How To Live In Africa

So since the testing for French was finished last week, we had a quick session for local languages on Wednesday. I went in the Dundi class, since it is supposedly spoken in northern Benin, as well as Nigeria through Mali (with slight variations of course). It was a pretty fun session, and since it is a tonal language, it was pretty difficult for the 3 of us native English speakers (Matt, Elaina, and I)to pick it up. Hoping to learn more about the language, I searched online for some resources, or even any indication that the western world has heard of this language. I found nothing, so I thought it would be cool to post my notes here in this blog, perhaps being one of the first and only people to transcribe this language in English. The language facilitator, Habilou, explained his language to us in French, so a lot of my notes are French-->Dundi, which I'll keep, but also add the English definition in bold. In parenthesis after the dundi word is how I sounded it out. the 'r's are slightly rolled.


Dundi Language:

Saluations-

le matin (good morning): NA.SU.ba  or  oo or EE
if someone says nasuba to you, you can say EEnasuba  (engggnasuba) back to them
susuba = le matin (morning time, in general)
suba = demain (tomorrow)

Midi (mid day, noon): nazari (naZAree)

l'apres midi(afternoon): nahoiyo (NA.HOY. yo)
le soir (evening): nawichiri (na.wi CHI.ree)

et le travail? (how's work going? a common salutation here) = metegbei (Meh Tegh Beyh)
if the word starts with mete, it is a question

appropriate responses: Alafia; bani
they both mean "all is ok" but everyone seems to like alafia better

tu as bien dormi? (did you sleep okay?)= nkanibanii (nkAHni baNEEee)

et la maison? (and you're house is okay/intact?)= metefu

comment ca va? (how's it going?)= metega

Au revoir (goodbye):
1) Acidensu (aCHI.DEN.su)
2) Acikayo (aCHIkahyo)

a demain(see you tomorrow): Acisuba (A CHI SUh bah)

bonne arrivee (a casual welcome, used all the time): nakayo

arriving back from a voyage: gabite (GA bee tey)

salut! (whats up/hi): Fowh

bon travaille (good work, used as a greeting when someone is in the middle of doing work): nagbei (NAg bei)

thank you (for money or a gift): nanoru (NA NO ru)

thank you, in general, for conducting business, or asking how im doing: nagbei

je voudrais (i would like...): aaba

oui: oo (Owh owh)
non: ao (Ah owh)

je ne veux pas (i don't want...): a suba

Je suis occupe (i'm busy): akamee diyo(Ah Kah Meh. Dee yo)
Je suis fatigue (i'm tired): afara (AH farra)
il est fatigue (he is tired): afara (ah fah rah)

Je suis arrive (i arrived): aka (Ah ka)
il est arrive (he arrived):  (aHka)
j'arrive (i'm getting here right now): aaka (AAH kah)
il arrive (he's getting here right now): AH AH ka

Ou est la toilette (where is the toilet/bathroom): mani salagnya OR mani salagono OR mani nkpei fubana

l'homme blanc (white man): anasara

Im an american: abara amerikborono

give me your money (aggressively): kananoru (kana NOr ru)
noru = argent

noru si: i dont have any money

c'est comment? (how's it going?)= mete nteno
or Tu es la? (literrally "you are there" but it means hey there or what's up AFTER you are already hanging out with them. not as a greeting) = ngon o nindii
(the double ii sound at the end of a word also means its a question...)

je ne comprends pas le dendi (i dont understand/speak dendi): asuma dendicinin (aSUma. dendi chehnin)

Ou trouve-t-on.... (where can I/one find...)= mani ntimati nera

nera = vendre (to sell)
n = on
timati = tomatoes
mani = ou (where)
where is the marche? (market): mani yobu gono

gono = etre (to be)
mani = ou (where)
yobu = marche (market)
la farine (flour)= hamini

Fruits= turi hinze (TOOh ree HAHhn zee)
fruit also means the small version of something, as in, the fruit of a mango tree is a small mango? but if you say the fruit of his work is small work?

puppy = hensinze

du boeuf (cow that's alive)= how (howh)

ham = meat to eat
le viande du boeuf (beef)= howham
le mouton (sometimes sheep, sometimes goat...havent figured that one out yet)= feji
the viande du mouton (sheep/goat meat)= fejiham
le poulet (chicken)= gorono goro(gni)o (gni is is how i will write this sound. its like saying "ing" backwards, but you have to really accentuate the "ug" sound at the beginning. also kind of like swallowing as you try to say eeee at the same time. there is no phonetical character in existence (or in academia, at least) to describe this sound!
les oeufs (eggs)= gungri (GUNguhi)

j'ai faim (i'm hungry) = here gono aga (Heh reh. Goo nah agah)
J'ai soif (i'm thirsty) = hari zeu gono aga (HAhri zeeou Gohno agah)

1 = afo (AH fo)
2 = ahinka (ah HIN ka)
3 = ahinza (ah HIN za)
4 = ataci (ah tah chi)
5 = agu (ah goo)
6 = aidu (AYE doo)
7 = aiye (AYE yeh)
8 = aiyaku (ay yah koo)
9 = aiga (ayh ee gah)
10 = awei (ah wee ayh)
20 = waranka (warh ahnkah)

(the following are the sizes, in francs (CFA), of money you get here. 1 franc doesnt exist. 1000f is the smallest bill they make, any smaller and it is called 'petite monay' aka coins)

5f = bie (bee Yeh)
10f = dalahinka (dala HINkah)
25f = dalagu
50f = dalawei
100f = waraka (Wah Rahn kah)
125 = waranka cini gu (Wah Rahn kah chEENEE goo)
150 = waranza
200f = weitaci (wei TAh chi)
500f = zogufu (zon GUh foh)
1000f = fotofo (foh Toh foh)
2000f = fotogu
5000f = fotowei
10000f = fotohinka
c'est combien? marigeno

5500 = fotogu nna zongufo

nna = and/plus

guru = time
say guru and then a number to denote what time it is BUT drop the 'a' off of the word for each number, then say it. it will be pronounced differently

quelle heure est'il (what time is it?): guru marige ya kari

10h: guru wei (goo roo wee ayh) (note: 10 is awei [ah wee ayh])