This lesson covers 2 more questions and is a continuation of Lesson 4 and 5. The scene is a hot day when you are
pushing to get some work done before you go on vacation. A little urchin comes along "window shopping" as it
were, and sounds something like this:
Are you at peace, chief?
|| Ɣɔ̲ɔ̲, maalä̲.
Yes, I am at peace.
||Kuä̲ä̲r, lɛli̲ ni̲ ŋu̲?
Chief, What are you doing?
||Gatdä̲, ɤä̲n ta̲a̲ kɛ la̲t.
My child, I have work. i.e. I am busy.
Where are you going?
||Ɣä̲n wa̲a̲ kä̲ Malakal.
I am going to Malkal.
||Ɣɔ̲ɔ̲, gɔaaɛ kuä̲ä̲r. Ku̲ wä̲ kɛ mal.
Oh, it is good chief. Just go with peace.
||Ɛ jɛn gatdä̲, ku̲ wä̲ kɛ mal bä̲.
It is so my child, just go with peace also.
|N.B. Don't be misled, he won't leave that soon, but this suffices for the lesson.
- Note that the predominant sounds in this conversation are [a], [a̲], and [ä̲]. Endeavor to hear breathiness
where there is any, and length of vowels.
- In the word [gatdä̲], note that the "t" is lost in pronunciation in favor of "d".
- Practice the phonetic drills.
- The meaning of the verb [lɛli̲] is the general idea of doing, be it work, sleep, play or nothing at all. There is another
verb [la̲t] which denotes actual labor.
- [Ɛ jɛn] is the Nuer equivalent of "okay". Say it whenever you mean "okay".
- [kä̲ Malakal] means either "to" or "from" Malakal depending on the context -- or the look on your face.
- The verbs [ta̲a̲], [wa̲a̲], and [ba̲a̲] are irregular in their conjugated form. There is nothing especially difficult about them,
it is just a matter of understanding how they differ from the majority of verbs. Here they are in the singular.
In order to ask the question "where", just say the word [ni̲] at the end of any of these verbs. So [tëë ni̲?] means "where
does he exist i.e. live?" [wi̲ ni̲] means "Where are you going?" [bi̲i̲ ni̲?] means "where are you coming from?"
- The meaning of the verb "to exist" is separated into two thoughts. One is the idea "to exist", "to be", "to live".
This is expressed by the use of this verb plus a noun in the locative case or by a place word.
The other meaning is "to have something" which is expressed by the use of this verb immediately followed
by the preposition [kɛ], plus a noun (or pronoun). (In some instances [kɛ] is omitted)
- Ɣä̲n ta̲a̲ kɛ la̲t. I live at-barn this.
- Ɣä̲n ta̲a̲ wanɛmɛ. I live right here.
These sentences literally say, "I exist with work" and "you exist with cow."
- Ɣä̲n ta̲a̲ kɛ la̲t. I have work or I am busy.
- Ji̲n ti̲i̲ kɛ yaŋ. You have cow.
- NOUNS: Note the word for "child" is [gat]. [dä̲] "my" is the 1st singular personal possessive adjuctival ending on a
- PARTICLES: [ni̲] in the sentence [lɛli̲ ni̲ ŋu̲̲?] is a particle and does not mean "where" in this case. It is used unsparingly in
this language to emphasize the word or phrase following it. It has the power to define or to point out resulting
in clearer communication and definition between speaker and hearer.
e.g. [Göörä̲ ni̲ ji̲] points out that I want you and not somebody else. It is not compulsory to use , but it is
a highly favored word in the language. (E. Nuer)
- TONE: Go back to Lessons 4 and 5 and together with this lesson study the tone patterns. This is very important.
The orthographic key to tone is : Lo ˎ̲ Hi ˏ̲ Mid ˍ̲
- Where are you? Jí̲̈n à ní̲?
- Who are you? Ɛ̀ jí̲̈n ŋā?
- What do you want? Gó̲ó̲rì̲ ní̲ ŋú̲?
- Where are you going? Wì̲ì̲ ní̲?
- What are you doing? Lɛ́lì̲ ní̲ ŋú̲?
- [rɛci̲] -- inside, and [raar] -- outside, are nouns in the locative case used as adverbs. cf. precis.