Word for the Travel Wise (11/30/06)

It’s been a moment since I’ve provided you with a word from Tajikistan. During the three weeks I spent in the country this past September I found this one word to be quite helpful in many situations. If someone was hounding me on the streets or pouring too much tea I let this one roll off my tongue…

Today’s word is a Tajik word used in Tajikistan:

bas – enough

Tajik is the official language of the country and is closely related to the Persian (Farsi) language spoken in Iran. According to Wiki the most important Tajik-speaking cities of Central Asia are Samarkand and Bukhara which are located in present-day Uzbekistan. In addition to giving interested language learners a taste at some commonly used words and phrases, the Great Game Travel Company has excellent info and short trips for touring the city of Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Be sure to check out the list of words first. If you’re near the University of Washington look into their Near Eastern Language Programs. Lonely Planet has a pocket-sized phrasebook on Central Asian lingos worth packing along and several other book picks can be found by clicking here.

Past Tajik/Wakhi words: rohi safed, mailesh, rahmat / tashakkur, samolyot, dishma