Word for the Travel Wise (07/10/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

In my younger years I wasn’t the type of gal easily wooed by a bouquet of beautiful flowers. I always thought, why chop something from it’s roots to tickle my fancy and brighten my home for a short amount of time. Don’t get me wrong, flowers are nice and I’ll kindly accept them as a gift, but it’s not really my sort of thing. However, I can spend hours on end in fields of colorful blooms and blossoms where they are probably happiest. Anyhow, to tie this in with our word of the day or at least the country of choice I picked Bulgaria because of its Valley of the Roses tourist site. According to their tourism bureau going to Bulgaria and not seeing the Valley of the Roses is like going to Egypt and not witnessing the pyramids. In other words it’s a big no-no.

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

mózhé bí – maybe

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.

Word for the Travel Wise (07/08/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Hmm… At the time being I think things are going swell enough with my love life and health, but if things ever took a wrong turn and I wanted to make a vacation out of it, you better believe I’ll be heading straight to Togo. Well, maybe. The Marché des Féticheurs is the place to be to smell the monkeys’ testicles, snakes’ heads and seek spiritual guidance according to the LP online Worldguide. I’m not too sure about what those scents must smell like, but it sounds like an adventure.

Today’s word is a Ewe word used in Togo:

nunyamo – way of knowledge

As we learned before the official language of Togo is actually French. Togo has a couple major native languages Ewe and Mina are used in the south and Kabye and Dagomba are used in the north. There aren’t many resources for learning the native lingos online, but anyone with French speaking capabilities should maneuver their way around the country with ease. Global Crossroad has a 2 week language and culture program for volunteers preparing to start work in the area wishing to learn basic Ewe.

Past words from Togo: Koffi, o foin

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

by Adrienne Wilson on

Been a long while since I dropped a Bangla word on you, so without delay here you go…

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

shobbho – civilized

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 above it was like pulling teeth to get this word. With that being said class is dismissed.

Past Bangla words: bhromon

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

by Adrienne Wilson on

Okay, so I was just toying around looking for something to inspire a word or two tonight and this was the best I could do. Maybe it wasn’t the best, but it gave me a small chuckle. I went to Iceland’s tourism site to see what events were happening around the country, but got sucked into What Are They Saying About Us semi gossipy press-release section. In this section of the site you’ll find stories from the NY Times, Globe and Mail, LA Times, Shape Magazine and even the Oprah Show, where Ms. Oprah Winfrey is quoted saying, “I think I’m part Icelandic.” That to me is funny. Otherwise it really hasn’t a whole lot to do with the word I ended up going with, but I’m sure you’ll get it.

Today’s word is an Icelandic word used in Iceland:

dýrt – expensive

Háskóli Íslands, one of the universities offers an excellent free starter course to learning Icelandic. Pictures, text, and audio for sample conversations are included. European Youth Portal points out other sources of study within the country and distance learning. I’ve met several speakers with My Language Exchange. Lastly, check out the BBC for a few easy phrases to help get you around the town.

Past Icelandic words: söngkona/söngvari, himnaríki, velkomin

Word for the Travel Wise (07/05/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Just finished chatting with a pen pal of mine in Morocco I hadn’t heard from in ages. Long story short we had a lot to catch up on and from our conversation I give you the word of the day. Enjoy!

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

la-bas – how are you?

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 Moroccan Arabic Phrasebook.

Past Arabic words: wafin, akhdar, taeadol, shwiya