Word for the Travel Wise (01/10/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Ready to go shopping in Mongolia? Time to hit the market then, but first you have to know the word that will help you get there.

Today’s word is a Mongolian word used in Mongolia:

zakh – market

Mongolian is an Altaic language and spoken by over two million people throughout Mongolia (where it has official language status) and by up to three million people in northern China. Wikipedia doesn’t offer much for increasing your Mongolian vocabulary, but it has great background information. Learning Mongolian online will be tough without an understanding of their alphabet or script used. Omniglot is the perfect place to begin to start learning the alphabet. For quick reference use LP’s Mongolian Phrasebook on your trip.

Past Mongolian words: mori, gudamj

Word for the Travel Wise (01/09/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Asking for the nearest telephone in Tahiti might feel like a breathy conversation in itself if you fail to nail the pronunciation at the first attempt.

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

niuniu paraparau – telephone

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

Word for the Travel Wise (01/08/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

There is something about Greek mythology that has always felt like a dream. I remember reading the far-out tales long ago on these super human men and women thinking how so-very unreal. This ancient greece.com site offers a brief summary on some of the principal Greek Gods starting with Chaos and works its way into the small bios of Eros, Pontus, Cyclope, Hades, and Apollo and so on. It’s a nice place to refresh if it has been a while and if you’re planning a visit to Greece to explore the mythology more in depth.

Today’s word is a Greek word from Greece:

oniro – dream

Online sources for learning Greek for free include BBC Languages and AGNI. The courses at BBC Languages are incredible. Probably one of the best you’ll find online and audio can even be found for today’s word by clicking here. Amerispan offers Greek immersion and language courses in Athens. Pretty pricey, but hey it’s Greece!

Past Greek words: toh karavee, Pascha, aigolios, thello, foni, filaki, imera

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

by Adrienne Wilson on

Neil’s recent post on Screwy Aussie Slang brought it to my attention that I haven’t plucked a word from the bush in a while. If you’re off to do Australia on a shoe-string budget plug this Aussie Bush word into your vocab as it may come in handy.

Today’s word is a Bush word used in Australia:

humpy – bush dwelling using cheap materials

Hiroyuki Yokose does a great job outlining Aboriginal words used in Australian English like our vocab words from the past. For additional words you may wish to check out his findings. The Bangerang Cultural Centre is one of the first Aboriginal museums in the country and has a list of words online from this particular tribe. Wiki lists a large number of tribes and languages found in Australia which if you already haven’t set your mind on one in particular you can try picking one off their list. Try Lonely Planet’s Outback Australia guide for additional offline reading and trip planning.

Past Aboriginal/Australian words: cooee, yabber, bush telly, duffing, backblocks

Word for the Travel Wise (01/06/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Earlier today I was listening to KPFK 90.7 FM online during their Afro-Dicia program with D.J. Nnamdi and as I was swaying to the sounds of who knows what African artists from what countries next thing I know I was all ready with bags packed to leave tomorrow. (Wait, my bags are always packed.) This music and my friend’s recent trip tales combined are too much to handle right now. If you’re on a tight budget or don’t see Africa happening this year at least tune in on Saturdays to hear some good music from the continent. It’s not quite the same, but I rest assured you will enjoy it very much.

Today’s word is a Swahili word used in Tanzania:

kesho – tomorrow

Masai-Mara has a section devoted to useful Swahili and Kenya Travels has a similar list, but to catch the missing words between the two I suggest looking at them both. The Kamusi Project is the internet’s only living Swahili dictionary which has been suspended due to funding issues. Sad, seeing it seems like one of the best sources to learning the lang, but the if you’re willing to donate a few dollars you can help keep the website alive. To learn basic background facts about Swahili check out Wikipedia. Did you know the name Swahili comes from the plural of Arabic word sahel (singular) or its plural sawahil meaning “boundary” or “coast?” Just one cool fact I discovered during the first lesson I taught.

Past Swahili words: unasemaje, simu , asubuhi, zaidi, nzuri