(Spencer) Slow'r down and Intonate

Hello my friends

Life in Karaga is wonderful. The people are kind beyond reason and lots of fun to communicate with. Nothing is more fun than when someone gets you to repeat a sentence you don’t understand to a lady, and you find out that you have just professed your love and wish to be marry her….

Ghanaian Language and Phrases

In Karaga the local spoken language is Dagbani which people of the Dagomba tribe speak, and of course I cannot speak it (I am learning Dagbani small small, future post with a Dagbani primer). Though many can speak and understand some English, it must be spoken at a very slow manner with great intonation. There is difficultly however when using larger words or forming complex sentences, care must be taken to keep things relatively simple and talk to an appropriate education level of the other. The younger generation can speak English while people of an older generation generally cannot, this is a result of English being taught in schools.

There are also unique phrases that Ghanaians use while speaking English, they serve to simply communication for a Ghanaian and make it much more confusing for myself, at least in the beginning. While in Tamale we were given a session on Ghanaisms as the APS (African program staff) call them. To provide an idea of how to speak with a very rough Ghanaian English accent, I have provided a short list of Ghanaisms. Remember to slow down your speech, use simple words and intonate as well.

Small = little

Small small = gradually

Charlie! (pronounced cha-lay!) = informal hello

Ah! Why? = Ah! Way? – but very dramatic, for example when the taxi driver is try to rip you off

In fact = confirmation

I want to free myself = need to pee

I need a dropping = taxi to a particular location

I will alright there = getting out of a vehicle at a spot

Masta, I’m telling you = this is true

Let me land = say when you are getting cut off and you want to finish your point

Not serious = not correct, not doing it right (big insult)

Serious = hard working, reliable, awesome guy, doing it right (big compliment)

Dis ting = anything

Can you pick? = can you pick me up from a location

How? = how are you doing today

Ohh! (high pitch) = surprise

Im coming = im leaving you than I am coming back (think Ghana time so it may take a long time)

It is not going = something isn’t working

Ahh haa (particular pitch, low than high) = confirmation of understanding, often if not said the other

          person will comment, “are you getting me?”

Small Children

Some children can speak some basic English but often they speak next to none at all. There is however every child can say regardless of age. What is the phrase every child will say? In almost any situation the children will yell out:

“Salminga! How are you?”

Salminga is white man in Dagbani, this phrase is yelled to me consistently as I walk anywhere. Children will spot the white skin from far away and run over and chant this. When ten children are yelling this phrase at you it is a very interesting feeling.

If not for my skin, what makes me so special?

Spencer