐢᐢ ᐊᐟᐡ ᓂ ᐁᐡᓂ ᙭ / ᐅᐟᔨ ᓂ, 17 ᐅᑯᐟᔨ ᐁᑯᖇ ᐁᐯᓴ ᓀᐡ ᑌᐱᐨ ᐅᑯᑯ ᑎᑎᑎ ᗴᐡ, ᐁᑯᖇ ᑕᐅᖇ ᓂ, ᑌᐱᐨ ᐁᐡᓂ ᑌᓂ / ᗰᑎ ᐁᔨ ᐅᑯᓂ ᐸᐯᓴᑯ ᑯᑯ ᑕᐆᐳᐯᐃᐟᗱ ᐅᑯᑯ ᑎᑎᑎ ᗴᐡ, ᐁᑯᖇ ᑕᐅᖇ ᓂ ᙡ, ᐸᐯᓴᑯ ᑯᑯ, / ᑕᐆᐳᐯᐃᐟᗱ ᐁᐡᓂ ᙭ ᐊᐟᐡ ᐅᑯᑯ ᑎᑎᑎ ᗴᐡ, ᐁᑯᖇ ᑕᐅᖇ ᓂ ᙡ, 18 ᐁᑯᑎ ᑎᑎ ᑭᖉ ᔨᓯ᙭ ᐊᐟᐡᐢ ᓂ, ᐸ ᒪᑯᐃ ᐆᐟᔨ ᑌᓂᔨ ᐣᑎᑎᐁᗴ ᓂ, ᔩᔩ ᐆᐟᔨ ᑯᑎᑲ / ᐣᑎᑕ ᑎᑯ ᓂᓂᑯᐅᓂ ᓂᐢ ᐯᑎᑌ ᒪᑯᐃ ᘂᐟᐎ ᐁᑎ ᓂ. 19 ᐁᑯᑯ ᔩᔩ ᗰᐟᐎ ᐯᓂᓂ ᑌᓂᔨ ᐁᐟᑎ ᐁᐡᓂ ᗴ, ᒪᑯᐃ ᐁᐣᐃᐟᓂ ᐊᑯᑎ ᑯᓂᑎ / ᑌᓂ ᓴᗴᑕᓂᑯ ᐃᓂ ᐅᗴ, 20 ᑯᑎᑲ ᐁᔨ ᐅᐡᐢ ᓴᓂᑎᑯ ᐣᑎᑎᗴ ᗴ ᓴᑭᐳᑌᓂ ᓴᐡᐢ ᐣᐃᓴ ᓂ ᓴᑯ, ᐆᐊᑎ ᙡ, ᔩᔩ / ᑌᐱᐨ ᐯᓴᐢ, ᒪᑯᐃ ᓂᑎᑯᐅ ᐃᐟᙡ ᐅᐡᐢ ᐆᐟᑯᑲ ᘂᐣ, ᗴᐢ ᐁᑭᐟᓂ ᓂᓂᑯᐅᓂ ᓂᐢ ᐯᑎᑌ / ᐁᑭᐟᓂ ᗴ, 21 ᐯᓴᐢ ᐊᐟᐡᐢ ᐅᐡᐢᐡ, ᓂᑯ ᐱᔨ ᐢᔨ ᐆᐟᔨ ᐊᑎᑕᓂ ᐘᐡ, ᐁᐡᓂ ᐁᑌᗰᐡᐟᐎ ᐆᐳᐯᐅᐢᐡᓂ / ᗴᐢ ᐆᐳᐯᑭᐟᓂ ᐘᐡ ᗴ, 22 ᐁᑯᑎ ᑎᑎ ᐅᑯᐟᔨ ᐁᑯᑕᑎ ᑰ ᑲᐅᐟᐢ ᐯᓴᑎᑯ ᐊᑕᐣᐟᐢ ᐅᑲᐟ, ᐁᐡᓂ ᐳᐯᑯ ᐣᑯ / ᑰᐊᑎ. 23 ᐁᑰᐢᐡ ᐁᑌᓂᑭ ᗰᐟᐎ ᘂᐟᐎ ᐁᑎ ᐅᑎᑎ, ᐯᓴᐢ ᐊᐟᐡᐢ ᐅᑲᑰ ᐃᒪᐟᔩᐁ, ᐆᐟᔨ ᑌᓂ / ᐊᑕᑎ ᐘᐡ, ᐁᔨ ᐱᐢ ᑰᓴᑎᑯ ᗴ ᓂᐅᐟᐡ ᐡᐁ, ᐁᐡ ᑰᑯᑎ 24 ᐁᔨᑰ ᔩᔩ ᑎᑎ ᐅᐡᐢ ᓂᐃᓴᑰ ᑰᑲ ᑲᐅᐟᐢ ᐯᓴᑭᐅᑌᓂ ᓴᑎᑯ ᐅᑭᐢ ᒪᑯᐃ ᔨᐟᙡ / ᗴᐣᑯᐅ ᐅᑲᐟ, 25 ᑯᑎᑲ ᐯᓴᐢ ᐊᐟᐡᐢ ᐅᑯ ᗯᑯᑎᐟᓴ ᐃᓂ ᓂ, ᐯᓴᐢ ᔨᔨ ᐆᐟᔨ ᑯᐊᑎ ᓂ ᑯ ᙡ.
Notes on the text
- The sign read ᔨ (yi). In this typeface the yi sort is an angle-and-stem sign; it is read ᔨ throughout, including in the name rendered ᔨᓯ᙭ (vv. 1, 18) and in words such as ᐁᔨ (vv. 20, 23). Its dotted form is read ᔩ (yii).
- The recurring formula ᗁᐟᕤᓂ (gi + final-l + to + ni) appears some thirty times, chiefly in the genealogy. Its second element is a small tick read as final l (ᐟ); its third element is the looped sign read to (ᕤ). In a few faint impressions not all elements are separately visible; the formula is written in full where the sorts are present.
- Final r vs. final th. The small signs ᐡ (read final r) and the th-final are close in this typeface. In the recurring word ᐊᐟᐡᐢ (vv. 18, 21, 23, 25) the third sign is read ᐡ by its cup shape.
- V. 23, first word ᐁᑰᐢᐡ: a dot stands over the boundary of the ko syllable and the following final s; it is assigned to ko (giving ᑰ), as the Syllabarium's dot belongs to a syllable, not to a final.
- V. 3: the name read ᐁᐢᓴᒼ occurs three times; in the third impression (second line) the final-s sort touches the following sa sort and the two print almost as one — read as printed in the two clear impressions.
- The g-row assignments (ga ᘂ, ge ᘃ, gi ᗁ, go ᗂ) rest on shape matching of thin single-stroke sorts and are the weakest cells in the key; they affect, among others, the words read ᐊᘂᐟ (v. 2) and ᘂᒪᐢ (v. 3). The tz-row spiral assignments (ᘜ ᘛ ᘚ ᘕ) do not happen to be exercised in this chapter.
- Kirkby's spellings of the biblical names are his own and are transcribed exactly as printed (e.g. ᑌᐱᐨ in vv. 1, 6, 20, 22; ᐁᐯᓴᓴᒼ in vv. 1–2; ᗯᑯᐨ in vv. 2, 15–16); they have not been normalised toward the English names.
Running head at the top of leaf 11 (printed page 8), as printed: ᗂᐡ ᒪᗱ, 2. Chapter 2 begins lower on leaf 11 and is not included in this transcription.
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