Kiswahili is just the Swahili word for "Swahili." Most Kenyans speak a dialect of Kiswahili, while "pure Kiswahili" is found in Tanzania and on the coast. The language sounds a bit like Spanish to me: the 'r' is pronounced like a flipped 'd' and the inflections are similar. The words in reality, however, are quite different. I've been learning just by asking people and during dishes we pick a letter each day and learn words that start with that letter. There is no 'x' or 'q.'
Here is a brief sampling of some of the words/phrases I have picked up so far -- just to get an idea of what the language is. I was very pleased after I greeted someone they mentioned that my accent was so good they almost spoke to me in Kiswahili!!! (At the time that was the only word I had learned!) Words are pronounced the way they are spelled.
Habari yako/zenu: How are you? ---This is the standard greeting, singular/plural
Mzuri: Fine --- This is the reply
Lala Salama: Goodnight
Nataka: I would like ---"Please" is only used in formal situations, so this is how you ask for things
Tu: Let's --- Like tuombee (let's pray), tucheze (let's play), tuende (let's go)
Kuja: Come --- You hear this a lot
Wewe: You
Mimi: Me
Naitwa nani?: What is your name?
Karibu/Karibuni: Welcome ---Heard often when you arive from either a short or long trip, singular/plural
Asante: Thank you
Ndize: Banana
Ncarte: Bread
Chai: Tea with sugar and milk
Jiko: Stove or grill
Kisu: Knife
Mesa: Table
Sawa sawa: okay okay
The numbers 1 - 10: moja, mbili, tatu, nne, tano, sita, saba, nane, tisa, kumi
I have yet to figure out how the grammar works, as sentences do not translate well grammar-wise -- i.e. "me is tired" would be a literal translation. The sentence structure varies depending on what you are saying.
The mother-tongue in Makuyu is Kikuyu. The small children learn Kikuyu first, Kiswahili second and eventually English. Kikuyu is a Bantu language. I'm afraid I do not know much more than that...yet.
It is fun here because the aspirants and postulants are from different places so I hear some Arabic and a couple other languages as well.
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Hi Lauren! Thanks for finding me on FB, which allowed me to find your blog! WOW - what an experience you are having. I must say, I am amazed by how adventurous you have become! And your desire to learn about and help others is extremely admirable. I look forward to reading your future adventures!
ReplyDeleteDon Kozlovski
Looks like a very cool language, is it necessary to get around, or can you manage with just English? Reading about your experiences makes me regret being stuck mucking around the U.S...
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