A lot of the time, it's just easier to use a foreign word than an English word. When I use foreign words, I'm not going to continually explain them in English, either, so I've created this glossary.
Arabic
adas: lentil gravy with chunks of bread.
amjad: a taxi shaped like a miniature minibus. I hear they come from Korea.
amjad: a taxi shaped like a miniature minibus. I hear they come from Korea.
basta: baklava, pastries that are saturated in syrup and dripping with oil, like koeksisters (Afrikaans dessert).
Burri Nos: "Burri half", the name of my bus home.
Eid al-Fitr: the three day holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan.
fatoor: the meal to break the fast during Ramadan.
fuul: a bean dish, very traditional in Sudan. Often served with cheese sprinkled on top.
Burri Nos: "Burri half", the name of my bus home.
Eid al-Fitr: the three day holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan.
fatoor: the meal to break the fast during Ramadan.
fuul: a bean dish, very traditional in Sudan. Often served with cheese sprinkled on top.
havla: a minibus with 3 rows, the first two facing each other, similar to ones in Malawi.
heelowa: beautiful.
hijab: a headscarf worn to cover all hair (as opposed to tarha, which shows hair).
heelowa: beautiful.
hijab: a headscarf worn to cover all hair (as opposed to tarha, which shows hair).
hise: another word for hafla.
iftar: the evening meal.
Ja'alin: a tribe in north Sudan, which Rami belongs to.
jamah: university.
jibna: cheese.
karkade: red juice. It is made from soaking hibiscus flowers and adding sugar.
la: no.
leeh?: why?
ligamat: small balls of dough deep-fat-fried with sugar on top, similar to doughnut holes.
ma-fahimta: I don't understand you (or ma-fahimti, if said to a woman).
mish: yoghurt.
mwasalat: all forms of public transport.
Qur'an: the holy book of Islam.
raksha: like a rickshaw.
Ramadan: a month of abstaining from food and drink in day-time; one of the five pillars of Islam.
Ramadan kareem: happy Ramadan! (I think)
shish tawuk: chicken grilled on a stick, like shish kebabs. Usually accompanied by green peppers.
souq: market.
suhor: early morning breakfast before dawn during Ramadan (I think).
tok-tok: another name for raksha.
iftar: the evening meal.
Ja'alin: a tribe in north Sudan, which Rami belongs to.
jamah: university.
jibna: cheese.
karkade: red juice. It is made from soaking hibiscus flowers and adding sugar.
la: no.
leeh?: why?
ligamat: small balls of dough deep-fat-fried with sugar on top, similar to doughnut holes.
ma-fahimta: I don't understand you (or ma-fahimti, if said to a woman).
mish: yoghurt.
mwasalat: all forms of public transport.
Qur'an: the holy book of Islam.
raksha: like a rickshaw.
Ramadan: a month of abstaining from food and drink in day-time; one of the five pillars of Islam.
Ramadan kareem: happy Ramadan! (I think)
shish tawuk: chicken grilled on a stick, like shish kebabs. Usually accompanied by green peppers.
souq: market.
suhor: early morning breakfast before dawn during Ramadan (I think).
tok-tok: another name for raksha.
Ustaz, Ustaza: male and female forms of teacher. This is used as a title for educated people as well.
Chichewa (national language of Malawi)
Chombe: brand of Malawian tea.
dalitsa: bless.
khonde: porch.
kwabas: a lot, very much.
muli bwanji?: how are you?
Mulungu: God.
Mulungu Dalitsa Malawi: God Bless Malawi, the name of the national anthem.
mvula: rain.
ndili bwino, kayino?: I'm fine, and you?
Chiyawo (tribal language in Malawi)
chisoti: the cap that Muslim men wear, like a yarmulke.
chitenji: traditional cloth, 2 metres by 1 metre, worn as a simple wrap.
English/Other
Amish: a conservative group of Christians.
Brethren in Christ: a denomination of Christians, related to Mennonites.
G: gangster.
galumphous: huge
Mennonite: a denomination of Christians. Traditionally conservative, they cover a broad spectrum now.
Ministry of Higher Education: a "ministry" is like a government department (Department of Higher Education)
teaching assistants: students with the highest marks in university who stay on to teach.
TCK: third-culture kid, someone who grows up outside of their parents' culture (1st culture), in a foreign country (2nd culture), and operates in a mix of many cultures (3rd culture). To be a TCK, you have to have spent a significant amount of time in this third culture during your developmental (up to 18) years--when you're still developing your initial ideas of how the world works.
Turkish
borek: a baked pastry with thin slices of dough, often with filler. (cheese borek is filled with cheese)
So if mvula means rain, and kwabas means a lot, why did I choose this for a blog name? In my mind, rain is synonymous to a blessing. Rain is usually something we really look forward to, and it brings prosperity with good crops. So by "a lot of rain," my blog is about all the blessings I've received. At the same time, my blog is just a bunch of thoughts, so my thoughts fall like the rain here (does that sound as ridiculous to you as it does to me?). Another reason I chose this name was that it reflects my background (because it is Chewa) and the meaning isn't specific to a set time or a set place (like "my time in Sudan" would be). I wanted a name that would be relevant after my Sudan experience, too. Besides, mvula has always been one of my favorite Chewa words.
dalitsa: bless.
khonde: porch.
kwabas: a lot, very much.
muli bwanji?: how are you?
Mulungu: God.
Mulungu Dalitsa Malawi: God Bless Malawi, the name of the national anthem.
mvula: rain.
ndili bwino, kayino?: I'm fine, and you?
Chiyawo (tribal language in Malawi)
chisoti: the cap that Muslim men wear, like a yarmulke.
chitenji: traditional cloth, 2 metres by 1 metre, worn as a simple wrap.
English/Other
Amish: a conservative group of Christians.
Brethren in Christ: a denomination of Christians, related to Mennonites.
G: gangster.
galumphous: huge
Mennonite: a denomination of Christians. Traditionally conservative, they cover a broad spectrum now.
Ministry of Higher Education: a "ministry" is like a government department (Department of Higher Education)
teaching assistants: students with the highest marks in university who stay on to teach.
TCK: third-culture kid, someone who grows up outside of their parents' culture (1st culture), in a foreign country (2nd culture), and operates in a mix of many cultures (3rd culture). To be a TCK, you have to have spent a significant amount of time in this third culture during your developmental (up to 18) years--when you're still developing your initial ideas of how the world works.
Turkish
borek: a baked pastry with thin slices of dough, often with filler. (cheese borek is filled with cheese)
So if mvula means rain, and kwabas means a lot, why did I choose this for a blog name? In my mind, rain is synonymous to a blessing. Rain is usually something we really look forward to, and it brings prosperity with good crops. So by "a lot of rain," my blog is about all the blessings I've received. At the same time, my blog is just a bunch of thoughts, so my thoughts fall like the rain here (does that sound as ridiculous to you as it does to me?). Another reason I chose this name was that it reflects my background (because it is Chewa) and the meaning isn't specific to a set time or a set place (like "my time in Sudan" would be). I wanted a name that would be relevant after my Sudan experience, too. Besides, mvula has always been one of my favorite Chewa words.
The correct spelling of kondi is khonde!
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