Useful phrases for tourists
From: | Sylvia Sotomayor <sylvia1@...> |
Date: | Monday, February 22, 1999, 15:40 |
I've been planning a trip to visit family in Nicaragua, and in doing so,
I've been exposed to a number of tourist phrases. The four most useful
follow. I've translated them into Kelen:
(vowels followed by : are long vowels, 'j' is a palatal glide)
A beer, please.
se-lri ja he:nge
(he:nge isn't actually beer, but it is light, refreshing, slightly
fermented...)
Where is the bathroom?
ja so:th hea:n pa su: ke:nj
(the place good for being alone is where?)
Don't shoot, I'm a tourist.
we n:onj ka:, la:sre le
(no killing, a guest am I) ('la:sre' is more likely to get someone's
attention than the actual word for tourist 'tu:ri:s' which is a borrowing.)
I don't speak Kelen.
we so:ren ke:len pa a:nen le
(no kelen words are with me)
So, how does one say these useful phrases in other languages:
Sylvia
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Sylvia Sotomayor
http://pw2.netcom.com/~sylvia1
visi, veneri, vamoosi
I visited, I caught an embarrassing disease, I ran away.
(from Terry Pratchett's _Jingo_)