Lesson 10. Boro gahamo Content Intro Vocabulary Greetings Grammar Exercises   10.A. Intro Boro gahamo Explore the human body and learn the Zarma words for most parts of the body and many organs. To enlarge a drawing, move the pointer to the drawing of interest and click the left mouse button. Read the text below the picture. Each picture has a mirror image that enables you to practice your Zarma knowledge. By clicking on the last line text below the picture you can easily switch between these two. Some Zarma words may be used for different body parts. For example "ce" is used for "leg" but also for the different parts of the leg, "thigh", "shin" and "foot". For some body parts there are synonyms, e.g. both "jesse" and "jase" mean "shoulder" and "upper arm". a male  body a female body a male body inside a female body inside     10.B. Vocabulary Verbs Nouns Adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, etc. Learn these words by heart. Extra Move the mouse to one of the underlined words and a sentence in which the word is used will appear. Click the left mouse button and a photo will appear in a popup. When you move the pointer on the screen with your mouse over the photo the translation of the Zarma sentence will show. 10.B.1 Verbs Zarma English Pronunciation hina to cook hi / na funa to live, to be alive (not to reside) fu / na fakare to converse, to visit fâ kâ / re naney # to trust, to have confidence na / ney naney ... ga to trust in, to rely on lordi to order, to command [corrupted French, from l'ordre] lor / di sobay to continue, to go ahead (not physically necessarily), to keep going sô bey / yadda to agree, to consent, to approve yad / da taa to receive, to accept, to take tâ naŋ to permit, to let, to leave, to leave off naŋ zey to steal, to rob (usually owner absent) zey haggoy to be careful, to be careful of, to look out for, to watch out hag goy / ηwaaray to beg, to ask insistently, to plead ŋwa / rey bisa # to go past, to be better than, to be preferable, to exceed bî sa hima # to resemble, to be fitting hi / ma nama to bite nam a / yafa to forgive yâ fa / fiti to open fi ti / yari to take care of; to keep, to hold Note: # signifies verb that take the direct object afterwards, see Lesson 2.C.1 & 3.D.5 Back 10.B.2 Nouns Zarma English Pronunciation ciri, ciro salt ci / ri buru, buro bread bu / ru ji, jiyo grease, oil, rendered fat ji,  ji / yo haw ji, haw jiyo butter ha w  ji fobu, fobo clay water pot, earthenware jar; by extension water jug fô / bu fakara conversation, visit fa ka ra ibar, ibaro enemy i ba re tali, talo wrong, error, mistake, fault (blameworthy) ta / li naney, naneyo trustworthiness nâ / ney zey, zeyo thief, robber z ey,  zey o lordi, lordo commandment, order lor / di Back 10.B.3 Adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, etc. Zarma English Pronunciation tilas (adverb; noun) necessity, must, should ti / las ce ga (adverb) afoot ce gâa watikan (conjunction) whenever, when [in general in future] wa ti kan / doŋ (conjunction) then [in that case], therefore [rarely] do ŋ do (preposition) [extra meaning:] by means of do hala (prepositional uses; precedes object) until, till, to the time that, as far as hâ / la yadin (conjunction) thus, so [French "ainsi"] yâ / din zama (conjunctival uses in references to time) so that, in order that za ma zama (conjunctival uses with subjunctive) so that, in order that za ma jerga (preposition) beside, alongside jer ga walla (interjection) oath used by most Zarmas, at the end of many statements, not realy requiring an oath. Means "by God", short for "wallahi" [I swear by God]. Learn to distinguish it from "wala" [or]; up on my word, forsooth wal / la Back   10.C. Greeting (foyan) In earlier lessons we have learned to greet an individual and a group, to greet a person at his work and to say welcome and goodbye. We also learned to thank someone and to ask pardon. We learned the initial greetings, about the greetings that may be used after the initial "hello" and the inquiry about their night or day and about market talks. The previous lesson we learned to say goodbye and to welcome someone. This is the last lesson about greetings and special attention is given to the often used "Barka". After a visit   One person leaving Zarma English person A Fonda fakara (Greeting with the conversation / visit) person B Ngoyya. (Thanks.) Condolence   Zarma English person A Fonda tilas (Greetings with the necessity.) person B Tilas no. (It is a necessity.)   The return of someone   Zarma English stay-behind Barka. Blessings. traveller       option 1 Barka dey     option 2 A s'ibarey ga. Not for the enemies.   option 3 Barka si n'ibarey ga. No blessings for the enemies.   option 4 Barka s'ibar ga. No blessings for an enemy. The correctly answer when quickly spoken is not "a si barka". In general, any greeting beginning with a "Barka" uses one of these replies. The first is best and probably most commonest. If you do not wish to refuse blessings on your enemies, you should say: "Ba ni ibarey ga", i.e. "Even on your enemies".   10.D. Grammar Subjects in this lesson: Subjunctive Verb forms in conditional sentences  10.D.1. Subjunctive The subjunctive mood is used to express the speaker's attitude about the likely hood or factuality of a given situation. This is not actual action, but possible action. The subjunctive in Zarma is formed with the particle "ma" in the regular place for an auxiliary (particle). The following examples are some of its uses. In English an infinitive is used in many of these places. There are six situations in which the subjunctive mood is used in Zarma, these are when: to express a desire; to admonish against something; to consent, to forbid, etc.; impersonal verbs are used; "hala" or "zama" are used to express "so that"; asking to do or to don't. Back   Expressing a desire You may express a desire with the verb "ba" (to desire, to want, to like). The subjunctive is only used when "ba" expresses a desire and not in other cases. Contrary to the English grammar, the infinitive takes its own subject, though we do not translate it with a separate subject.   Examples Zarma English Ay ga ba ay ma koy fu suba. I want to go home tomorrow Literally: I want that I go home tomorrow. A si ba nga izo ma goy ne. He doesn't want his child to work here. back   Admonishing against something The subjunctive is used when admonishing a person against a thing which might happen. Examples Zarma English Haggoy*1 a ma si kaŋ ni boŋ! Take care it doesn't fall on your head! Guna ay se i ma s' ay zey! Watch out for me they don't robe me! *1 Haggoy is imperative mood (see Lesson 11.D.2) back   Consenting, forbidding, ect. After verbs of consenting, forbidding, asking, commanding, etcetera the subjunctive mood is used in Zarma.   Examples Zarma English Ay si naŋ i m' a te yadin. I won't allow it to be done thus. I mana yadda a ma koy. They wouldn't agree for him to go. Iri si taa i ma kond' a. We won't accept for them to take him away. Ay n' a ηwaaray a m' ay no dela. I begged him to give me a dela (five francs). Iri ci a se a ma sobay hal' a kulu ma ban. We told him to continue until it's all finished. back   Impersonal verbs After many impersonal verbs the subjunctive is used as well.   Examples Zarma English Tilas ay ma koy sohon. I must go now. A ga tilas ay ma koy sohon. It is necessary to me to go now. A bisa iri ma s' a ŋwa. We 'd better not eat it. A ga hima ni ma talo yaf' a se. You ought to forgive him the fault. (Literally: It will be fitting [if] you forgive him the fault.) Ni ga hima ka talo yaf' a se. You ought to forgive him the fault. (Literally: You will be fitting to forgive him the fault.) back   Conjunctions "hala" and "zama" After the conjunctions "hala" and "zama" when they mean "so that" or "in order that" the subjunctive mood is used in Zarma.   Examples Zarma English Ay ga  nooru ceci hal' ay ma day ŋwari. I will seek money in order that I may buy food. I na hanso wi zama a ma si boro fo nama koyne. They killed the dog so that he won't bite anyone anymore. back   Asking to do or to don't When asking a question as to whether the speaker should do some action or not, the subjunctive form is used. There is an idiom for this type of sentence too. The personal pronoun "ay" and the auxiliary "ma" may be jointed together to "ya".   Examples Zarma English Ay ma furo? I should enter? Ya furo?     Ay ma kande gunguri, wala? Should I bring eggs? Ya kande gunguri, wala?   back 10.D.2. Verb forms in conditional sentences The subjunctive mood is not used in conditional sentences, but rather the indicative. However, in complex sentences beginning with an "if" clause, the verb in this clause has the past (completed) tense form. Whereas the verb in the principle clause has the present future (non-completed) form, regardless of what tenses these clauses really represent to us. This may be because the action of the "if" clause must always be completed before the action of the "therefore" clause can happen. Examples English Zarma Combination of two past tenses If I had known it was he, then I should not have left. Nd'a y bay nga no, doŋ ay si dira If rain had not come this year, then there would have been no grain. Nda hari mana kaa haran, doŋ hayni si te. Combination of past en future Even though he robed me, I will trust him. Ba a n' ay zey, ay ga naney a ga. If they have kept my word, they will keep your word. Nd' i n' ay sanno yari, i g' araŋ sanno yari. Combination of present and future If I don't get it done today, I'll get it tomorrow. Nd' ay mana du a hunkuna, ay ga du a suba. Combination of two future tenses I'm going to town. If I'll see Kimba, I'll tell him to come to you. Ay ga koy kwaara. Nd'ay di Kimba, ay ga ci a se a ma kaa ni do. If I'll finish it, I'll bring it Nd' ay n' a ban, ay ga kand'a.   Back   Last updated: 11 maart 2012 web site metrics website analytics