Several different languages are spoken in Namibia. English is the official language, but most people are at least trilingual. Africaans, German, and at least 10 tribal languages (some with clicks!) are spoken here. However, Stacey and I have learned that sometimes English is the most difficult to understand or at least to get used to. Here are some examples:
"Pleasure" means "you're welcome"
"Coke light" is diet coke (but it tastes more like Tab, which they have here too.)
"Braai" (Br with a long i) means barbeque. It is a noun and a verb.
"Is it?" means "really?"
Most Cs are pronounced as Ks. So hydrocephalus is pronounced "hydrokefalus"
"Sorry" means "excuse me" or "pardon"
"backi" is a pickup truck
Instead of CBC with diff, they order a "FBC."
Instead of a BMP, its a "UNE."
Panado or paracetamol is Tylenol.
Parents don't know what poop or stool means. They say "Kaka"
"Running stomach" means diarrhea.
"Now" means sometime in the next day or so. "Just now" means sometime soon. "Now now" means immediately.
"Tomato sauce" is ketchup.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
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