Word for the Travel Wise (09/08/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Last November when Outside magazine featured Mark Jenkin’s piece on his travel through the Wakhan Corridor I had no clue I would be traveling through the region in less than a year. While my trip is very different than Mark’s the story and pictures fueled my imagination and here I am! Didn’t really plan it this way, but I’m hoping once I have the time to share my own tales they too will ignite someone to go the Wakhan or some place nearby.

Today’s word is a Wakhi word used in the Wakhan:

dishma – I don’t know.

Wakhi is an Iranian language, but from my Iranian studies I’m seeing many differences. (Not that I’m an expert, but you know.) It belongs to the Pamir language group. There are about 50,000 Wakhi Tajiks worldwide. Learning Wakhi will be hard online. If going to Tajikistan stick to either Tajik or Russian.

Tajik is the official language of the country and is closely related to the Persian (Farsi) language spoken in Iran. According to Wiki the most important Tajik-speaking cities of Central Asia are Samarkand and Bukhara which are located in present-day Uzbekistan. In addition to giving interested language learners a taste at some commonly used words and phrases, the Great Game Travel Company has excellent info and short trips for touring the city of Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Be sure to check out the list of words first. If you’re near the University of Washington look into their Near Eastern Language Programs. Lonely Planet has a pocket-sized phrasebook on Central Asian lingos worth packing along and several other book picks can be found by clicking here.

Past Tajik words: rohi safed, mailesh, rahmat / tashakkur, samolyot

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

by Adrienne Wilson on

Staying in the spirit of idioms from World Cup teams here’s one from Sweden and a rather pleasant one at that. Good luck in the rest of the games.

Today’s word is a Swedish word used in Sweden:

bortrest – gone travelling

Phrasebase has a decent sound library for several language translations. The downside is I couldn’t find the Swedish equivalent to the English words we already know in written form. I struck gold with this long list of words and phrases used in the country. It includes the good and the bad so be prepared. BBC has the usual mp3 download for the basics. One can find several Swedish radio stations listed here. As always there’s Lonely Planet and their handy pocket phrasebooks.

Past Swedish words: ett askfat, invandrare

Word for the Travel Wise (05/14/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Word around town is it’s Mother’s Day and since we here at Gadling love mom’s worldwide I figured I’d provide you with a number of ways to wish your own mum the happiest of days. The New York Public Library online has a list of greetings and expressions for several holidays so use it today and then prepare for Father’s day just around the corner. Here’s a just few from their list:

  • Catalan – Feliç Dia de la Mare
  • Dutch – Gelukkig Moederdag
  • Hebrew – Yom ha’em sameah
  • Italian – Buona festa della Mamma
  • Japanese – Haha nohi omedeto
  • Norwegian – Mors dag
  • Russian –  S dnëm Materi

And again, Happy Mummies day to all the mummies of the world!!!!

Word for the Travel Wise (05/13/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

The best part of having friends from all over the globe is having the opportunity to pick their brains about possible vacation destinations and better yet the local slang to help keep you sounding cool in hot, sunny places like Fiji. So for today’s word I tapped into the word bank of a close friend of mine to help those of us planning a fabulous Fijian adventure this summer or even next year.

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

Chalo ghume. – Let’s go somewhere and have fun.

My friend actually speaks Hindi, but says this particular phrase is not proper Hindi and may not be understood in India. Since the phrase is widely understood in Fiji from what my friend tells me I thought it safe to call it Fijian. Cool? Glad you agree. Now let’s go have some fun!

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.

Past Fijian words: daulomani

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

by Adrienne Wilson on

I’ve been thinking a lot about the islands these days and I don’t know why exactly. My frequent flyer mileage is just to the point of letting me have another partially free vaca out on some sunny Caribbean beach, but which one and when? I won’t be making any decisions today, but I know this much – I want to go to an island where the national language is not English and I’ll be looking to spend two weeks at the very least. And just because I’m picking Haiti to bring you the word of the day, don’t think I’m marking it high on my list, but the other country sharing the same island space with a different lang is looking rather appealing. Until then I’ll keep on dreaming.

Today’s word is Kreyòl (Haitian creole) word used in Haiti:

Voryen (n) – Vagabond (could also be used in Haiti as vakabon)

This Kreyol website features comprehensive cultural and travel info on Haiti. Their overall goal is to spread positive messages about the country and create positive images. Their online Kreyòl dictionary is one of the best! iCreole is a good place translation tool if you wish to know a word within seconds. For a fun look at some popular proverbs check out this Discover Haiti site. Make note that the Creole used in the proverbs is not that of the Creole spoken in Port-au-Prince. Lastly, leave it to good old Pimsleur to have audio books dedicated to learning Creole. Expensive, but you can also look for them in your local library.

Past Kreyòl words: evite, il/zile