Just Charles Male and Maandera have the points. Awa'difo imini.
On 4/28/13, Charles Male <[email protected]> wrote: > Who says Lugbara is difficult... > > We Africans all speak English or French because we had no choice if we > were to progress follow the paths of our colonisers... > > English or French was drilled into our heads from early childhood... > > depending on who our conquerors were (English or French) > > If Lugbaras conquered the world like the English and French did... the > whole world would be speaking and learning Lugbara...as easy as > learning English or French.. > > And as we all know...everyone is getting ready to learn chinese.... > > Just think of how wide spread Lugbara is spoken in Koboko... > > Kakwa had no choice... > > There were no written books in kakwa... > > Missionaries used lugbara books... > > Most teachers in Koboko were lugbara speaking... > > Most Kakwa who wanted an education migrated to Arua and beyond... > > I never had any Kakwa language instruction.. > > But I have had lugbara as a language of instruction as well as a subject.. > > In fact, I had an option of completing my A levels in UK a few decades > ago... and i was required to take a foreign language... > > My choice was lugbara NOT Kakwa because there were a few lugbaras in > London at that time who could guide me... > > But opportunity to migrate to Canada came so I abandoned England and > continued my education in Canada instead... > > As someone who is fluent in both Kakwa and lugbara and understands > Madi, I think kakwa is the most difficult of all the west nile > languages... > > Just ask those who studied in St Charles Lwanga, Koboko... > > How many returned to their counties knowing more than "Adinyo"... > > Even during exile life...the lugbara and madi who were in kakwa or > Kuku speaking areas of South Sudan found it difficult to learn Kakwa > or Kuku language (which are related)... > > my 2 cents.. > > > > > On 4/27/13, Asaf Adebua <[email protected]> wrote: >> A VERY LONG TICK TO YOU MAANDERA1 >> >> On 4/26/13, Maandera <[email protected]> wrote: >>> Hmmm. Before reading this article, I had read another blog about 4 years >>> ago of an American also living in Arua and struggling to learn Lugbara. >>> That one was less dramatic than this one. But I'd also heard of people >>> saying Lugbara is a difficult language to learn. This had actually >>> gotten >>> me thinking: Can't you try to make learning Lugbara easier? I made an >>> outline and soon foxed out, not with "After all the grapes are sour" but >>> with a barrage of: "After all that is a relative statement. All >>> languages >>> are difficult to learn. Try a click language and tell me it is easy. Try >>> the French which is spoken through the nose. . . etc, etc" >>> >>> Well, this blog got me updating my draft again based on some of the >>> issues >>> pointed out in it. I am not yet finished. What got me particularly >>> thinking >>> was how to best address the challenge of that apt comparison with >>> Chinese >>> - >>> due to the tonality of the language and the fact that we have several >>> dialects, which makes it a very rich and admittedly "confusing" >>> language. >>> Allow me another foxing: Who says English or Dutch is not confusing? >>> >>> >>> As an English language teacher myself, I got loads of examples to which >>> I >>> have no explanation or justification apart from saying, "Sorry, but >>> exceptions confirm the rule!" Why do the English for example say, the >>> singular form of the verb *to-be* is "*is*" and yet when you meet one >>> person (that is singular, for sure) you as "How *are* you?" as if there >>> is >>> more than one person you are talking to? And the English have the >>> audacity >>> to say that is "Correct English"! Don't tell me the word *wound* in the >>> following sentence has one and only one meaning: The nurse *wound* the >>> bandage around the *wound* of the *wounded* boy. And why should the >>> plural >>> of *box* be bo*xes* and the one of ox be "ox*en*" and not "ox*es*"? And >>> why >>> should a *driv**er* be a person, yet *cooker* is a thing for cooking and >>> the person is a *Cook* and what the *cook* does is to *cook*? They also >>> confuse us! But, that's the beauty and uniqueness of languages anyhow. >>> The >>> more reason why people learn languages. >>> >>> >>> On a serious note: As many people have said, the article indeed made me >>> see >>> some things differently. For example, that Lugbara is a visual language. >>> Hmmm. House-stomach! True, indeed. Visual and descriptive. That should >>> make >>> it even easier to learn. Common language teachers, let's do something to >>> make this thing more palatable for those who want to get a different >>> peek >>> into our culture - through the language. >>> >>> The time keeping, I agree is something that is kind of "different" and >>> often works against us. Not only the Lugbara but Ugandans. Did you read >>> that article of the Teso youth protesting their MPs appearing at 6.30pm >>> for >>> a meeting that was scheduled for 3pm. My foot. We still have something >>> to >>> learn from the positive aspects of other cultures, which may enrich the >>> positives in ours. >>> >>> >>> Overall, it was some good food for thought and rib-breaking. >>> >>> Thank you George. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 7:56 AM, Santorino Data >>> <[email protected]>wrote: >>> >>>> Great piece of writing indeed. >>>> This made my morning and now I understand why I spent 6 years in Arua >>>> and >>>> still struggle to speak the language - confusion just that needs very >>>> meticulous attention to detail and context even though I was from >>>> across >>>> the Lugbara border in Kakwa land >>>> >>>> >>>> *Dr. Data Santorino >>>> **Lecturer Department of Pediatrics and Child Health >>>> Mbarara University of Science and Technology >>>> Uganda.* >>>> >>>> ------------------------------ >>>> *From:* Anyole J <[email protected]> >>>> *To:* George Afi Obitre-Gama <[email protected]>; A Virtual Network for >>>> friends of West Nile <[email protected]>; A Virtual Network for >>>> friends >>>> of West Nile <[email protected]> >>>> *Sent:* Thursday, April 25, 2013 7:21 PM >>>> *Subject:* Re: [WestNileNet] Learning the Lugbara Language - A bloggers >>>> 2 >>>> cents-a good read! >>>> >>>> This is a very interesting piece. It is always nice to see things from >>>> an >>>> out-siders perspective and make sense of things we are usually >>>> oblivious >>>> to, house-mouth, za-mva, et all! >>>> >>>> The piece does bring out some things that worry anthropologist too, >>>> cultures are gradually getting eroded "traditions have been changing >>>> here >>>> as the pressure of our Western culture pervades and invades." as well, >>>> it >>>> high lights some issues that continue to plague us, such as time >>>> keeping, >>>> which has itself not been eroded by the same western culture. >>>> >>>> Thanks for sharing this, it did make my day that more interesting, got >>>> me >>>> thinking. One of these days, "I'll beat my vernacular teacher a phone" >>>> >>>> Anyole >>>> >>>> ------------------------------ >>>> *From:* George Afi Obitre-Gama <[email protected]> >>>> *To:* A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]> >>>> *Sent:* Thursday, April 25, 2013 4:12:31 AM >>>> *Subject:* [WestNileNet] Learning the Lugbara Language - A bloggers 2 >>>> cents-a good read! >>>> >>>> A new year, a new language, more >>>> confusion<http://africraigs.travellerspoint.com/129/> >>>> Why can't everyone speak English? >>>> 16.01.2013 [image: sunny] 30 °C >>>> Learning a new language and culture is like discovering a new world, >>>> opening your eyes and mind to completely amazing and strange ideas, >>>> some >>>> shocking, some fascinating, most unexpected. >>>> Since the beginning of the new year, we have a new teacher, Eunice, who >>>> is >>>> hoping to make us into fluent Lugbara speakers within a few months… >>>> Lugbara >>>> is the local tribe in Arua, one of the 10 largest tribes in Uganda (out >>>> of >>>> a total of 34 ethnicities). The Lugbara are a tribe descended from >>>> Nigeria to settle here. Their territory extends around Arua and into >>>> the >>>> Democratic Republic of Congo, so families have been split by the >>>> arbitrary >>>> political boundaries drawn by the Europeans in Berlin in 1884. >>>> Disconcertingly, we seem to be a source of great amusement for most of >>>> the >>>> ex-pats when we tell them we are taking this time to study Lugbara. >>>> “Good >>>> luck”, they tell us. They then go on to tell you a story of someone who >>>> has >>>> been attempting the language for many years and haven’t gotten very >>>> far. >>>> Some compare the language to Chinese, saying it is one of the most >>>> difficult languages in the world to learn. It is quite depressing >>>> hearing >>>> this, obviously… Additionally, having grown up in Congo and learning >>>> Swahili there, having lived in Malawi and Kenya and trying to learn the >>>> languages there, while being exposed to various other African >>>> languages, >>>> it >>>> is frustrating to have to start at zero like a baby once again….those >>>> languages are nothing like Lugbara! >>>> Most whites don’t even bother to learn Lugbara especially since this >>>> tribe >>>> is only one of 5 in the close vicinity of one another. For example, the >>>> Alur are settled on the outskirts of Arua town. Their language is close >>>> to >>>> the Luo language which we were learning in Kenya. To make it even >>>> worse, >>>> there are sub-sections of the Lugbara tribe with variations in the way >>>> words are said. Whoopee to learning a difficult language which is only >>>> spoken by a few and which is nothing like any other language we have >>>> ever >>>> heard! >>>> [image: Eunice, in action, confusing us] >>>> Eunice, in action, confusing us >>>> >>>> Eunice is a good teacher, though, having patience with us as we sit on >>>> the >>>> veranda trying to repeat what on earth she has just said. As a Lugbara, >>>> she >>>> is also good at turning up late, demonstrating how a Lugbara should >>>> act. >>>> As >>>> Lilian, another Lugbara who works for us says, “Lugbaras is not >>>> following >>>> time, ha!” and laughs out loud. So, anyway, she is almost an hour late >>>> today, but since we live in Africa, you never know what may have >>>> happened. >>>> It could be a relative has just died and she has to go to the funeral. >>>> Despite the issue of time-keeping, which especially bothers Emma, >>>> Eunice >>>> has been effective at moving us on in the language. Emma and I already >>>> feel >>>> more confident using some simple phrases and greetings. For example, I >>>> was >>>> particularly proud when I asked for 10 eggs the other day in the local >>>> wooden duka close to our home. “Ife mani augbe mundri”. The word for >>>> egg >>>> 'augbe' is spoken as though you are swallowing an egg... >>>> One of the problems of learning Lugbara is that the same words can mean >>>> completely different things. So, for instance, the word for sauce, >>>> “tibi”, >>>> is the same word for ‘beard’, just with a different tone. Emma wonders >>>> if >>>> this has anything to do with someone’s long beard dragging in their >>>> gravy >>>> once upon a time. There are other examples, though the best so far is >>>> the >>>> word ‘ago’, which if intonated differently, can either mean ‘husband’ >>>> or >>>> ‘pumpkin’. A phrase like ‘my beautiful fiancée’ can also come across as >>>> ‘my >>>> beautiful warthog’, so any wannabe suitors need to be pretty careful in >>>> this town… >>>> Emma also uses a lot of imagination when it comes to remembering the >>>> Lugbara phrases or words. So, for instance, the word for peanuts is >>>> ‘funo’ >>>> (foon-oh). Emma thinks of little peanuts bouncing around and having a >>>> lot >>>> of fun. It can be a bit of a tentative or weird link at times. She is >>>> constantly whispering to me how I can remember a word. Awupi >>>> (A-whoopee) >>>> is >>>> the word for Aunt on your dad’s side. Obviously, this conjures up >>>> thoughts >>>> of playing a trick with my Auntie Barbara with a whoopee >>>> cushion…’Fetaa’ >>>> (feta) means gift and so it is remembered by thinking of giving someone >>>> a >>>> gift of cheese. I often wish I had had Emma as a study partner for my >>>> IGCSE >>>> or IB exams in Holland as I would not have spent so many lost hours >>>> staring >>>> blankly at walls trying to cram boring information into my struggling >>>> mind. >>>> Alongside Emma's visual mind, we are also discovering that Lugbara is >>>> quite a visual language. The word for ‘fingers’, for example, is >>>> ‘hand-children’. This also works for ‘toes’ (foot children). The word >>>> for >>>> door translates directly as ‘house-mouth’. The floor is the >>>> ‘house-stomach’. Today, we learnt that veranda is the ‘joeti’ or ‘house >>>> buttocks’!! You can’t make this stuff up, eh? It’s great! >>>> Onomatopoeia is often used as well in the language. 'Kulukulu' >>>> (koo-loo-koo-loo) is the name for a turkey and on hearing the sound a >>>> turkey makes the other day when passing a homestead, I really thought >>>> it >>>> described it well. Barking is ‘agbo-agbo’, crying is 'owu- owu' >>>> (oh-woo) >>>> and laughing is 'ogu- ogu' (oh-goo). I can’t remember any of these >>>> sound >>>> words properly and instead guess by making any noise that I think would >>>> fit. It unfortunately doesn’t work. One of our favourite >>>> onomatopoeiatic >>>> words is the word for butterfly ‘alapapa’, just like the sound of >>>> little >>>> wings beating! >>>> Language can also be an intimate doorway into the culture. We couldn’t >>>> believe t, when Eunice explained the word for ‘girl’ is made up of 2 >>>> words >>>> in Lugbara, ‘za’ meaning ‘meat’ and ‘mva’ meaning ‘child’! >>>> 'Meat-child!' >>>> Girls have been seen as great little earners in a family by providing a >>>> dowry of up to 20 head of cattle and 15 goats and extras like bows and >>>> arrows and hoes. >>>> However, so many of the traditions have been changing here as the >>>> pressure >>>> of our Western culture pervades and invades. Loin cloths have been out >>>> since the 1950s or 60s (Maybe this is a good thing. I can’t see the >>>> Craig >>>> family sauntering down the road semi-nude in Arua, and it would make an >>>> embarrassing family photo). Instead, though, everyone is wearing >>>> second-hand Western clothes. Out is the tradition to remove your 6 >>>> front >>>> teeth using only a hammer and some herbs to encourage healing of your >>>> mouth >>>> afterwards (I’m also thankful this is not practised anymore), and >>>> marking >>>> the skin by cuts with a razor in adolescence is now stopped. However, >>>> as >>>> Eunice explained, the rather exaggerated buttocks size in women is >>>> still >>>> favoured by the culture, especially if the buttocks also jiggles while >>>> walking. >>>> All-in-all, though pretty tiring, it is really interesting learning the >>>> language and culture. It definitely does show how very different we >>>> Westerners are (especially compared to the recent past) and so will >>>> help >>>> us >>>> understand how to approach people more effectively. We are hoping >>>> knowledge of the language can help us build relationships and get >>>> alongside people better (until we meet others from the next tribe along >>>> who >>>> don’t have a clue what we are saying…). >>>> [image: Eunice, Lilian and all of us outside on the 'house-buttocks' in >>>> the 'house-mouth'] >>>> Eunice, Lilian and all of us outside on the 'house-buttocks' in the >>>> 'house-mouth' >>>> >>>> [image: Amelie in the jokoni] >>>> Amelie in the jokoni >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> WestNileNet mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet >>>> >>>> WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ >>>> >>>> The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including >>>> attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any >>>> way. >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> WestNileNet mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet >>>> >>>> WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ >>>> >>>> The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including >>>> attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any >>>> way. >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> WestNileNet mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet >>>> >>>> WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ >>>> >>>> The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including >>>> attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any >>>> way. >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> >>>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> ASAF ADEBUA >> DIRECTOR PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT GULU UNIVERSITY >> P. O. 166 GULU (UGANDA) >> TEL. +256 471 435850 >> CELL +256 772 503909 >> OFFICE MAIL [email protected] >> _______________________________________________ >> WestNileNet mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet >> >> WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ >> >> The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including >> attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any >> way. >> _______________________________________________ >> > _______________________________________________ > WestNileNet mailing list > [email protected] > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > > WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including > attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any > way. > _______________________________________________ > -- ASAF ADEBUA DIRECTOR PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT GULU UNIVERSITY P. O. 166 GULU (UGANDA) TEL. +256 471 435850 CELL +256 772 503909 OFFICE MAIL [email protected] _______________________________________________ WestNileNet mailing list [email protected] http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. _______________________________________________
