Word for the Travel Wise (01/19/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Looking to know what’s up with Senegal both past and present? If you’re interested in history check out this timeline found at StarTribune.com what information dating as far back as the 11th century. Once you are up to speed and ready to visit present-day Senegal head to sunugaal.com and plan your trip for the future.

Today’s word is a Wolof word used in Senegal:

Naka mu? – What’s up?

According to this Wolof Online site, most Wolof speaking people believe their language is quite difficult and even un-teachable to those passionately wanting to communicate in the lingua. The website also believes if there is a will there is a way which is why you can find primer courses on Wolof there as well. Wiki has a small list of words on their information guide. You’ll notice the word used in today’s lesson above there and should be able to make good use of this one during your travels in Senegal or Gambia and Mauritania where Wolof is also spoken. Scroll further down on the Wiki and the Wolof Online sites to find additional links and resources to help in your Wolof endeavors.

Past Wolof words: jërejëf, déedéet

Word for the Travel Wise (01/18/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Last Portuguese word I posted I got some good reader feedback on the differences between that from Portugal and that spoken in Brazil. Like the English the language, which differs in many ways from our friends across the pond, the Portuguese language is much the same. The differences are almost so extreme it makes the other wish to have little to no association with the other. However, today’s word is one I think is spelled and pronounced the same on either side of the Atlantic.

Today’s word is a Portuguese word used in Portugal:

obrigado – thank you

Easy Portuguese online offers a small dictionary of useful words, useful phrases, and a couple of short lessons to get you started. Most have audio clips including our word for the day found here. Portuguese Language dot net has excellent historical info on the language and numerous tools to help you get motivated and be successful at learning the 6th most spoken language. For Portuguese heard in Portugal you can download mp3 audio from BBC, which I’m sure there are several similarities between the two countries. Those interested in classroom study abroad can click here for more info at Franco Americano.

Past Portuguese words: xixi, bronzeador, lanchonete, esquerda, crianças, noite, barco, proteção

Word for the Travel Wise (01/17/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Looking for a nice cold beer in Bulgaria? Step into one of these…

Today’s word is a Bulgarian word used in Bulgaria:

mehana – tavern

The Bulgarian lang falls into the Southern branch of Slavic languages and is closely related to Macedonian. It is the official lingo of Bulgaria and can also be heard in parts of Greece, Turkey, Romania, and Serbia to name only a few. To continue learning Bulgarian online head to BBC for the QuickFix with audio for the most common travelers phrases. EasyBulgarian online offers guides and nine lessons that help beginners learn the alphabet, correct pronunciation in addition to dialog from native Bulgarian speakers. Find a Bulgarian pal online to help with conversation at My language Exchange or pick up an Eastern European LP phrasebook for the road.

Past Bulgarian words: mózhé bí, most, kâshta

Word for the Travel Wise (01/16/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

I just checked out the 2007 calendar of cultural events taking place in Papua New Guinea and what a line up! Go see what fantastic festivals and shows they have waiting for your viewing pleasure, then hop on one of these and go!

Today’s word is a Pidgin (Tok Pisin) word used in Papua New Guinea:

balus – plane

As noted in Wikipedia the word ‘tok’ means word or speech and the word ‘pisin’ means pidgin and is a Creole language spoken by about 4 million people as a second language and over a hundred thousand as a first. It is spoken in the northern mainland of Papua New Guinea. If you scroll down further you’ll find a nice list of words and some pronunciation examples. As an added bonus you can learn even more words by venturing into the online Tok Pisin phrasebook, also provided by Wiki. They’ve actually got a great handful of links which I suggest going through them all if you’re really into learning this lang. One last site I’ll note here though is Robert Eklund’s Tok Pisin page. It had pictures of signs, people and some audio clips. Looks a winner to learning the very basics.

Past Pidgin (Tok Pisin) words: natnat, kaikai, misis

Word for the Travel Time (01/15/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Today I offer a simple word out of Ethiopia for the start of the work week.

Today’s word is a Amharic word used in Ethiopia:

Segno – Monday

Amharic is the second most Semitic language in the world after Arabic. It is the official working lingo of Ethiopia and spoken in such places as Egypt, Israel, and Sweden by a number of emigrants. The writing system called abugida is based from the now extinct Ge’ez language. In addition to Amharic other widely spoken languages in the country include Tigrinya, Somali, and Arabic to name a few. Wikipedia has good background information on the lang if you’re at all interested, but for those ready to dig in here’s a couple of places to learn online.

Ethiopian Restaurant dot com was kind enough to include some basic Amharic to use while in a restaurant from which I pulled our word for the day. This a great starter to days of the week, numbers, asking for your bill and other small useful phrases. Listen online to KFAI radio for Amharic broadcast out of Minnesota. Check their schedule for program times and listen daily as a self-learning tool. African Language has Amharic software for purchase and Amazon has a number of books for purchase including the Amharic LP phrasebook.

Past Amharic words: qurse, shuruba, ameseginalehu, buhe, yikerta