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Re: Arabic greeting (was: Re: Somewhat Off-Topic: thinking in conlangs)

From:ROGER MILLS <rfmilly@...>
Date:Tuesday, September 30, 2008, 16:22
Eugene Oh wrote:
> >The greetings used sparked some questions in my mind: >1. What's the difference between the two forms quoted (with and without >"wa-")?
answered already
>2. I hear "Assalaamu alaikum" all the time in Malaysia and Indonesia -- is >there any difference with _this_ one?
I don't recall ever hearing "assalaamu..." in Indonesia; the usual response was "[wassalám alájkum]" (with -ss-, I wasn't sure when I typed the original). Is the final -u perhaps more proper Arabic? Not all Indonesians have perfect command of Arabic :-)), and ths is a very forumlaic thing.
>Obconlang: How many of the greetings on CALS are actually variations of >"peace"?
Kash, yes: Formal "endo te nurak" 'may (there be) peace to you'; Informal, just "nurak"
> >On Tue, Sep 30, 2008 at 4:30 AM, ROGER MILLS <rfmilly@...> wrote: > > > > > Amusing incident one day back in Ann Arbor: > > Phone rings. > > Me: hello? > > Phone: Salaam alaikum! > > Me: (thinking it was an Indonesian whom I might know) wasalaam alaikum! > > Phone: babble in (I suppose) Arabic..... > > Me: Uhhh.... followed by good-humored explanations on both sides. It >was, > > of course, a wrong number. > >