Monday, September 14, 2009

Quiz time!

Even though English is a widely spoken, official language in Uganda, what people actually speak is in some ways a far cry from the English we speak in America. There are, of course, loanwords from local languages: chapati (food), goomez (clothing), matatu (van), mzungu (foreigner), boda (bike), gnuts (food), and piki-piki (motorcycle), and many others, have all become part of my daily vocabulary.

But then there are normal English words that are used in very non-standard ways. For instance, can you guess the meaning of the following phrases?

1) Can you pick me for church on Sunday?
a. May I lead a prayer on Sunday?
b. Will you give me a ride?
c. Will you tell me what time to arrive?

2) Will you extend?
a. May I shake your hand?
b. Are you staying here tonight?
c. Please move over.

3) I am shifting.
a. I’m getting sick.
b. I’m moving to a new home.
c. I got a new car.

4) You are lost.
a. You don’t know where you are.
b. I haven’t seen you in awhile.
c. I have a bad phone connection – let me call you back.

10 comments:

Joanna Benskin said...

This quiz is for people besides roommates, right? ;)

Linda said...

I believe chapati actually comes from Hindi via British soldiers previously stationed in India. Is that right?

Aunt Amy said...

So, are you going to give us the answers???

Roger said...

Dad's gueses:

1 -- b
2 -- c
3 -- b
4 -- c

Roger said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Grandmother Jeanie said...

I'm curious about the answers, too. My guesses:
1 - b
2 - a
3 - b
4 - c

Nathan Shank said...

hmmm
1 a
2 c
3 c
4 b

I'm just glad words have meaning sometimes (yes, Derrida & Dada poetry tend to erase that idea...)

emily said...

Okay, here are the answers:

1 - b
2 - c
3 - b
4 - b


Dad got 3, Grandmother and Nathan each got 2. :)

I'll post another update sometime soon.

Swapna said...

Whoa I didn't know you had the word chapati! Do they use it for food in general? We only use it to describe a type of Indian flatbread.

I'm pretty sure my favorite is "You are lost."

emily said...

I didn't realize chapati was an Indian thing, but it makes sense -- East Africa has a lot of Indian influences.