Word for the Travel Wise (05/01/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

It’s time again to turn our attention to Africa lands to enhance our world vocabulary. This time we head for the third time to the horn of Africa to Ethiopia for today’s word and a very useful word it is today. If you’re headed to Ethiopia anytime soon I’m sure it will come in handy somewhere.

Today’s word is a Amharic word used in Ethiopia:

ameseginalehu – (pronounced ame-segi-na-lew) thank you

Amharic is the second most Semitic language in the world after Arbaic. It is the official working lingo of Ethiopia and spoken in such places as Egypt, Israel, and Sweden by a number of emigrants. The writing system called abugida is based from the now extinct Ge’ez language. In addition to Amharic other widely spoken languages in the country include Tigrinya, Somali, and Arabic to name a few.  Wikipedia has good background information on the lang if you’re at all interested, but for those ready to dig in here’s a couple of places to learn online.

Ethiopian Restaurant dot com was kind enough to include some basic Amharic to use while in a restaurant from which I pulled our word for the day. This a great starter to days of the week, numbers, asking for your bill and other small useful phrases. Listen online to KFAI radio for Amharic broadcast out of Minnesota. Check their schedule for program times and listen daily as a self-learning tool. African Language has Amharic software for purchase and Amazon has a number of books for purchase including the Amharic LP phrasebook.

Past Amharic words: qurse, shuruba

Word for the Travel Wise 04/29/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Raise your hand if you plan on visiting
Laos in the very near future or have it somewhere on your list of travel plans. Yeah, me too. Laos isn’t on top of my
country list right now, but it’s somewhere on there and just in case, by some stroke of luck and fortune I find myself
on a flight landing in the area I’m sure I’ll want to know some Lao. I’m almost certain you agree too. Let’s get to
today’s lesson!

Today’s word is a Lao word used in
Laos:

men – yes

The Lao
language is closely related to the Isan language used in the northeast region of Thailand and the alphabet resembles the
Thai writing system, but has some differences. Wikitravel has an
excellent online Lao phrasebook and probably one of the best free web sources you’ll find. Lao Connection also has some of the basics listed in addition to
links to language products, fonts, CD’s, and software. Laos Language
and Culture Learning Resources out of Northern Illinois University is an extensive guide on folklore, history,
arts, literature and of course the lingo!
Past Lao words: nyang

Word for the Travel Wise (04/25/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Lee from Polo’s Bastards has just sent word that a writer has just returned from Mogadishu, Somalia and will be posting his story to the site soon. I can’t tell you how thankful I am for those who are unafraid to run off to places with such a bad rep and come back safely to report their findings. I don’t live vicariously through many people, because I’d like to say I’ve been there, done that and tackled the cold nasty world for myself, but these guys go all the places my mother would fall over and have a fit if I ever attempted. Why? Because they’re dangerous, so they say.

Today’s word is a Somali word used in Somalia:

khapar – danger

Since Somali isn’t spoken by a large population learning the language online for free will be a difficult task to accomplish. You maybe able to find an exchange partner online at My Language Exchange, provided there are Somali speakers registered with the site. Your best bet would be travel within the country, finding a local tutor or purchasing language software from African Language dot com. Their CD-ROM is priced at $99 USD, so may wish to shop around before buying.

Past Somali words: maxaad shektay, qaalin

Word for the Travel Wise (04/22/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Ah, Fiji, land of beautiful tropical paradise, shallow
reefs, clear cool waters and sacred caves. Who wouldn’t want to take a vacation to the South Pacific Island? I’ve got
a friend I’ve been begging for years now to let me tag along the next time she goes to visit family and another mutual
friend who wanted to make me one of his 12 wives, spoil me rotten and stay and play in Fiji all I wanted. For a while I
laughed off his crazy multiple wife chatter thinking I’d be able to zip over on vaca with my gal pal, but these days I’m
wondering if he’s still accepting applications.

Today’s word is a Fijian word used in Fiji:

daulomani – husband

Okay, I wouldn’t marry for a tropical island vacation and don’t act like you’ve never thought of it before, I’m
talking Fiji here. You have to understand where I’m coming from. Perhaps wife number 3 or 7 wouldn’t be so bad. Luckily
I have some time to sort out my thoughts and brush up on the Fijian lang. I just might need it in the event I ever
decide to head out on my own to search for a husband who will want me and only me. How sad does this sound? Anyhow,
let’s get onto the language resources, shall we?

Fiji
Dictionary has about 850 words translating from Fijian-English and vice versa. The author of the site has a small
disclaimer up top to remind those of us seeking methods to learn Fijian tongue online, that theirs may not be the most
accurate and to use at your own risk. Rob Kay’s Fiji Guide
has a pronunciation guide in addition to several useful words and historical background on the Fijian language
including Fijian Hindi. Before clicking into the two above, check out Wiki for other interesting lingo facts.

Word for the Travel Wise (04/20/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Even though I never watched a single
episode of Survivor: Palau, the seasons long reality show
always comes to mind when hearing the country name. (Now, that’s how you know you’ve got a show that works.) While I
lack the time to sit engulfed in primetime television, I’ve got nothing against watching the adventure armchair type
travel/challenge programming and I suppose with each season Survivor has given the hard working mother, under tipped
waitress, and the too-afraid to fly there themselves person the opportunity to see Palau up close. My only question for
all those religious Survivor fans out there is did they teach you any Palauan? If not perhaps it is time to start tuning
into Gadling as well.

Today’s word is a Palauan
word used in Palau:

chellimosk – expert; a
person who has in depth knowledge on his/her trade

Palauan (also spelled Belauan) is spoken by some 15,000 people
in Palau. It is considered one of the two languages of Micronesia and belongs to the Austronesian language family.
Palauan is 64.7% official in all islands except Sonsoral, Tobi and Angaur. Filipino and English are also spoken on the
island. Learning Palauan online may prove a bit difficult, but you can start at this Palau: Airai – Native Place site. The word list found
here covers family members, society and terms relating to geography. A small pronunciation guide is included below the
list as well. Palau Island has a phrase
list, common proverbs, and tons of info on diving and things to do and see when visiting one of Oceania’s most popular
destinations.