Word for the Travel Wise (09/17/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

When I was in high school and listened to far too much hip-hop music for my own good I noticed certain words becoming a part of my vocabulary and with those words I had no clue where they were derived. I knew most of them were coming out of NY because of the artists I listened to, but aside from that I wondered how these terms ever started rolling off their tongues. Did anyone else ever stop to think? Are they still in use now or is there a current set of words in use? I’m sooo– slightly out of the know.

Today’s word is an English slang word used in the U.S.A:

dun – friend or comrade, primarily used in the Queens borough of New York City. Originated in Queensbridge.

Okay, so I had my days calling a couple of close friends dun. They were all from NY so they got it and I don’t believe I ever said it to any of my pals from other spots, but these days it almost never falls from my lips. Is this one still popular today? Anyone out there know?

If you’re wanting to know more hip-hop slang Wiki actually has a decent list to beef up your knowledge. Ch-ch-check it out!

Past English words: agro, elope, hater blockerz

Word for the Travel Wise (09/16/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Not much time to point out exotic foreign affairs or make cutesy conversation about the country or word of choice so as a courtesy I will provide you with two words today. That’s what you’re reading this for anyway – right? Besides, I make up the rules.

Today’s word is a Sinhala word used in Sri Lanka:

purusha – men
sthree – women

English is spoken by ten percent of the population and Sinhala is the official and national language of the country. I’ve actually never tried to learn this one much, but judging from the alphabet it looks like a challenge. Omniglot has a great starter page on learning all the characters and use of this English to Sinhala dictionary could slowly help in distinguishing common travel words. Let’s Speak Sinhala offers lessons at a very small and reasonable fee. They appear to be one of the better Sinhala language learning websites.

Past Sinhala words: hari shook, a da, ga ma, ida netu

Word for the Travel Wise (09/15/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

While our category list doesn’t reflect it a quick trip over to the Armenia link for travelers headed that way will prove differently. Erik visited the country just around this time last year and posted some amazing information on concerts, chess, the Genocide Museum and various things to see and do in Yerevan. Let’s call this one a very good blast from the past.

Today’s word is an Armenian word used in Armenia:

bari gisher – good night (Eastern)

Armenian is primarily spoken in Armenia and can be heard in parts of Russia, Georgia, Iran Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey. The language is classified as an Indo-European lingo and has two similar yet, very different dialects. Eastern Armenian speakers keep the original pronunciation of the letters, pronouncing each of the 38 letters quite distinctively according to Wikipedia. List of the most common phrases in both Eastern and Western Armenian can be found in the Wiki and Armeniapedia.org has a more extensive set of lessons for those wishing to learn the Eastern dialect. Pimsleur has a five hour lang program on Western Armenian for purchase on Amazon.com. Lastly, you may wish to fish through the Lonely Planet guide to Georgia, Armenia, & Azerbaijan. It look as though the last edition published was in 2000, but the little glossary in the back should remain the same overtime.

Past Armenian words: khintrem

Word for the Travel Wise (09/14/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Time for a quick run through the islands again – I think it’s been awhile anyway.

Today’s word is a Patois word from Jamaica:

tegareg – someone with no class, uncouth, a hooligan

You can expand your ‘Rasta Patois’ in several ways. The most rewarding way is straight from the horse’s mouth, so you may wish to seek the knowledge from some West Indian folks in your neighborhood. If you can’t learn anything that way due to the low number of West Indian peeps in your circle, try watching films. The Rockers is an awesome and entertaining starting point. The 25th anniversary edition DVD has great features, including a small Rasta Patois dictionary. A good source on the net is Jamaicans dot com and Jahworks seems decent.

Past Patois words: satta, gwaan, labrish, mash up, budufbaf

Word for the Travel Wise (09/13/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

The Horn of Africa has been sitting on my travel wish list for what feels like decades. I thought I was going to Somalia this year, but put it on hold for another time. When I do get to go I hope to include stops in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Most people probably know more about Somalia and Ethiopia than they do Eritrea and most of what they know more than likely has something to do with poverty. Seems as though Eritrea and Ethiopia are at odds again and I’m hopeful they’ll resolve their differences soon. Until that time we can either rely on the reports from folks like Polo’s Bastards or the images at Lonely Planet to hold us over. There is a beach shot at Lonely Planet that is beyond breath-taking.

Today’s word is a Tigrinya word used in Eritrea:

täzaräb – (m) speak

Tigrinya is spoken in Eritrea and Ethiopia. Eritrea has no official language, but three working langs which include Tigrinya, Arabic and English. Italian is sometimes used commercially. There are approximately 6.75 million Tigrinya speakers. Wiki has a great run-down of the language peppered with words here and there. Home.planet.nl has a good vocabulary list and examples of the alphabet. Their site is worth visiting to get you started on the right path. They include links to purchase software and CD’s to continue learning offline.