Kiva Language Learning 101: Learning the Words That Matter

[Guest]

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[Jill]

         In perusing the current Entrepreneur postings just now, I happily came across these. 
I was thinking -- even if we only end up learning, say, a few words in a particular language, turns out that Kiva is providing us an opportunity to learn some of the really important ones....

"Upendo" (Swahili for "love")
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=30507

“Sonqollay”, (Quecha for "my heart")
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=30650

"La Amistad" (Spanish for "friendship")
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=28883
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       Language is fun.  It just occurred to me -- that in addition to posting translations for important words and concepts, here --
that we might learn from reading some of the Entrepreneurs' pages,

          We Can Also Use This Thread For Mining The Wealth of Potential Language Learning Pleasure That We Have Right Here
                                         In Our Happily Increasingly International KivaFriends Membership.

     We've already had Natasha, I have no idea where, give us an introduction into Aussie Slang and Common Phrases.
   
     Somewhere else, again, I have no idea where, the question of how other countries convey the befuddlement of the U.S. Americans' "It's Greek to Me" was talked about.  Each of our countries has all kinds of Expressions for which there are probably some pretty amusing counterparts in our brother and sister countries.

              Maybe someone could find those and post them here, and we could keep adding to them.....

                Why not Use This Thread As a Place to Play With and Maybe Even Learn A Little Language?

HooRoo (means "See You Later", I think that Natasha told us.  It's fun.  Try it.  HooRoo HooRoo HooRoo......)
Jill
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Jill (U.S.)**I wonder what they say in Greece when there's something they just can't make sense of--
        It's English to me ?  It's American to me?   
         Just wondering.

Robert (Luxembourg) ** When we don't understand something, we do like the Germans: we say that it's Chinese. Our French neighbours can choose between Hebrew and Chinese.     
http://www.kivafriends.org/index.php/topic,691.0.html

                     
                                                                 
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[Peter S]

"Tuwezeshane" - Swahili for “Let's help each other”
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=27263

“Tuko pamoja” - Swahili for “we are all in this project together”
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=7886
(see second journal entry)

"Asasah" - Urdu for "assets"
http://www.kiva.org/about/aboutPartner?id=60

Hooroo..

[Natasha]

Hooroo..

We've already had Natasha, I have no idea where, give us an introduction into Aussie Slang and Common Phrases.
  
 HooRoo (means "See You Later", I think that Natasha told us.  It's fun.  Try it.  HooRoo HooRoo HooRoo......)
Jill

      
G'day!! 

Jill & Peter, you guys made me laugh

Just to ensure that you are pronouncing the phrase correctly, the "H" is silent in "Hooroo"! 

So that you don't have to go searching for the links, I have added them here:
http://www.aussieslang.com/slang/australian-slang-b.asp?page=4
http://www.alldownunder.com/oz-u/slang/greetings.htm
http://www.australianexplorer.com/slang/phrases.htm
http://www.koalanet.com.au/australian-slang.html#H


I suspect that due to spending considerable time away from Australia in my formative years, I find Australian slang both colourful and amusing. I also find it amusing that there are subtle differences between the English dialects of British English, Australian English and American English, particularly when it pertains to the meaning of certain words, which can be relatively innocent to one but obscene to another! When looking through the "Aussie slang" links, I found phrases that aren't common anymore or that I haven't heard. I also noticed that sometimes certain phrases or words can be unique to certain states, although most of the phrases listed are universally understood here.

The first time I ever heard "Hooroo" was as a sign off by an Australian T.V Presenter, Don Burke (Burke's Backyard) and in later years when I started working on site. Although I don't normally use it, I also like the phrase as it is a warm way of saying "goodbye" or "see you later".

So to those of you who may find it amusing and perhaps informative, please enjoy reading through some Australian slang "translations"!

Cheerio,
Natasha

[Jill]

Good Morning, Natasha & Peter,
       Or is there a way to say "Good Morning" with a bit more of an Australian or English flavor?

       As you were posting, Natasha, I was searching the Forum for your Aussie lexicon from the other day.  I don't know how to do the "quotes thing" exactly right, but here it is... edited, just a bit. 

       By the way, somehow, your Australian candy bar, Violet Crumbles, has made it all the way to the Red Apple Grocery Store in Poulsbo, Washington.  They truly are delicious, with the most enticing wonderful bright shiny purple wrapper.  When one of my oldest childhood friends, now living near San Diego, was going through some really scary health worries, I packaged up a whole whole bunch of those Violet Crumbles, figuring they would travel a bit better than a bowl of chicken soup.  They proved to be "just the thing!"

Natasha: Wow just so that you guys don't look like "dills" or "drop kicks", allow me to translate some "dinky-di", "ridgy-didge" Aussie "lingo" for you (of course not all of us speak this way of course, in fact some of these phrases I haven't heard in a while,)..

"She'll be right", usually used as "she'll be right, mate" is a form of assurance, "it will work out" or "it will be ok"

For those who had no idea what I was referring to in terms of food, allow me to explain..

Vegemite - a spread that is pretty self explanatory. Works well with toast! A perennial favourite with school children usually accompanied with cheese in a "sanger" (sandwich)

Violet Crumbles - "chokkies" ie chocolates that have honey comb in the middle

Tim-Tams - "bikkies" ie. biscuits covered in chocolate with a smooth malt filling that come in variations including the alcoholic kind!

Fruit Tingles -  fruit flavoured "lollies" (sweets, candy) that are apparently a favourite of Princess Mary of Denmark

So from me now “Hooroo!” (see you later),
http://www.kivafriends.org/index.php/topic,1144.10.html

        and Natasha, lest any of us, perish the thought, unwittingly begin to take on the pathetic appearance of those dills or drop kicks,
please do keep the occasional delight of a dinky di**  or ridgy-didge coming.
         
        and Peter, your own British inimitable way of turning a phrase is much too rich for you to deprive us of the pleasure of a bit of that, as well.  And Everybody Else, whether from different countries, or colorful regions of the same countries,
This Is The Place!

** Reminds me of a rather unforgettable Maxfield Parrish gem, I think it was called Dinky Doo.  I'll have to go see if I can find it.  One or two of you may want to cover your eyes if I can.....

[Jill]

          Dinky***-Di, Dinky-Doo, Dinky Bird, all dinkies look alike to me.
Those of you who would be inclined to yip and snip, cover your eyes or leave the room.
For your information, this is Maxfield Parrish, one of our finest illustrators.
             Now, presenting.... for your (Art) Language Learning Pleasure..... Dinky Bird:

*** Dare I ask what a Dinky is, or are some things just better left to the imagination?
Anyway, I looked all over, but I couldn't  find one....

                                             

[Natasha]

please do keep the occasional delight of a dinky di**  or ridgy-didge coming.
         
        ** Reminds me of a rather unforgettable Maxfield Parrish gem, I think it was called Dinky Doo.  I'll have to go see if I can find it.  One or two of you may want to cover your eyes if I can.....

Hey Jill,

Yes I think violet crumbles are delicious too!

I not sure what Maxfield Parrish meant by "dinky" but in Aussie Slang, "dinky-di" means "true", "real", "genuine".  For example, if you say someone is a "dinky-di Australian", then it is similar to saying that they are "true blue" or a "fair dinkum Aussie".

I really like John Williamson's (an Australian country singer) explanation of "true blue"...

"A Pom in Coventry reckons the saying came from a mulberry orchard in his town. (Mulberries apparently were used in the old days to dye the blue coats of British Soldiers). And it was this one particular orchard that had the 'true blue' colour that the army preferred. Well, perhaps this is why in the USA 'True Blue' is more connected to the armed forces and their patriotism.

In Australia, however, it has come to mean the cream of 'fair dinkums'. I receive many letters from bereaved families telling me how they used this song to bury their "True Blue" Dad or Mum, Son or Daughter. And this helps me explain that it means all of the following:

1. An honest person to be trusted
2. His/her word is his/her bond
3. The person loves Australia and respects the nature of the land
4. Feels Australian and is proud of it
5. Cares about others. A really good mate
6. Something that is truly, unmistakably Australian. (Like "shouting" a beer in a pub or a kelpie dog)

The list could go on. I guess the same principles apply to any nation. But we happened to coin the phrase first".
http://www.johnwilliamson.com.au/html/body_trueblue.html


And here are the lyrics to the famous song "True Blue" by John Williamson. I included both versions of the song, so you can listen if you prefer!

Hey True Blue, don't say you've gone
Say you've knocked off for a smoko
And you'll be back later on
Hey True Blue, Hey True Blue
 
Give it to me straight
Face to face
Are you really disappearing,
Just another dying race,
Hey True Blue.
 
True Blue, is it me and you?
Is it Mum and Dad, is it a cockatoo?
Is it standing by your mate
When he's in a fight?
Or will she be right?
True Blue, I'm asking you...
 
Hey True Blue, can you bear the load?
Will you tie it up with wire,
Just to keep the show on the road?
Hey True Blue, Hey True Blue, now be Fair Dinkum 

Is your heart still there?
If they sell us out like sponge cake
Do you really care?
Hey True Blue.
 
True Blue, is it me and you?
Is it Mum and Dad, is it a cockatoo?
Is it standing by your mate
When she's in a fight?
Or will she be right?
True Blue, I'm asking you...
True Blue, is it me and you?
Is it Mum and Dad, is it a cockatoo?
Is it standing by your mate
When he's in a fight?
Or will she be right?
True Blue ... True Blue.
 
True Blue: Steadfast loyal Australian who displays the Aussie ideals of a fair go for all, mateship, having a go, and solving problems.

Smoko: To 'knock off for a smoko' is to have a break for a coffee, tea or cigarette.

Fair Dinkum: Virtually the same as True Blue - honest, reliable, trustworthy, dinki-di; someone who has embraced the Aussie attitudes to everything, especially mateship. 'Are you fair dinkum?' means 'are you telling the truth?'

[Peter S]

Tujikwamue - Swahili for “progressing from one stage to another”
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=26456

"Amka" - Swahili word meaning ‘Arise’
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=27615

Qory Qaytu - meaning "Golden Thread" in Quechua
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=29565

"Al Ata" - meaning "the sharing" in Arabic
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=19959

"Lakeza" - meaning “grace” in Lwo/Luo
http://fellowsblog.kiva.org/2007/08/06/greetings-from-uganda/

‘Hluvuku’ - meaning "development" in the Ronga dialect of Bantu
http://fellowsblog.kiva.org/2007/07/23/oi-de-mocambique/

"Ahimsa"  - a Sanskrit word meaning "kindness to all life" or "non-harming"
http://www.kiva.org/lender/laurieandbw1951

. . . and Peter, your own British inimitable way of turning a phrase is much too rich for you to deprive us of the pleasure of a bit of that, as well. . .

Would you Adam and Eve it, ain't got no lemon, got to scarper down the frog to sausage a gregory at the iron.

[Jill]

Would you Adam and Eve it........ sausage a gregory ...

        No, Peter, I never would have Adam and Eve’d it *** that your posting a bit of English slang on my new Learning Language thread would provide me the loveliest of excuses to wallpaper the forum with pictures of my alltime love of all loves, that Gregory you wanted to sausage, 

who, in his Atticus Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird) incarnation, was probably responsible for more young American idealists choosing law as a career than any other human being, fictional or real.

Heard on Johnny Vaughan’s radio show recently. A shifty looking man asked a shop assistant if he could ‘sausage a Gregory’. The shop assistant looked bemused and the man repeated his request –
 ‘Can I sausage a Gregory?’ It turned out he was using cockney rhyming slang - he wanted to cash (sausage and mash) a cheque (Gregory Peck)
http://thejargonbasement.com/sausaging-a-gregory/

*** Cockney Rhyming Slang uses "Adam and Eve" to mean "believe" (e.g. "Would you Adam and Eve it?", meaning "Would you believe it?").
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_and_Eve

                                                             
                                                             

[Jill]

Hey Natasha,
      I just now listened to True Blue.   I have a couple of questions.
First:  Is it .... (is it just going to be), me and Peter and you,      or
         Is it a cockatoo?

My next question: I watched both videos closely, looking all over, but couldn't find, so wanted to know
Where Was Russell Crowe?!

        Well, best knock off for a smoko.
        Aussiespeak is very fun.  Thanks.
        HooRoo, HooRoo.

[Diane R]

I've been learning a lot from this thread.  Thank you, everyone, for helping expand our horizons.

hugs all 'round,
--Diane.

[Peter S]

. . . that Gregory you wanted to sausage . . .

the rest of the translation...

lemon = time  (lemon & lime)
scarper = rush off  (via Polari via Italian scappare)
frog = road (frog & toad)
iron = bank (iron tank)

Abyssinia...

[Natasha]

        Well, best knock off for a smoko.
        Aussiespeak is very fun.  Thanks.
        HooRoo, HooRoo.

Jill - Glad that you are enjoying all of the quirky phrases!

hugs all 'round,
--Diane.

((Hugs)) to you too Diane!

the rest of the translation...

lemon = time  (lemon & lime)
scarper = rush off  (via Polari via Italian scappare)
frog = road (frog & toad)
iron = bank (iron tank)

Thankyou for the translation Peter, although I am used to rhyming slang (Australia has it too), but in this instance I needed the actual rhyming word! 

Some Australian examples:

Steak and Kidney - Sydney
Dead Horse- Tomato Sauce (or Ketchup to my American KF)
Captain Cook - Look

But you learn something everyday... "Ava Captains at this"...

"They say Australian rhyming slang comes from cockney and was brought to Australia by the convicts who first settled the country.

They used rhyming slang if they didn’t want others, particularly the authorities, to understand what they were talking about.

Basically, rhyming slang is the use of usually two or more words, the last of which rhymes with the intended word. But there are variations.

The most common variation is to drop the rhyming word altogether. So you could simply ava captains (have a look) at this example. Sometimes when the rhyming word is dropped, the remaining word takes on a plural form for no logical reason.

The next step is to abbreviate (or corrupt) the first word, so that not only is the rhyming word gone but the first word in the phrase is corrupted. Hence, seppo for American.

The original phrase is septic tank for Yank and septic is corrupted into seppo. (Don’t ask me why Americans are called Yanks even if they come from the American South.) Another term used is tin tank.

When rhyming slang is flying thick and fast, it’s best to know what some of them mean."
http://goaustralia.about.com/cs/language/a/rhymingslang2.htm

[Natasha]

Genge - "The Swahili word for this type of outside shop, or stall, is genge. A genge is usually a very basic structure made of wood, with a tin roof, which sells general items such as onions, tomatoes, chili, oil, rice and dried fish.

It is the kind of place where local people usually send their children running to fetch something when they are in the middle of cooking the evening meal and don’t have time to go all the way to the market to buy the missing ingredient."

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=30837

[Natasha]

Another Kiva Friend thought that I should post this, as some of you may also find this amusing...

Home Among The Gum Trees (2.56 minutes)

[Peter S]

“Sumaqcha” - meaning "very beautiful" in Quechua
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=32761

[Natasha]

I talking today about a "ute" to another Kiva Friend who wanted me to explain what that was...

So this is the story about the first "ute", an Aussie Icon...
And it was a woman who was behind the idea! 
The story of the utility truck or coupé utility– the ute – began in 1932, when a letter was received by Ford Australia’s plant at Geelong, Victoria. It was written by a farmer’s wife who’d had enough of riding to church in the farm truck and arriving in saturated clothing;

‘Why don’t you build people like us a vehicle to go to church in on a Sunday, and which can carry our pigs to market on Mondays?’ her letter asked.

Bank managers at the time would lend money to farmers to buy  a farm truck, but not a passenger car, hence the plea from one very fed up woman!

It arrived on the desk of managing director Hubert French who, instead of dictating a polite dismissal, passed the letter on to sales manager Scott Inglis.

He in turn showed it to plant superintendent Slim Westman, and the two of them took it to Ford Australia’s design department, which in 1932 consisted of one man…

Lewis Thornet Bandt was 22 years old and had already been singled out for bigger things with Ford.

Interviewed shortly before his death in 1987, Bandt recalled the moment when Westman and Inglis came to him with the letter.

"The whole thing had already started to germinate," said Bandt.

"Westman quite rightly reckoned that if we cut down a car and put a tray on the back, the whole thing would tear in half once there was weight in the back."

"I told him I would design it with a frame that came from the very back pillar, through to the central pillars, near the doors. I would arrange for another pillar to further strengthen that weak point where the cabin and tray joined. I said to Westman `Boss, them pigs are going to have a luxury ride around the city of Geelong!’ "

Bandt began by sketching the coupé utility on a 10 metre blackboard, depicting a front view as well as side and rear elevations. When they were seen by Westman some weeks later, he told Bandt to build two prototypes.

On a wheelbase of 112 inches, with a rear tray that was 5ft 5ins long and had a payload of 1200 pounds, they were the first vehicles to also offer a comfortable all-weather cabin.

On first sight of the prototypes, Scott Inglis authorised a startup production run of 500 vehicles. Westman asked for – and got - £10,000 for tooling, and the first coupé utilities rolled off the Geelong assembly line in 1934.

Born out of a woman’s frustration with car designs of the day, the enclosed cab utility was initially regarded as a luxury. But the `ute’ was quickly accepted as a necessity of bush life, and won recognition around the world as the ideal farmer’s or tradesman’s vehicle.


http://www.fastlane.com.au/Features/First_ute.hthttp://www.fastlane.com.au/Features/First_ute.htm