Word for the Travel Wise (08/03/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Whoa! Now here’s a cool affair to attend if you have the time, money and desire to travel Mongolia. Apparently 2006 is the 800th anniversary of Great Mongolian State and Mongolians are planning several events to help visitors follow in the footsteps of the great Genghis Khan. The trip looks to be made on horseback and details about the historical expedition can be found at Discover Mongolia. You better act fast though if you’re really interested in something like this – trip dates are only slated for August 13-22, 2006 and September 3-12, 2006. As Neil mentioned sometime ago, there is no better way to explore Mongolia than on horseback. All-in-all it seems like a win-win situation for anyone who actually makes the journey over.

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

mori – horse

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.

Gay Travel Phrase Book

by Adrienne Wilson on

Everyone here knows I’m into learning as much and many foreign words as my brain can possibly soak in, which is why this particular book caught my eye. I’m a straight woman so I don’t know how far some of the phrases in eight different langs will take me in some place like Portugal, but I find it might help someone. I saw this one over at Get Lost Books and laughed at first because I don’t know any of my gay pals that would use this book. (Unless they’re secretly doing so.) According to the short blurb on Get Lost Books the most interesting part of the book are the euphemisms for being gay in different lingos with literal English translation. For example: “he’s from third parish” or “slipped an okra.” That was in English and I’m still confused.

Oh well.

Word for the Travel Wise (08/02/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Sad as it sounds – summer is almost over and if you wait too long you’ll blink, miss it and will have gone without a holiday abroad. If you’re still thinking up an escape plan for the little ones and yourself before the season ends or an enchanting getaway for you and your special someone, I tell all to check out the Campo Maior Flower Festival. The event takes place the first week of September in Campo Maior, Portugal and the town decorates the area with vibrant papers and flowers. Absolutely beautiful and fun for all – especially your young explorers!

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

crianças – (kree-ang-sash) children

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

Word for the Travel Wise (08/01/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

I don’t know what the for sure stats are on the most traveled African countries, but Egypt has to be pretty high on the list. Almost any and everyone I know that mentions traveling to the continent usually bring up Egypt, Kenya, or South Africa. I’m hoping to head to Africa in the very near future, but until some more money trickles in I’ll be dreaming and studying up on the various langs heard around the lands.

Today’s word is an Arabic word used in Egypt:

filoos – money

My Language Exchange is an excellent site in making friends across the globe while zoning in on the areas that give you the most trouble in your language of choice. While most services are free, contacting other members does cost a very small fee. Other learning tools for free standard Arabic online include this Learn Arabic site which has some remarkable lessons. The audio sounds a bit off for me, but they’ve got both the Naskh script (easy to read when learning the alphabet) and the Latin spelling of the letter. Babel Arabic is another good source. Planet Edu has an online listing of Arabic schools all over the Middle East, Africa and the U.S. Lastly, for purchase and a quick pocket guide there’s the Lonely Planet Egyptian Arabic Phrasebook.

Past Arabic words: wafin, akhdar, taeadol, shwiya, la bas

Word for the Travel Wise (07/31/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

With all the turmoil between Israel and Lebanon these days, using the following to describe the situation certainly won’t fly. Think more along the lines of small favors and acts of kindness that weren’t too hard to perform and you may be able to get away with saying this one. In regards to war – I think not. There is a problem.

Today’s word is a Hebrew word used in Israel:

en ba’aya – no problem

For a short list of the very basics in Hebrew check out Israel Visit. Jewfaq.org has a clear and excellent guide to the alphabet, pronunciation, styles of writing, fonts and word processors. ZigZag World provides learning materials at a level for children and beginning adults. Lots of pictures! Hebrew Online is not a free service, but allows you to learn through video-conferencing technology to communicate live with professional Israeli Hebrew teachers. Before paying anything they allow you to sign up for two trail lessons. Ancient Hebrew is a thorough site on people, language, culture with additional links and learning resources.

Past Hebrew words: shalom