Word for the Travel Wise (02/08/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Malta isn’t the sort of place I’d imagine one getting lost to the extreme or losing their way back for days on end, but not every human that walks or travels the planet is blessed with good sense or sense of direction. I’m pulling this selection from the Survival Maltese site, also mentioned below.

Today’s word is a Maltese word used in Malta:

Intlift – I’m lost

BBC Languages Quick Fix allows one to download essential holiday phrases like this to store in your mp3 player for the big trip ahead. You can hear audio of some very basic words on their site as well. For a full run down on the history and a thorough section on survival Maltese head over to aboutmalta.com. I’m not too certain how much the survival Maltese will be needed considering the country’s other official lang happens to be English and they happen to have around 40 English learning language schools.

Past Maltese words: Fejn huma t-tojlezz?, sahha, xorb, jien jisimni, caw

Word for the Travel Wise (02/07/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Before puckering up to give your mister or misses a big smooch-a-roo next week, try practicing some of these foreign langs to woo them with over your candlelit dinner. I’m sure his or her corazon (heart) will melt like mantequilla (butter), so long as you stick to one foreign tongue and not two. Oh, and pick up the entire bill, don’t go Dutch. Got it?

Good.

Today I’m supplying you with a list of “I Love You’s” from around the globe:

  • Chinese – Wo ai ni
  • Croatian – Volim te
  • Dutch – Ik hou van je
  • French – Je t’aime
  • Polish – Kocham cie
  • Spanish – Te amo

For more ways to say the three word heart-racing sentence in other languages visit this NY Public Library page.

Word for the Travel Wise (02/05/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

You must forgive me for being light on the writing these days. I have been doing some vacation planning – the type that makes you want to pull your hair out and scream. Luckily this planning hasn’t anything to do with Bangladesh or me heading over there for the time being; rather today’s word describes what I’ve been planning.

Today’s word is a Bangla (Bengali) word used in Bangladesh:

ch’uti – vacation

Web resources for Bangla are few, but you can pick up quite a few words reading (not skimming) through the Wiki and from this Bangalinet site which has a small tutorial on how to write in the script. Beyond those two I’m sure there are others, but as I mentioned before it is like pulling teeth to get these words at times. My personal resources to the Bengali lang are limited, so much like you out there reading it’s the web or some LP guide out there with the basics.

Past Bangla words: bhromon, shobbho, nir dohsh, ohnubad, naach

Word for the Travel Wise (02/04/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

I’m busy watching the Superbowl now, but decided to pop in just for all of you.

Today’s word is a French word used in France:

jeu – game

French is the third largest Romance language in the world in terms of native speakers according to the Wikipedia and is the official language of 29 countries. There are a number of places to learn French abroad which include Canada and Switzerland in addition to France. Amerispan offers immersion programs in all three of the countries and more info can be found by clicking here. Search other study abroad programs at some of these sites here: Coeur de France, Accord French Language School, and Transitions Abroad to name only a few. Swing over to My Language Exchange where you are sure to find someone willing to exchange their lingo skills for some of your own. Free online sources for learning French include France-Pub, French Assistant, and the BBC Languages.

Past French words: confiture, difficile, frottis, ma reum (mère), pensées, vélo, croire, neige, cafard, vacances

Word for the Travel Wise (02/03/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

When temperatures start to climb too high and the ocean breeze off the island isn’t cutting it try asking for one of these to cool you down…

Today’s word is a Tahitian (Maohi) word used in Tahiti:

pia – beer

Tahitian is one of the two official languages of French Polynesia with the other being French. There are approximately 120,000 speakers through the Polynesian Islands. Head to Wikipedia for the background details as always. After you’ve gotten your history fix go to the tourism site for a small useful list of words to help get you by on the islands. Tahiti Explorer looks like it has the small list of words with a few more added on and a nifty pronunciation guide. The same thing goes for the list of words on the Tahiti Traveler without the pronunciation guide, so it’s really up to you to take your pick. Lonely Planet has a guide which probably has the same amount of words in the back of the glossary. Still – better to know a few than none at all.

Past Tahitian words: tamaaraa, pape, niuniu paraparau