Why isn't there just nothing?

[Imralu]

Why is there a universe? Why is there anything at all? Why isn't there just nothing? That there is not, in fact, just nothing and that there is, instead, something, and lots of it, seems as if it should be impossible, and yet: here we are!

[Reyzadren]

griuskant (without the conscript)

zida ijyalroek ve? zhasi zida ivas ve?
/'zida 'idʒjalrɯk 'və? 'ʒasi 'zida 'ivas 'və?/
got-V advanced.world why? T0-A got-V anything why?
Why is there a universe? Why is there anything at all?

yav shur zida shurvas ve?
/'jav 'ʃur 'zida 'ʃurvas 'və?/
just NEG got-V nothing why
Why isn't there just nothing?

zhae zidandae gloda iki kanshi uts zhera aeskes zidan.
/ʒe 'zidande 'glɔda 'iki 'kanʃi 'uts 'ʒəra 'eskəs 'zidan/
that got-V-PASS-T3-POSS property-V as-A cannot-A but-PL then-V 1PL got-V-PASS
That there is not, in fact, just nothing and that there is, instead, something, and lots of it, seems as if it should be impossible, and yet: here we are!

[Imralu]

Ngolu / Iliaqu

Vaqu texi mo?
universe CAUS.3S.DEF.INAN what
Why is there a universe?

O ga texi mo?
entity COP-NOM.3S.NSPC.INAN CAUS.3S.DEF.INAN what
Why is there anything at all?

Kka mola kka texi mo?
NEG merely NEG CAUS.3S.DEF.INAN what
Why isn't there just nothing?

Ttu kka hemue zuo toto kka mola kka lahes o xe baras o nxu, mie tia ivu inu va.
seem NEG possible NOM.C in.fact NEG merely NEG but.instead entity and(CLAUSE) much entity COP-NOM.3S.DEF.INAN | but DEM.2 NOM.2P.ICS NOM.1P.ICS all
That there is not, in fact, just nothing and that there is, instead, something, and lots of it, seems as if it should be impossible, and yet: here we are!

[Tuyono]

Źilaa Ruńu:

ńjie lisru viema?
why exist-IPF.3INAN world
Why is there a world?

ńjie lisru ebe uha nei?
why exist-IPF.3.INAN also thing one-INAN.NOM
Why is there even anything?

ńjie lisru uha nduhee malse ngehu?
why exist-IPF.3.INAN thing apart.from nothing alone
Why is there something other than just nothing?

nalis uhar, ebe tviimba - vari jemiit rim ńaav teeńj nguha maz mi baĺkii ĺaa, tian uul vara lisan ute al!
VN-exist thing-OBL also much-INAN.OBL this-INAN.ACC consider.IPF and.at.the.same.time belive.IPF maybe COMP NEG COP.3SG possible-INAN.NOM 3.INAN.NOM but in.front.of this-INAN.OBL exist.IPF-1PL AFF here
The existance of things, and a lot of them, too - when one considers this one may think it's not possible, but despite this we are here indeed!

[Iyionaku]

Yélian

Miyde vut ciavet yisi? Miyde vut ciavet ciyt vutret? Miyde vut ciet civat? Ètat, pi vut apnisciet civat èpa cùsat vut ciavet ciyt, ter levon ciytlocan, vat quadracesavérvælut, èpa vaget: Yan vutret, yan manduien!

[ˈma̯iːdə vʉt‿ˈɪ̯aːʋət ˈʃiːsi? ˈma̯iːdə vʉt‿ˈɪ̯aːʋət‿a̯iːt ˈvutɾət? ˈma̯iːdə vʉt‿ˈiː.ət‿ˈiːʋɐt? ˈɛtɐt, pɨ vʉt ˌapnɨsˈkiː.ət‿ˈiːʋɐt ˈɛpɐ ˈkʉsɐt vʉt‿ˈɪ̯aːʋət‿a̯iːt, təd̟ ˈleːʋɔ̈n ˈka̯iːtˌloːkɐn, vat kɐdɾɐkəsɐˌʋeːɾˈvœlʉt, ˈɛpɐ ˈvaːxət, ʃan ˈvutɾət, ʃan mɐnˈduːɪ̯ən]

why 3SG.INDEF exist-3SG universe? why 3SG.INDEF exist-3SG something INT? why 3SG.INDEF not_exist-3SG nothing? in_fact, that 3SG.INDEF just-not_exist-3SG nothing and instead 3SG.INDEF exist-3SG something in-fact something-many, DEM seem-PROP-impossible-COP.COND.3SG.INAN, and still: 1PLIN.REC INT, 1PLIN.REC exist-1PLIN

Why is there a universe? Why is there anything at all? Why isn't there just nothing? That there is not, in fact, just nothing and that there is, instead, something, and lots of it, seems as if it should be impossible, and yet: here we are!

[Dormouse559]

If you want to use all the apostrophes and hyphens, and all the single-letter words, use "there is" constructions in Silvish.

Silvish

Parké k' l' i-y a-t un univer ? Parké k' l' i-y a kin k' î sé ? Parké k' l' i-y a pà rin ? Lo fé k' l' i-y a fran pà rin e k' l' i-y a pluttoê kalke çhoza, e bin de çen, on lo diryó emposiblo, mé nou vvekklé !

[pɑˈke kli.ja.ty.ŋy.ŋiˈvɛʁ | pɑˈke kli.ja.kɛ̃ŋ.kiˈse | pɑˈke kli.jaˈpa ʁɛ̃ŋ | ləˈfe kli.jaˈfʁɑ̃ŋ ˈpa ˈʁɛ̃ŋ e.kli.ja.plyˈtuː kɑl.kəˈho.za | ʔəˈbɛ̃ŋ dəˈʃɛ̃ŋ | ʔɔ̃.lo.diˈʁjo ʔɛ̃pˈsi.blə | ˈme nuv.vɛˈkle]

why SBRD 3S there have.3S INDF.M.C universe | why SBRD 3S there have.3S what SBRD 3S.M.NOM be.SBJV | why SBRD 3S there have.3S NEG nothing | DEF-M.C fact SBRD 3S there have.3S in_fact NEG nothing and SBRD 3S there have.3S instead some thing | and a_lot of DEM | INDF_PRO 3S-M.ACC say-COND.3S impossible-M.C | but 1P here

Why is there a universe? Why is there anything at all? Why isn't there just nothing? That there is not, in fact, just nothing and that there is, instead, something, and lots of it, seems as if it should be impossible, and yet: here we are!


Note:
I translated "Why isn't there just nothing?" sort of literally, with both pà the generic negative morpheme and rin "nothing". Still not sure about that. To my knowledge, the phrase could be rendered that way in French, which means there are at least some Silvish speakers who would get the right image. But for a while now I've used pà to emphasize other negative morphemes rather than doing "mathematical" negation. Maybe the two usages can coexist?