Funny Words

I'm continuing my Dagbani lessons. I had completely forgotten how difficult it is to learn a language, especially when the language isn't based on Latin or Greek like most languages I've tried to learn before. Dagombas also have 2 additional vowels and three extra consonants we don't have in English. I would show you them, but I can't figure out how to type the fonts on my laptop.

There are very, very few Dagbani words that sound anything like their English equivalent. Usually when the words do sound alike it is because the item wasn't here before the Europeans came, and so rather than come up with a new word, they just use their own equivalent pronunciation of that word. For instance, church is chuchi, school is sikuru, and car is loori (like the British English word lorry). Other words appear to be like their English equivalent, but they "getcha." For instance oranges (the fruit) are called leemu (which sounds suspiciously like "lemon," but apparently they don't have lemons here.

Other Dagbani words are a little more difficult. For instance, spider is kpatinariga, coconut is kpakpataŋgara, elbow is kpunkpaŋgua, and our little three-letter word "ant" is tambagiŋga. Other Dagbani words are just downright funny to me. Tomato is kamantoonsi, quickly, as in "come quickly," is yomyoma, hen is noo and housefly is zoo. They have greetings based on the weather, "Ni ti saa" is a common greeting when it is raining (it means, "Sorry for the rain.") and beautiful, poetic parting words, "Naawunini ni pahi ti alaafee," rolls off the tongue doesn't it? It means, "May God give us good health."

I'm still learning, and my seminary students are too. I am giving a test to my Christian Family class on Thursday. While I'm sitting up front looking busy I'll be writing out my Dagbani sentences, and praying for my students. And if they don't do well, I've already got a Dagbani answer for them, "Di galim ma!" (Don't blame me!) For now I will say "Shee alaafee" to you (everything is okay) and "Puhim a ya nima" (good-bye).