Wednesday, May 30, 2012

A Couple Colloquialisms in Jula



Hey, let it be known that we are still alive and still doing the same stuff we usually do, whatever that is. One of those things we're supposed to do is share local language with people outside of Africa. In the spirit of this, here are some phrases in the Jula (Dioulla) language that I've picked up recently.


Tubabuce, i nun kala kadjan
Hey, white man, you have a big nose

Tubabuce, i ka don ke cogo majni
Hey, white man, you dance weird

Tubabuce, i ka sabi bo
Hey, white man, your smell is coming out

Tubabuce, i ye nambara mogo lo ye
Hey, white man, you're not a good person

Tubabuce, i kera kumi a sigeni lo
Hey, white man, you look exhausted

Tubabuce, mun kera i bi kuma i yera ma?
Hey, white man, why are you talking to yourself?

*Note: Nobody ever actually says any of this... in this sense these aren't all that colloquial. But from the look on people's faces sometimes, I could swear they're thinking some of these things.


Tana teaches some kidlets how to look both ways before crossing the street