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| Audio with Theyab's pronunciation |
The one with sarHaan...
Often in my language classes, without meaning to, asraH. Once upon a time, I'd have sold a kidney to speak many languages. Nowadays I'm overcome with yearning whenever I hear of whiff of English spoken around me, or catch an episode of Blackadder on satellite TV.
But there is another angle to this lost-in-translation business. Premature deafness. Too many years of loud music and likely cotton bud abuse. And it really throws a spanner in the works when it comes to having a two-way conversation.
So the days consist of us heckling back and forth to one other like old people. I will say "sima:t-nii?" and he will say "sim:ay shinu gaa:d aguul?" and we'll pretend we understood.
It's a little embarrassing, this premature deafness. And so much easier to say ana sarHaan (if you're a man) or ana sarHaanah (if you're a girl) when you cannot hear the great secret your not-so-deaf friend has just revealed to you.
But there is another angle to this lost-in-translation business. Premature deafness. Too many years of loud music and likely cotton bud abuse. And it really throws a spanner in the works when it comes to having a two-way conversation.
So the days consist of us heckling back and forth to one other like old people. I will say "sima:t-nii?" and he will say "sim:ay shinu gaa:d aguul?" and we'll pretend we understood.
It's a little embarrassing, this premature deafness. And so much easier to say ana sarHaan (if you're a man) or ana sarHaanah (if you're a girl) when you cannot hear the great secret your not-so-deaf friend has just revealed to you.
اسرح
|
asraH | I zone out |
سمعتني؟
|
sima:t-nii? | Did you hear me? (>m) |
سمعي شنو قاعد اقول!
|
isma: shinu gaa:d aguul | Listen to what I’m saying! (>f) |
شنو
|
shinuu | What |
سرحت
|
saraHt | I zoned out |
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