Jeep Tour K2 Trek Snow Capped High Mountains Valley Travel
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
. |
||||
|
. |
. |
|||
|
. |
. |
. |
. |
Languages of the North
|
Unsurprisingly, there is an unparalleled mix of languages spoken in these areas, especially in the areas around Chitral. You can go from village to village over a few miles and hear languages that sound Arabic, Russian, Greek, or Indian. Urdu is fairly universal and a generous minority know a few words of English. Your jeep driver will probably speak four or five languages in addition to having a reasonable understanding of English. Urdu is an Indo-European language similar to Hindi in most respects except for the script and a few words that are Persian / Arabic based. Like Spanish and French, most nouns have a sex that determines not only their own ending, but the endings of the verbs to which they correspond. Verbs in Urdu are almost always at the end of a sentence. Although either Urdu or English is taught in all state-sponsored schools, it will most likely be a second, or third (or fourth!!) language for most of the people we meet on the trip. This is good news for the traveller because it means your co-conversationalist will speak almost as simply as you. Good Luck! Essential Phrases in Northern Areas Languages ( = means same as Urdu ) |
|
|
Urdu - |
Pashto - NWFP / |
Khowar - Chitral |
Shina - Chilas /Gilgit |
Burushaski - Hunza |
Balti - |
Kalasha - Kalash |
|
Hello (greetings) |
Assala-mo-alai-kum |
= |
= |
= / |
= / leh |
zhu-leh |
|
|
Goodbye |
Khuda Hafiz |
fe aaman |
|
huda hafiz |
khuda-yar |
hudaryi fagh-ring |
|
|
How are you? |
Kia hal hai? |
sa hal dey? |
tu keecha asoos? |
je kal han? |
be-hal-bila? |
chi hal yod? |
Tabyet proosht |
|
I'am fine (good) |
ach-cha |
khey ma |
bojam |
|
je-shu-wa-ba |
lyakhmo yud |
proosht |
|
Grateful to you |
mehar-bani |
|
|
= |
|
azhu |
|
|
Thank you |
shuk-riya |
= |
= |
bakh-shis |
bakh-shish |
|
|
|
Excuse me |
maf-kijiye |
|
|
|
maf-eti |
|
|
|
Yes / No |
ji / nai |
au / na |
dee / no |
awa / neh |
awa / be-ya |
yaya / men |
proosht / nay |
|
May be |
Insha-Allah |
|
|
be-bey |
mei-mi |
|
|
|
No problem |
koi masla na-hi |
|
|
|
|
|
nay mishkil |
|
Do you speak English? |
kya apko ungrezi aati hai? |
|
|
toot ungrezi wa-nah |
an-grezi juchi bila? |
|
|
|
I don't understand |
mai nai samjha (Samjhi) for women |
|
|
ma (neh) paa-ru-dus |
|
|
|