Kiswahili

One of my priorities for this month I have in Tanzania is to greatly improve my Kiswahili. I did pretty well the last time I was here – I could converse on a pretty basic level and fumble my way through most everyday situations. Last time I learnt mostly by talking to my Askari (literally Soldier, or Security man) at night and getting Saphia to help me communicate with my kids. When I heard a new word I didn’t know, I’d write it down and ask someone about it. When my kids would jabber away at me with a question I didn’t recognize, I’d get fellow teachers to translate. Saumu and the girls at the orphanage helped too by pointing things out and exchanging English names for the Kiswahili equivalent. I took notes. I read signs. I drew pictures for people who didn’t understand what I was trying to say. My lonely planet Swahili phrasebook helped to an extent, but no amount of studying can do what living and interacting here can do.

Kiswahili is a pretty neat language – the sounds are always constant, unlike in English where the words THOUGH, THOUGHT and THROUGH can have the same vowels but totally different sounds. A is always “Ah,”  E is always “eh,” I is always “ee,” O is “Oh,” and U is pronounced “ooh.” There is no letter X and no Q. Y is NOT sometimes a vowel. There are really only 4 verb tenses – present, past, future and imperfect. The rules are relatively simple. And it just sounds cool.

Vocabulary comes fairly easily and I have no trouble memorizing all kinds of words. My struggle now is with oral comprehension – trying to keep track of whats going on when locals jabber on quickly and informally, dropping pronouns and skipping over tenses. I am learning though, and loving it. English has even adopted a few words from this language that you might recognize (especially if you’ve seen Disney’s The Lion King):

Simba – Lion

Asante Sana – Thank you very much

Rafiki  - Friend

Safari  – Journey

Mambo – What’s up?

And in turn, Kiswahili has adopted several words from English as technology has made its way to Africa in need of names...

Kemra – Camera

Baisikeli - Bicycle

Kompyuta – Computer

Intanet Kafe – Internet cafe

Aiskrimu – Ice Cream

And Mom, the word for truck here is spelled Lori.