SOMALI PHRASES FOR TEACHERS

Transcription

1 SOMALI PHRASES FOR TEACHERS Studies are indicating that teachers willingness to involve themselves in the culture of foreign-born students can not only ease the students discomfort in an unfamiliar environment, but also help their parents to become less afraid or suspicious of our school as an institution that they feel may be teaching their children the wrong values. Learning a few words and phrases in Somali can help this situation, especially with the ever-increasing amount of Somali migration to the Columbus area. If you do choose to learn and use a little Somali in the classroom, please keep an anecdotal record of its successes or failures so that we may evaluate its usefulness. Thanks, and please contact me if you would like to meet to practice or to see more materials to advance you to the next level (or add anything you have learned to this list). Matt Rees reesm@wcsoh.org I. Spelling is very close to being pronounced just as it looks in English. (Real Somali spelling is used here) II. Double vowels and double consonants are pronounced the same as singles. They are simply held a bit longer. III. Here are the letters that are different from English A. The apostrophe is a glottal stop, like when some English people say water without the t as wa er. B. The letter q is difficult: make a k sound, but as far back in your throat as you can by clicking your uvula. C. Kh is like the ch in the Scottish word loch, with that goober-hacking German sound to it. D. x is almost the same as kh but without the hacking. Pronounce it like a normal h but constrict the back of your throat at the uvula. E. c is just like x but with vibration of your voice, like when the doctor asks you to say ah. It s definitely the toughest to do. Find a native speaker of Somali to model it for you. GREETING English Somali also in Somali Hello Nabad (literally peace ) Subax wanaagsan (morning) Maalin wanaagsan (day) How are you? Is ka warran? Sideed tahay? Fine, and you? Fiican, adiguna? Waa nabad, adiguna? Fine Fiican Aniguna fiican (I m fine) Thanks Mahadsanid You re welcome Adaa Mudan Goodbye Nabad gelyo I am a teacher Anigu waan ahay macallin My (last) name is Ina ayahaygu waa (What is your) Name? Magacaa? Pleased to meet you Kulanti wanaagsan

2 CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION English Yes No Good Bad True Please Wrong Correct Book Open your books! Why didn t you read the book? Did you do the exercises? I did not do the exercises Did you understand the exercises? I did not understand the exercises Did you understand the word? I did not understand the word Writing And Reading Write! (to more than one) Read! (to more than one) Read a page! Discuss with each other I ll read Do it! (talking to one person) Do it! (talking to more than one) That is not possible Important History book Islam MISCELLANEOUS English Excuse me Sorry It doesn t matter Today Tomorrow Yesterday Every day Now Later Somali Haa Maya Fiican Xun run Walaal Khalad Saxan Buug Buugagta fura! Maxaad u akhri weydey buuggaas? Ma sameyn layliga? Anigu ma sameyn layliga Ma garateen layliga? Anigu ma garan layliga Ma garateen erayga? Anigu ma garan erayga Qorista iyo Akhriga Dhiga! Akhriya! Akri baal! Wada hadlid Waxaan akhrinayaa Samee! Sameeya! Suurta gal ma aha Qaaya Buugga taariikh Islaanka Somali Ralli iga ahaw Waan ka xumahay Waxaba ma aha Manta Berri Shalay Maalin kasta Hadda hadhow

3 God bless you (gesundheit) What s your first name? My first name is What is your last name? My last name is Do you speak English? Do you know Somalil? No, I don t What do you call this in Somali? This language is difficult Parents Are your siblings in this school? This school May I speak to This is Mr. Rees speaking He isn t in Phone again later Art Music TV Radio Newspaper Medicine Illness Yarxamaka allah Magacaagu waa maxay? Magacaygu waa Ina ayahaa waa maxay? Ina ayahaygu waa Ma ku hadashaa af Ingriisiga? Af Soomaaliga ma taqaannaa? Maya maan fahmayo Kan af Soomaali side loo yiraahdaa? Afku wuu adag yahay Waalid Walaalahaa dugsiga ma dhigtaan? Dugsiga Bal ma la hadlaa Mr. Rees baa hadlaya Ma joogo Hadhow u soo yeer Fan Muusik Telefishin Raadiyo Wargeys Daawa Jirro CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT English Somali Students! Ardayda! Student (male) Arday Student (female) ardayad Come in, please Soo gal, walaal. / Soo dhowow. Come! (to more than one) Kaalaya! Sit down, please Fariiso, walaal. / Soo fadhiiso. Quiet Aamusa(n) Noisy Sharqan Good Fiican You re sleeping Jiiftaa You (one person) must go Waa inaad tagtaa You (more people) must go Waa inaydin tagtaan We must go Waa inaynu tagnaa Now Hadda Alright Waa hagaag Okay Waa tahay

4 NUMBERS Cardinal Ordinal 1 Kow 1 st Kowaad 2 Laba 2 nd Labaad 3 Saddex 3 rd Saddexaad 4 Afar 4 th Afraad 5 Shan 5 th Shanaad 6 Lix 6 th Lixaad 7 Toddoba 7 th Toddobaad 8 Siddeed 8 th Siddeedaad 9 Sagaal 9 th Sagalaad 10 Toban 10 th Tobnaad CALENDAR OF IMPORTANT ISLAMIC DATES Ramadan: September 24 - October 23, 2006 Eid ul-fitr: October 24, 2006 Hajj: December 29 - January 1, 2007 Eid ul-adha: December 31, 2006 Islamic New Year: January 20, 2007(1428 A.H.) CALENDAR OF IMPORTANT ISLAMIC DATES Ramadan: September 13 - October 12, 2007 Eid ul-fitr: October 13, 2007 Hajj: December 18 - December 21, 2007 Eid ul-adha: December 20, 2007 Islamic New Year: January 10, 2008 (1429 A.H.) 2008 CALENDAR OF IMPORTANT ISLAMIC DATES Ramadan: September 2 - September 30, 2008 Eid ul-fitr: October 1, 2008 Hajj: December 6 - December 9, 2008 Eid ul-adha: December 8, 2008 Islamic New Year: December 29, 2008 (1429 A.H.) Somali websites: Link list

5 Hajj About the Islamic Calendar: The Islamic calendar (or Hijri calendar) is a purely lunar calendar. It contains 12 months that are based on the motion of the moon, and because 12 synodic months are only 12 x 29.53= days, the Islamic calendar is consistently shorter than a tropical year, and therefore it shifts approximately days every year with respect to the Gregorian calendar. Ramadan (Islamic month of Fasting) Ramadan is an Islamic month during which Muslims (believers in Islam) fast daily from dawn to sunset as part of an effort towards self-purification and moral excellence. Ramadan is believed to be the month, in which, the first verses of the Quran (divine Scripture & Final Testament) were revealed by God to Prophet Mohammad between 610 and 633 CE. Eid ul-fitr (Festival of the Breaking of the Fast) Holiday occurring after the completion of Ramadan, lasting three days during which Muslims celebrate with special prayers followed by community celebrations. Hajj (Annual Pilgrimage to Mecca) The Hajj, or annual pilgrimage to Mecca, consists of several ceremonies meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, such as submission, brotherhood, and unity, and to commemorate the trials of the Prophet Abraham and his family. Required once in a Muslim s lifetime, over two million Muslims perform the pilgrimage annually. Eid-ul-Adha (Festival of the Sacrifice) Holiday occurring on the third day of the Hajj, lasting four days. It commemorates the Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, who was replaced by a lamb. Islamic New Year (1427 A.H.*) Marks the beginning of a New Year in the Islamic calendar. There are an estimated 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, making Muslims one of the world's largest religious group in the United States. There are an estimated 6-8 million Muslims in America, making Muslims the second largest religious group in the United States. While the majority of American Muslims were born in this country, they are from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds: African-American, South Asian, Arab, African, Persian, and the remaining are European, Southeast Asian and Turkish. Please post for Somali students in your classroom:

6 Maanta waa Axad Isniin Sunday Monday Talaada Tuesday Arbaca Wednesday Khamiis Thursday Jimce Friday Sabti Saturday *add -da to the end of each word to say on day Today is Monday. = Maanta waa Isniin. Yesterday was Sunday. = Shalay waxay ahayd Axad. Tommorow is Tuesday. = Berri waa Talaada.