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Kuri DRJournal - Learning Domari - Unit 1

This document provides an introduction to the Domari language, including key information about its dialects and speakers. It presents basic vocabulary and grammar structures to begin learning Domari. Pronunciation guidelines are given for Domari words as well as common Arabic loan words. Sample dialogues demonstrate greetings and asking questions about family members. Numbers 1-10 are listed to aid conversation. Learners are invited to contribute additional vocabulary from their interactions with Dom speakers.

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211 views5 pages

Kuri DRJournal - Learning Domari - Unit 1

This document provides an introduction to the Domari language, including key information about its dialects and speakers. It presents basic vocabulary and grammar structures to begin learning Domari. Pronunciation guidelines are given for Domari words as well as common Arabic loan words. Sample dialogues demonstrate greetings and asking questions about family members. Numbers 1-10 are listed to aid conversation. Learners are invited to contribute additional vocabulary from their interactions with Dom speakers.

Uploaded by

talltale
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Vol1No2Spring/Summer2000

LearningDomariUnit1
CompiledbyDr.DonaldKenrick
DomariisthelanguagespokenbytheDomoftheMiddleEast.Ithasseveraldialectsandnostandard
writtenform.ThiscourseisbasedmainlyonthearticlesbyMacalisterandmaterialcollectedbyMarielle
DanbakliinSyria.LearnersareinvitedtocontributewordsandsentencesfromtheirDomcontactsfor
futurelessons.
DothesepeopleIknowspeakDomari?
NotallcommercialnomadsintheMiddleEastspeakDomariandnoteveryonewhospeaksDomaricalls
himself/herselfDom!
ArabsmaycalltheDombyvariousnamessuchasNawwar,ZuttorGhajar.Thesemaybeconsidered
pejorativeandshouldbeavoided.
Beforeprecedingwiththecourse,checkthatthepeopleyouareworkingwithdospeakDomari.The
followinglistofpartsofthebodycanbeusedtocheck.Theywereinfactcollectedfromamanwho
calledhimselfaGhorbatratherthanaDom,buttheyaresimilartothoseinwordliststakenfromDom.
ManyofthesewordsaresimilartoEuropeanRomani.
ear
elbow
eye
finger
hand
head
knee
lip
mouth
nail
neck
nose
tongue(alsolanguage)
tooth

kan
anshk
aky
ankl
xasht
ser
lurk
usht
zawr
nathi
kark
nak
jib
dand

GuidetoPronunciation
ThereisnostandardwayofwritingDomari.Thissectionistohelpyoureadthewordsandphrasesin
thiscourse.
ch
sh

asinEnglishchurch
asinEnglishship

j
dj
r
x
g
s

asthessoundinEnglishtreasure
asthejordginEnglishjudge
rolledasintheNorthofEnglandorScotland
asthechsoundinScottishlochorinGermandoch
gisalwayshardasin'got'(neverasin'gem')
sasin'sit'(neverasin'raise')

Stressonaparticularsyllablewillbenotedenclosedinparenthesesfollowingtheword.
InArabicloanwordsthefollowingsoundsoccur.
H
gh
'
?

Arabicha.awhisperedh.TrywhisperingHalloHarry
ArabicghainagarglingsoundsimilartoParisianFrenchr.Itisavoicedequivalent
ofx
Arabic'ain.Madebytighteningthethroatbeforeavowel
Arabicalef.AglottalstopasinCockneywa'er(water)

TohearthedifficultsoundsaskyourDomorArabfriendstopronouncetheseArabicwords.
haddadironworker
lughalanguage
'ayneye
?anaI
LoansfromArabicmayalsohaveemphaticsoundsdkst.SoundsinTurkishwillbelookedatwhenwe
getDomdialectmaterialfromTurkey.LoansfromPersian(Farsi)shouldnotcauseanyproblem.
Thepresenttenseof'tobe'
InDomaridialectsspokeninArablandsthewordfor"am,""are"andsoonisusuallyomitted.
AmaHasanIamHasan(literallyIHasan)
AHmedbokalAHmed(is)hungry
ThisisnormalinArabic(andindeedinHebrewandRussian)
Thepresenttenseofotherverbs(foractionstakingplacenow)
Allverbshavethesameendingsexcept'tobe'(whenexpressed)whichwedealwithlater.
Wetakeasanexampletheverb'bring'
Ibring
youbring
hebrings\shebrings
webring
youbring(plural)*
theybring

nanami
naneki
nanari
nanani
nanasi
nanandi

Mostverbsfollowthispattern.ThewordsforI,youetc.,areoftenleftout(asintheabovetable)asthe
endingshowswhoisdoingtheaction.
Examplesentences:
djamiIgo,Iamgoing
nadjamiIamnotgoing
piyekiqahwayouaredrinkingcoffee,(asaquestion)doyoudrinkcoffee?=doyouwantcoffee
arayes
hai?no
bas(Arabic)no
IfpossibledonotrefusehospitalityifyouwanttohavegoodrelationswiththeDom.Vegetarianswill
needtobeverytactful.
The(definitearticle)
Translationof'a'and'the'willbedealtwithinalaterlesson.Forthemomenttheycanbeignored.
Greetings
InArabicspeakinglandsMuslimgreetingsinArabicarecommonlyused.
I,you,etc(pronouns)
I
ama
you
atu
he
panji
she
panji
we
ame
you*
atmen
they
panjan
Youmayalsohear'urin'insteadof'panjan'
become
Theverb'homi'(Ibecome)whichmaybefoundinsomedialectsfollowsthesamepatternas'nanami'
withavowel,changeo>einthe'you'forms.
homi,hweki,hori,honi,hwesi,hondi
tobe
Thepresenttenseoftobeistraditionallyasfollows:
Iam
youare
heis

stom
stor
sta

sheis
weare
youare*
theyare

sti
sten
stes
ste

*tomorethanoneperson
Wealsofind'astom'and'shtum'
BUTsomedialectsreplace'stom'etceterabytheformsof'homi'(seeabove)andthenuse'stom'etcetera
forthepasttense!Thishassomeadvantagesasyouwillfindout.
Becausethisverbisoftenleftout,itmaytakeyousometimetofindouttheusageinthedialectofyour
informants.
my,your,our(possessivepronouns)
Theseareshownbyputtinganendingafterthenoun(ThisisdifferentfromEuropeanRomani).
my
m
your
r
his,her
s
our
manORma
your(plural*)
ran
their
san
*belongingtomorethanoneperson
Thefollowingtablegivesanexampleofthepossessiveformof"name"and"language".
myname
yourname
his/hername
ourlanguage

namum
namur
namus
jbuma

Sometimesisinsteadofusisaddedfor'his'and'hers',forexample,qandishiswhip.
Moreonthisinalaterlesson
Usefulvocabularyforconversation
Malelearnersshouldaskaboutmalemembersoftheinformant'sfamily(andfemalelearnersabout
femalemembersofthefamily).Youcanalsopracticeconversationbyshowingphotosofyourfamily
andtalkingaboutthem.
beynsister
baarbrother(along'a''asinEnglish'father')
babufather

dadimother
djarwife
manshusband
kamruzgirl,daughter
laftigirl,sister
mamcousin
boyzaro
Youmayalsohear'boi'(father),'dai'(mother)and'bai'(wife)
haabaarumthisismybrother
keeturmansur?Whereisyourhusband?
nadjamiIdon'tknow.
baaresta(he)isoutside.
Thenumbers
1yek
2di
3tirin
4ishtar
5pench
6shesh
7hoft
8hayshtorhaytek(pronouncedas'hightech')
9nu
10dez
Thenumbersmayvaryabitfromgrouptogroupbuttheywillhavesimilarformstothosegiven
Morenumbersinfuturelessons.Thenumbers16identifythelanguageasDomari.
(WeareworkingtogethertobuildupapracticalcourseinmodernDomari.
DonaldKenrick,February13,2000)

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