The future is behind you

According to an interesting article I came across today, in Tuvan (Тыва дыл), a Turkic language spoken in the Republic of Tuva in southern Siberia, the future is behind you and the past is in front of you. Which makes sense as you can ‘see’ the past, or at least remember it, but you can’t see the future.

In Chinese languages time is described as flowing vertically in some contexts, so the past is above you and the future below you. In Mandarin, for example, last week is 上個月 [上个月] (shàng gè yuè) and next month is 下個月 [下个月] (xià gè yuè), or ‘up/above month’ and ‘down/below month’.

Do any other languages describe the past as being in front of or above you and the future as being behind or below you? Or are there other was to describe the flow of time?

Zulu songs

In the Bangor Comunity Choir we often sing songs from southern Africa in languages like Xhosa and Zulu. I don’t speak these languages, yet, and neither does anybody in the choir, so we’re never entirely sure how to pronounce the words. We usually have a rough translation of the words, so we at least know what they mean.

At the moment we’re learning a Zulu song called “Sesizo Hamba Kancane” which apparently means ‘Walk Gracefully (you people of modern days)’. Here are the words we’re singing:

Sesizo hamba kancane nje nge si manje
Sizo hamba kancane nge hoshimamma

This isn’t the whole song, but these are words are repeated in various combinations throughout.

I thought it would be interesting to find out what they all mean and how to pronounce them.

– sesizo – not sure what this means
– hamba [ˈhaːmba] = to go, walk, ride, travel – often appears in Zulu songs
– kancane [ɠaˈn͡ǀaːne] = a bit; a little; slightly; softly; slowly; gradually; tenderly; barely; scarcely – not an easy word to pronounce what with the implosive g and the dental click.
– nje [nʤe] = (suffix) merely; only; just
– nge [ŋge] = (prefix) not
– si [si] = we
– manje [ˈmaːnʤe] = now; at present

I’m not sure about the rest of it. We were told that it’s something about driving our mother’s car carefully. Does anyone know the song, or speak Zulu?

Source: http://isizulu.net/

This is one of the songs we’ll be singing with lots of other choirs in London on Sunday 9th September this year at Sing for Water London. If you happen to be in London at that time, please come along a listen.

I’m going Llandudno

The other day in the supermarket I heard a bloke say to his friend something like, “Tomorrow I’m going Llandudno” – the lack of to after going struck me as slightly strange, though the utterance was perfectly understandable. I’ve heard a few other people talking about going to places without the to and wondered if anyone else has noticed this, or any similar expressions.

When you think about it, go is rarely used without a preposition such as to, up, down, out, in, over, under, etc. Other verbs of motion, such as come and move, behave in similar ways and rarely appear without an accompanying preposition.

When you talk about travelling in your country do you say “I’m going up to X”, or the equivalent, if you’re going north, and “I’m going down to X” if you’re travelling south. What about east and west?

When I lived in Brighton I said that I was going up to London, which is north of Brighton, but from Bangor I go down to London, which is south (and east) of Bangor.

Les mots de la semaine

Chaque semaine je publie les mots que nous avons discutés dans le Groupe de Conversation Français sur Facebook. J’ai décidé de les publier ici aussi, et donc voilà les mots de cette semaine, et aussi les mots des semaines précédentes.

Every week I publish words that we have discussed in the French Conversation Group on Facebook. I’ve decided to publish here as well, so here are this week’s words, and words from previous weeks.

Pob wythnos dw i’n cyhoeddi geiriau’r wythnos ydan ni ‘di sôn amdanyt yn y Grŵp Sgwrsio ar Facebook. Dw i ‘di penderfynu cyhoeddi nhw yma hefyd, ac felly dyma geiriau’r wythnos hon, a hefyd geiriau’r wythnosau flaenorol.

22/06/12
Les mots de la semaine
– le ragoût = hotpot / casserole = hotbot / caserol
– la cocotte / le poêlon = casserole (dish) = caserol
– le bouton = (light / appliance) switch = switsh / botwm
– l’interrupteur / le marche-arrêt = cut-off switch / light switch / on-off switch
– allumer = to switch on (light, TV, kettle) = cynnau
– mettre en marche = to switch on (engine, machine) = cychwyn
– éteindre = to switch off (light, TV, radio) = diffodd
– arrêter = to switch off (engine) = diffodd
– monsieur / gentleman = gentleman = bonheddwr / gŵr bonheddig
– gentilhomme campagnard = country gentleman
– homme cultivé et raffiné = fine gentleman
– dame de bonne famille = gentlewoman = boneddiges
– le stylo (à) plume = fountain pen = ysgrifbin
– peu commun / rare / inhabituel = unusual = anarferol / anghyffredin

05/06/12
Les mots de la semaine
– la procession de carnaval = (carnival) parade/procession = gorymdaith / parêd
– le défilé = (military) parade = parêd (milwrol)
– sans logis / sans abri = homeless = digartref
– un sans-abri = a homeless person = person digartref
– un haut-parleur = loud speaker = uchelseinydd / darseinydd
– le tambour = drum = tabwrdd
– la batterie = drum kit / drums = offer drymiau
– tambouriner = to drum = drymio / tabyrddu
– le tambourin = tambourine = tambwrîn
– le (joueur de) tambour = drummer = drymiwr / drwmwr
– batteur (-euse) = drummer (in rock/jazz band)
– la baguette de tambour = drum stick = ffon drymio
– la contrebasse = double bass = bas dwbl
– la citerne = water butt = casgen dŵr
– faire un saut (au magasin) = to nip to (the shop)

08/06/12
Les mots de la semaine
– la boue = mud = llaca / llaid / mwd
– le garde-boue = mud guard = gard olwyn
– la station-service = petrol station = gorsaf betrol
– l’aire de services (f) = service area = ardal gwasanaeth
– le char (d’assaut) / le tank = tank (military) = tanc
– avec maestria = with great panache = efo/gyda steil mawr
– le bleu / la ecchymose / la contusion = bruise = clais
– faire un bleu à / contusionner = to bruise = cleisio
– la meurtrissure / la talure = bruise (on fruit)
– se taler / se meurtrir = to bruise (fruit)
– le pois = spot (on fabric) = sbotyn / smotyn
– la tache = spot (mark) =marc / sbotyn / smotyn
– le droit de passage = right of way = hawl tramwy
– le blaireau = badger = mochyn daear / broch / daearfochyn
– le geai = jay = (y)sgrech y coed
– la pie = magpie = pioden
– la sirène = mermaid = môr-forwyn

01/06/12
Les mots de la semaine
– l’allègement fiscal / les dégrèvements d’impôts = tax relief = cymorth trethi
– le vol = robbery / theft = lladrad / ysbeiliad
– le vol à main armée = armed robbery = lladrad arfog
– le braquage de banque = bank robbery = lladrad banc
– (C’est de) l’arnaque! = (It’s) daylight robbery = (mae hi’n) lladrad golau dydd
– le cambriolage = burglary = byrgleriaeth
– la pieuvre = octopus (when alive)
– le poulpe = octopus (on plate) = octopws / wythdroed
– les fonds marins / fond de la mer = seabed = gwely’r môr
– le drapeau = flag = baner

18/05/12
Les mots de la semaine
– la grande roue = big wheel = olwyn fawr
– la petite maison / le cottage = cottage = bwthyn
– la chaumière / chaumine = thatched cottage = bwthyn tô gwellt
– le gîte / la maison de vacances = holiday cottage = bwthyn gwyliau
– la maison de campagne = weekend cottage = bwythyn y penwythnos
– le gîte et le couvert = board and lodging = bwyd a llety
– le baby-sitter / la garde d’enfants =babysitter = gwarchodwr
– faire du baby-sitting / garder (les enfants) = to babysit = gwarchod
– avoir l’air plutôt ridicule = to have egg on one’s face
– têtu / obstiné = stubborn (person) = cyndyn / ystyfnig

12/05/12
Les mots de la semaine
– être à l’entière disposition de qn / être à la botte de qn = to be at sb’s beck and call = bod ar alwad rhywun,
bod yn was bach i rywun
– tirer à la courte paille = to draw straws = tynnu blewyn cwta
– tirer au sort = to draw lots = tynnu dob/tocyn/cwtws/blewyn cwta
– le sang neuf = new blood (in team, organization) = gwaed newydd
– le nouveau visage = new face = gwyneb newydd
– fauché (comme les blés) = (stony-)broke (penniless) = heb yr un geiniog,
heb yr un ddimai goch y delyn, heb gragen i ymgrafu
– être fauché = to be broke = bod heb yr un geiniog
– faire faillite = to go broke/bankrupt = methdalu
– jouer le grand jeu / jouer le tout pour le tout = to go for broke = mentro’r cyfan/cwbl/pob dimai
– à la lettre = to the letter = i’r llythyren

27/04/12
Les mots de la semaine
– sonner = to ring (bell/phone) = canu (cloch)
– rappeler quelque chose = to ring a bell (fig.) = canu cloch / taro deuddeg
– un animal de compagnie = pet = anifail anwes
– porter un toast = (to raise a) toast = cynnig llwncdestun
– le rôle principal = leading role (in play, film, etc) = prif rôl
– tendre = to stretch, tighten, tense = ymestyn, tynhau
– bémol / trop grave = flat (note) = meddalnod
– dièse / trop haut= sharp (note) = llonnod
– la veillée morturaire = wake = gwlynos

20/04/12
Les mots de la semaine
– un rhume = a cold = annwyd
– une rhinite = rhinitis (blocked/stuffy/runny nose) = trwyn wedi ei flocio / syn rhedeg
– attraper un rhume = to catch a cold = cael annwyd
– le rhume des foins = hayfever = clefyd y gwair
– la faune et flore (sauvages) = wildlife = bwyd gwyllt
– la réserve naturelle = wildlife park = parc bwyd gwyllt
– photographe animalier = wildlife photographer = ffotograffydd bwyd gwyllt
– écrire / orthographier = to spell = sillafu
– épeler = to spell (aloud) = sillafu yn uchel
– l’éclair (f) = flash = fflach
– clignoter = to flash (light) = fflachio
– feu/éclairage (de vélo) avant = front (bicycle) light = golau (beic) blaen
– feu/éclairage (de vélo) arrière = back (bicycle) light = golau (beic) ôl

13/04/12
Les mots de la semaine
– la cachette = hide (for watching animals) = cuddfan
– le balbuzard (pêcheur) = osprey = eryr y môr / gwalch y pysgod
– la buse / le urubu = buzzard = boda
– le faucon = falcon = gwalch
– la colombe = dove = colomen
– le perce-neige = snowdrop = eirlys / cloch maban
– la rumeur = rumour = achlust / si / swae / sôn
– l’arnaque (f) / la escroquerie = scam / swindle = hoced / twyll
– la fraude = fraud = hoced / twyll
– escroquer / arnaquer = to swindle = hocedu / twyllo
– la neige fondue = sludge / slush = llaca / llaid / slwtsh
– la bourrasque = squall = hyrddwynt
– la giboulée = shower = cawod
– les Giboulées de Mars = April Showers = Cawodydd Ebrill

30/03/12
Les mots de la semaine
– la roue de charrette = cartwheel = olwyndroi
– faire la roue = to turn a cartwheel = gwneud olwyn dro
– la scie [si] = saw = llif
– scier [sje] = to saw = llifio
– la sciure [sjyʀ] = sawdust = blawd llif
– la scierie [siʀi] = sawmill =
– la tronçonneuse = chain saw = llif gadwyn
– stocker / accumuler = to stockpile = archebu
– avoir l’effet inverse que prévu = to backfire (plans)
– pétararder = to backfire (car) = tanio’n ôl
– le bidon / le jerrycan = jerrycan
– se dilater = to expand (metal, gas) = ymledu / ehangu
– pétard = firecracker / banger / detonator = banger / taniadur
– pris à son propre piège = hoist with one’s own petard
– s’entendre bien avec qqn = to get on well with sb = cyd-dynnu â/efo/gyda rhywun

23/03/12
Les mots de la semaine
– livreur (m) = delivery man = trosglwyddwr
– respirer / aspirer = to breathe (in), inhale = anadlu
– expirer = to breathe out = anadlu allan
– s’échauffer = to warm up = ymgynhesu
– deltaplane (m) / aile volante (f) = hang-glider = barcut (m)
– en pleine cambrousse = out in the sticks
– bâton (m), bout de bois (m) = stick = ffon (f) pric (m)
– petit bois (m) = kindling
– l’autobus à impériale = double-decker bus

16/03/12
Les mots de la semaine
– l’enregistrement (m) = check-in (desk)
– faire enregistrer les bagages = to check-in luggage =
– tapis (m) roulant à bagages / carrousel (m) à bagages = luggage/baggage carousel
– bagagiste = baggage handler = trafodwr bagiau
– faire une/de la randonnée = to ramble / go rambling = mynd am dro
– badge (m) = badge = bathodyn (m)
– crampe (f) = cramp = cramp (m), cwlwm gwythi (m), gwrwst (f)
– priver qn de ses moyens = to cramp sb’s style

17/02/12
Les mots de la semaine
– vingoble (m) – vineyard – gwinllan (f)
– vendage (f) – grape harvest/crop, grapes = cynhaeaf grawnin
– grenier (m) – attic, barn = llofft (m), ysgubor (f)
– maréchal-ferrant (m) = farrier = ffarier (m)
– forgeron (m) = blacksmith = gof (m)
– repasser = to iron = smwddio
– fer (m) à repasser = iron = haearn smwddio (m)
– commérages, cancans = gossip = clec(s), clonc(iau)
– nounours (m), ours en peluche = teddy bear = tedi
– peluche (f) = fluff, plush, stuffed/soft toy = fflwff, plwsh, tegan meddal
– railler = to make fun of sb, taunt, scoff, jeer = gwawdio
– vedette (f) = (film) star, speedboat = seren, cwch gwib
– chaise droite (f) = upright/dining chair = cadair gefnsyth (?)
– détroit (m) = strait = culfor (m)
– capuche (f), capuchon (m) = hood = cwfl (m)
– exécuter, jouer = to perform (music) = perfformio, chwarae
– boulette (f) (de pâte) = dumpling = twplen (f), poten (f)
– Bavière (f) = Bavaria = Bafaria
– bavarois = Bavarian = Bafarieg

10/02/12
Les mots de la semaine
– carte de bus = bus pass = trwydded bws
– tenir un journal = to keep a diary = cadw dyddiadur
– ongle (m) = finger nail = ewin (m/f)
– ongle de pied = toe nail = ewin troed
– orteil (m) = toe = bys troed
– retenir sa respiration = to hold one’s breath = dal dy anadl
– ça n’arrivera peut-être pas de sitôt ! = don’t hold your breath! = paid â dal dy anadl!
– surgelé = frozen = rhewedig / wedi ei rewi
– Les Amis de la Terre = Friends of the Earth = Cyfeillion y Ddaear
– prétendre = to claim (assert) = hawlio
– démodé = old fashioned (things) = hen ffasiwn
– vieux jeu = old fashioned (people) = hen ffasiwn

03/02/12
Les mots de la semaine:
– égout (m) = sewer = carthffos (f)
– (les) canalisation(s) (f) = (the) drain(s) = draen(iau) (m)
– écouler = to drain = draenio
– epicure (m) = gourmet = beirniad bwyd (m)
– gourmand (m) = gourmand = gloddestwr, bolgi
– gourmand (adj) = greedy = barus, trachwantus
– kippa (f), yarmoulka = kippah, yarmulke = cap corun (m)
– baragouin (m), charabia (m) = gibberish, gabble, double Dutch, gobbledygook = baldordd, cleber, lol
– baragouiner = to gibber / jabber / gabble = baldorddi, clebran
– dire du charabia, parler de façon incompréhensible = to talk gibberish

20/01/12
Les mots de la semaine:
– émission (f) = (TV/radio) programme = rhaglen (f)
– draguer = to be on the pull, to try and pick up (sb)
– traquer = to stalk (sb), pursue, hound, track down = dilyn, ymlid, mynd ar drywydd
– harceleur, admirateur = stalker = dilynwr
– acouphène (m) = tinnitus = tinitws
– éternuement (m) = sneeze = tisiad (m)
– éternuer / faire un éternuement = to sneeze = tisian
– valeur (f) à la revente = street value = preis ar y stryd (?)
– canot/bateau de sauvetage (m) = lifeboat = bad achub (m)
– détrempé = soggy (ground) = corslyd, soeglyd
– trempé = soggy (clothes)
– mou (molle) = soggy (sandwiches, bread, cornflakes)

02/12/11
Les mots de la semaine
– forgeron (m) = blacksmith = gof
– maréchal ferrant (m) = blacksmith, farrier = ffarier
– forge (f) = smithy = gefail
– marteau (m) = hammer = morthwyl = malleus
– enclume (f) = anvil = eingion / einion = incus
– étrier (m) = stirrup = gwarthol (f) = stapes
– hériter (de) = to inherit = etifeddu
– héritage (m) = inheritance (money, property, cultural) = etifeddiaeth (f), gwaddol (m)
– patrimoine (m) = inheritance (genetic) = etifeddiad (m)
– faire une promenade (de cheval), monter (à cheval), faire du cheval = to ride (a horse) = marchogaeth, reidio
– aller (à cheval / à bicyclette / à moto / en autobus / en voiture) = to ride (a horse, a bicycle, a motorbike, a bus a car)

14/11/12
Les mots de la semaine
– enlever / kidnapper – to kidnap – herwgipio
– l’enlèvement – kidnapping, removal, abducting – herwgydio
– tentative d’enlèvement – kidnap attempt – ymgais herwgipio
– kidnappeur/euse, voleur d’enfants, ravisseur/euse – kidnapper – herwgipiwr

Plus de détails sont à découvrir à: http://www.omniglot.com/blog/?p=6081

07/11/12
Les mots de la semaine
– groseille à maquereau / groseille verte – gooseberry, eirinen Fair / gwsberen
– groseille – (red)currant, cyrensen
– maquereau – mackerel, macrell

groseille (ribes rubrum) is part of the gooseberry family (grossulariaceae), as is the blackcurrant / cyrensen ddu (ribes nigrum) or cassis / groseille noir.

30/10/11
Le mot de la semaine
– comptine /kɔ̃tin/= nursery rhyme; counting rhyme or song = hwiangerdd; rhigwm neu gân rifo

Des comptines et chansons pour enfants: http://comptine.free.fr/

23/10/11
Les mots de la semaine:
– ménager la chèvre et le choux = to sit on the fence, to face both ways, to keep everyone happy, have a foot in both camps, to play both ends against the middle. (lit. “to keep the goat and the cabbage”). = peidio ag ochri, eistedd ar y clawdd (“cadw’r afr a’r fresychen / gabetsien”).

– ménager (vb) = to handle carefully, to treat considerately, to take care not to hurt sb’s pride, to take care of, to look after or to arrange. = trin yn ofalus / yn ystyriol, poeni am ddim brifo teimladau rhywun, gofalu am (rhywun/rhywbeth), trefnu.

– ménager (adj) = household, domestic, housework, housewife or canteen = catref

Gendarmes et policiers

Yesterday there was some discussion of the police at the French Conversation Group – one of the members is a former policeman. We use the word policier, but later I remembered that another French word for policeman is gendarme, and it suddenly dawned on me that gendarme probably comes from gens d’armes (armed man). I checked this today and it’s right. It’s not something I’ve really thought about before, but when I did think about it, it seemed so obvious. Do you find that with words sometimes?

According to Reverso, French country police officers are called les gendarmes, but those in towns are called les agents de police or les policiers. A community police officer is un îlotier and a traffic police officer is un agent de la circulation.

According to the OED and the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word police comes from the Middle French police (public order, administration, government), from the Latin polītīa (citizenship, political organization, government), which is also the root of policy, politics, politican, etc. and comes from the Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeia – citizenship, government, administration) from πολίτης (polites – citizen) from πολίς (polis – city, state), from the Proto-Indo-European *p(o)lH- (enclosed space, often on high ground).

Jeepers!

While listening to Raidió na Gaeltachta (Irish language radio) today I noticed much use of the word “Jeepers!“. It’s not a word I’ve heard much before so it caught my attention.

According to the Free Dictionary, jeepers is used to express surprise or annoyance and is a euphemism for Jesus. A variation on this, “Jeepers creepers!”, is apparently used mainly in the USA and Canada. Another related expression is “Jeez!”.

Do you use any of these words? If not, what (non swear) words do you use to express surprise or annoyance?

Kurdish in Turkish schools

According to an article I came across today, the Turkish government plan to introduce Kurdish language lessons in schools, if there is suffient demand. About 12% of Turkey’s population speaks Kurdish, so it’s likely that there will be demand for these lesson, especially in Eastern Turkey, where most of the Kurds live.

Until 2002 there were severe restrictions on the use of Kurdish in education and broadcast media, and the use of Kurdish names containing the letters X, W and Q, which are not used in Turkish, was banned. In schools all children are taught in Turkish, regardless of whether they speak it or not. This is the first time that Kurdish has been taught in public schools, and while it’s better than nothing, teaching the language for a few hours a week as if it were a foreign language is not ideal. Kurdish politicians and teachers would like to see the language used as a medium of instruction for Kurds at all levels of education.

Do any of you speak Kurdish or are you learning it?

Baguette de tambour

Les baguettes de tambour, de http://francais.istockphoto.com/illustration-16429730-tambour-jouet-baguette-tambour-un-seul-objet-instrument-musique.php

Yesterday I discovered that in French a drumstick is a baguette de tambour, which conjured up images of French drummers playing their drums with long loaves of bread.

The word baguette comes from the Italian word bacchetta (little rod), a diminutive of bacchio (rod), from the Latin baculum (stick, staff). As well as meaning a type of French bread, it can also refer to “a small moulding of semicircular section” and “a gem, ususually a diamond, cut in a long rectangular shape” [Source: OED].

The French word tambour, which is also found in English and means a frame used in embroidery or a drum, comes from the Persian word tabῑr or from the Arabic word ṭubūl, which both mean ‘drum’. The word tambourine comes from the same root, as does timbre [source].

Some more drum-related French vocabulary:

– le tambour = drum
– la batterie = drum kit / drums
– Je joue de la batterie = I play the drums
– tambouriner = to drum
– pianoter / tambouriner sur la table = to drum one’s fingers on the table
– le tambourin = tambourine
– le (joueur de) tambour = drummer
– batteur (-euse) = drummer (in rock/jazz band)
– le roulement de tambour = drum roll
– la caisse claire = side/snare drum
– la grosse caisse = bass drum
– la boîte à rythme = drum machine
– le tambour de frein = brake drum
– le bidon de pétrole = oil drum

Source: Reverso