# Nemi: a Unicode language translation challenge

This document contains a complete 150-entry dictionary, grammar rules, and an original story. Translate the story into natural English using only this document. Preserve the dialogue and ending. Identify any ambiguity instead of silently adding details.

## Dictionary: Unicode representations

Each two-character representation is one indivisible word. The Greek letters are arbitrary symbols: their Greek names, sounds, and meanings play no role. Spaces separate words. English glosses below define the dictionary; there is no English version of the story in this document.

### Grammar and relations

| # | Representation | Meaning |
|---:|:---:|---|
| 1 | αα | I / me |
| 2 | αβ | you (singular or plural) |
| 3 | αγ | we / us |
| 4 | αδ | it / they (a previously mentioned referent; no gender) |
| 5 | αε | this |
| 6 | αζ | that |
| 7 | αη | who |
| 8 | αθ | what |
| 9 | αι | all / every |
| 10 | ακ | someone |
| 11 | βα | one |
| 12 | ββ | two |
| 13 | βγ | three |
| 14 | βδ | many / much |
| 15 | βε | not / no (negation) |
| 16 | βζ | and |
| 17 | βη | or |
| 18 | βθ | but |
| 19 | βι | because |
| 20 | βκ | if |
| 21 | γα | then |
| 22 | γβ | before |
| 23 | γγ | after |
| 24 | γδ | when |
| 25 | γε | in |
| 26 | γζ | on |
| 27 | γη | under |
| 28 | γθ | beside |
| 29 | γι | across |
| 30 | γκ | toward |
| 31 | δα | from |
| 32 | δβ | to |
| 33 | δγ | with |
| 34 | δδ | without |
| 35 | δε | of / belonging to (possessor follows) |
| 36 | δζ | for / for the benefit of |
| 37 | δη | through |
| 38 | δθ | here |
| 39 | δι | there |
| 40 | δκ | now |
| 41 | εα | again |
| 42 | εβ | only |
| 43 | εγ | very |
| 44 | εδ | plural marker for the following noun |
| 45 | εε | past-tense marker |
| 46 | εζ | future-tense marker |
| 47 | εη | clause-initial yes/no question marker |
| 48 | εθ | yes |

### People, places, and things

| # | Representation | Meaning |
|---:|:---:|---|
| 49 | ει | child |
| 50 | εκ | caretaker / guardian |
| 51 | ζα | traveler |
| 52 | ζβ | friend |
| 53 | ζγ | people (collective noun) |
| 54 | ζδ | village |
| 55 | ζε | house |
| 56 | ζζ | door |
| 57 | ζη | window |
| 58 | ζθ | room |
| 59 | ζι | tower |
| 60 | ζκ | bell |
| 61 | ηα | river |
| 62 | ηβ | bridge |
| 63 | ηγ | boat |
| 64 | ηδ | road |
| 65 | ηε | forest |
| 66 | ηζ | tree |
| 67 | ηη | root |
| 68 | ηθ | hill |
| 69 | ηι | stone |
| 70 | ηκ | soil / ground |
| 71 | θα | water |
| 72 | θβ | rain |
| 73 | θγ | wind |
| 74 | θδ | fire |
| 75 | θε | light |
| 76 | θζ | shadow |
| 77 | θη | sky |
| 78 | θθ | sun |
| 79 | θι | moon |
| 80 | θκ | star |
| 81 | ια | night |
| 82 | ιβ | morning |
| 83 | ιγ | day |
| 84 | ιδ | evening |
| 85 | ιε | winter |
| 86 | ιζ | spring |
| 87 | ιη | seed |
| 88 | ιθ | flower |
| 89 | ιι | bird |
| 90 | ικ | fish |
| 91 | κα | rope |
| 92 | κβ | key |
| 93 | κγ | lantern |
| 94 | κδ | bread |
| 95 | κε | bowl |
| 96 | κζ | hand |
| 97 | κη | voice |
| 98 | κθ | name |
| 99 | κι | a promise |

### Actions and qualities

| # | Representation | Meaning |
|---:|:---:|---|
| 100 | κκ | be / exist |
| 101 | λα | have |
| 102 | λβ | go |
| 103 | λγ | come |
| 104 | λδ | return |
| 105 | λε | enter |
| 106 | λζ | leave |
| 107 | λη | see |
| 108 | λθ | hear |
| 109 | λι | know |
| 110 | λκ | think |
| 111 | μα | ask |
| 112 | μβ | say |
| 113 | μγ | answer |
| 114 | μδ | give |
| 115 | με | take |
| 116 | μζ | carry |
| 117 | μη | find |
| 118 | μθ | lose |
| 119 | μι | open |
| 120 | μκ | close |
| 121 | να | make |
| 122 | νβ | break |
| 123 | νγ | mend |
| 124 | νδ | ring / sound like a bell |
| 125 | νε | grow / sprout |
| 126 | νζ | fall |
| 127 | νη | rise |
| 128 | νθ | wait |
| 129 | νι | follow |
| 130 | νκ | remember |
| 131 | ξα | forget |
| 132 | ξβ | help |
| 133 | ξγ | rescue / preserve |
| 134 | ξδ | share |
| 135 | ξε | hide |
| 136 | ξζ | fear / be afraid of |
| 137 | ξη | want |
| 138 | ξθ | can / be able to |
| 139 | ξι | must / have to |
| 140 | ξκ | small |
| 141 | οα | large |
| 142 | οβ | old |
| 143 | ογ | new |
| 144 | οδ | dark |
| 145 | οε | bright |
| 146 | οζ | warm |
| 147 | οη | cold |
| 148 | οθ | quiet / silent |
| 149 | οι | alive |
| 150 | οκ | empty |

## Grammar

1. Basic clause order is **subject – tense – negation – modal – verb – object**. Optional elements may be omitted. A coordinated verb phrase can share its subject. A tense marker applies to its verb phrase, including coordinated verbs unless a new marker replaces it. Unmarked clauses are present or general statements.
2. Negation normally precedes the modal or verb. It may also precede the tense marker, with the same meaning. Before a noun it means “no / none.” There are no articles, gender distinctions, case endings, or verb inflections.
3. Descriptive words follow their noun; intensifiers precede the descriptive word. Numerals, “all,” “many,” and the plural marker precede their noun. Unmarked nouns are singular or mass nouns; “people” is inherently collective.
4. Prepositions introduce noun phrases. Possession uses **thing – of – possessor**. A prepositional phrase immediately following a noun normally modifies that noun; at the start of a clause it sets the time or location. A location phrase can precede the subject in an existential clause: **in bowl, one seed past be** means that one seed existed in the bowl.
5. “Be” connects a subject to a description or location. “Have” expresses possession. “Can,” “must,” and “want” can precede a verb without an extra linking word. “Want” may also take a noun object. A prepositional phrase can be a complete answer.
6. Yes/no questions begin with the question marker. Content questions use “who” or “what”; a questioned object moves before the subject without changing the verb. **Because what** means “why.” Questions retain a question mark.
7. Pronouns keep the same form as subjects, objects, and possessors. “It” can refer to a singular or plural antecedent. Repeated role nouns identify the same person unless another modifier distinguishes them: **child small** introduces a different, small child. Quoted dialogue uses the speaker’s perspective.
8. Commas, periods, quotation marks, and paragraph breaks work as in English. The final section heading is the story’s title and is also part of the text to translate. Quoted noun words can serve as names. Interpret metaphors normally, and distinguish literal wording from inference.

## Story

### ιη βζ κη

γε ιδ δε ιε, ζα εε λγ δβ ζδ δγ κε ξκ. γε κε, βα ιη εε κκ. γθ ηα, ζι οβ εε κκ. ει εε νθ γη ζι δγ κγ. ζα εε μα ει, “αθ κκ γε ζι?” ει εε μγ, “ζκ. βθ αγ βε λθ αδ δκ.”

ει εε μζ κγ δβ ζε δε εκ. εκ εε μι ζζ βζ εε μδ κδ δβ ζα. ζα εε μα, “βι αθ ζκ κκ οθ?” εκ εε μβ, “γβ αε ιε, ηα εε νη. ηβ εε νβ. αα εε με κα δε ζκ δζ ηγ. αγ εε ξγ ζγ, βθ ζκ εε νζ. δκ ζκ κκ γη θα.”

εκ εε μβ, “αα εε ξγ εδ ζβ βζ εε μθ κη δε ζδ.” ει εε με κζ δε εκ. “αβ βε εε μθ αι,” ει εε μβ. “αγ κκ δθ.” εκ εε λη θδ βζ βε εε μγ.

γε ιβ, ζα βζ ει εε λβ δβ ηθ. ζα εε μζ κε. ει εε μα, “αθ αβ λα?” ζα εε μγ, “βα ιη.” ει εε μα, “εη αδ ξθ να ζκ ογ?” ζα εε μγ, “βε. αδ ξθ να ηζ. ιι ξθ να ζε γε ηζ. ακ ξθ μη θζ γη αδ.”

ζα εε μδ ιη δβ ει. ει εε μι ηκ δγ ηι ξκ βζ εε ξε ιη γε ηκ. γα ει εε μδ θα δβ ιη. κε εε κκ οκ. θγ εε λγ δα ηα. ει εε μβ, “ιη λα ζε δκ. κε λα βε ιη.” ζα εε με κε βζ ηι. ζα εε νδ κε δγ ηι. κη δε κε εε κκ ξκ βθ οε.

γε ια, θβ εε λγ. ηα εε νη εα. εκ εε λβ δβ ζζ βζ εε λη θα γζ ηδ. εκ εε με κγ βζ εε λβ γκ ζι. γα εκ εε νκ ζκ γη ηα. εκ εε μβ, “αγ ξι λβ δβ ηθ. βθ ζγ κκ γε εδ ζε. ζγ βε ξθ λθ αα δη θγ.”

ει εε λθ εκ. ει εε με κε βζ ηι, εε λβ δβ ζζ δε βα ζε, βζ εε νδ κε. ακ εε μι ζζ. ει εε μβ, “θα κκ δθ. λγ δβ ηθ. ξβ εδ ζβ.” γα ει εε λβ δβ ζε γθ αδ βζ εε νδ κε εα. ζα εε μζ κγ γβ ζγ. εκ εε μζ ει ξκ δα ζε δβ ηθ.

γβ ιβ, αι ζγ δε ζδ εε κκ γζ ηθ. θα εε λε εδ ζε, βθ αι ζγ εε κκ οι. εκ εε μδ κδ δβ ει. εκ εε μβ, “κε δε αβ κκ ξκ, βθ κη δε αδ εε ξγ αγ.” ει εε μγ, “αα εβ εε νδ αδ. ζγ εε μι εδ ζζ. ζγ εε ξβ εδ ζβ.”

γε ιζ, ζγ εε λδ δβ ζδ βζ εε νγ εδ ζε. γθ ηα, εκ βζ ζα εε να ζκ ογ. ει εε λβ δβ ηθ βζ εε μη ηζ εγ ξκ. ει εε λγ δβ εκ βζ εε μβ, “λγ. αα ξη μδ αβ αε.” εκ εε νι ει δβ ηζ. εκ εε μα, “εη αε κκ δζ αα?” ει εε μγ, “δζ αι.”

εκ εε λη ηζ βζ εε μα, “αθ κκ κθ δε αδ?” ει εε λκ δε ιη, κε, βζ ια δε θβ. γα ει εε μγ, “κη.” εκ εε μβ, “βθ ηζ κκ οθ.” ει εε μγ, “δκ. γε ιζ, ιι εζ λγ.”