Yes-no questions
As in many languages, you can ask yes-no questions in Giriama just by changing your tone. Simply make your statement - unenda, you are going - but rise in pitch on the last syllable - unendá?If you want to be extra clear that it is a question, say "vidze" at the start of the phrase:
| Vídzè, ùnèndá? | So, you're going? |
| Vídzè, ùnàryà màízú? | So, you're eating bananas? |
| Vídzè, ànàhèndzà màízú? | So, she likes bananas? |
A brief note on tone
For these examples, I have included the tone marks from the source - an 'acute', or rising, mark ( ́ ) indicates a high tone (pitch). A 'grave', or lowering mark ( ̀ ) indicates a low tone.Like most Bantu languages - but unlike Swahili and English - Giriama has a system of high and low tones. Don't panic! Tone in African languages is not like Chinese or similar East Asian languages: you will only have to remember high and low, nothing else.
I have not included tone marks in most of these blog posts because the Giriama writing system does not use them, and without audio recordings, I do not know what the correct tones are. I hope to make a second pass through this material, adding tone marks, once I've figured it out myself!
In the meantime, don't worry about it. Just make sure you go up for questions!
Examples
Read the following questions out loud, and translate into English:
Vidze, hunenda?
Unagula?
Vidze, ninadza?
Vidze, manarya maizu?
Unahendza maizu?
So, are you guys coming?
Does she eat bananas?
Are you reading?
So, are we buying?
Do you guys like bananas?
Does she eat bananas?
Are you reading?
So, are we buying?
Do you guys like bananas?
