Difference between revisions 38204 and 38209 on enwiki

When you are in a country whose language you do not understand it is possible to get along with a surprisingly short list of phrases, combined with pointing, miming, and writing down numbers on paper.  Here is such a list.

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<sup>3</sup>or ''&eacute;sa'' /ay-sah/ [for a feminine object]

<sup>4</sup>This actually means "it is" and can only be used in an answer to a question with the verb "to be".  Languages like Irish, Welsh, and Chinese do not have words for "yes" or "no".  Instead you repeat the main verb of the question in your answer.

<sup>5</sup>This actually means "it is not
".  See note 4 above.

<sup>6</sup> this is the feminine form. The Masculine form is 'hwnnw' HOO-noo.

<sup>7</sup> Greetings in Swahili are an incredibly complex affair and are a crucial aspect of Swahili culture; it is not uncommon for a conversation to last five minutes before it actually moves beyond saying "Hello". There is no generic word for "Hello" in the language, rather there are numerous options depending on the relative ages and/or race of(contracted; show full)

<sup>9</sup> The person leaving uses the first phrase; the person staying uses the second.

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