#90272 - 06/17/11 08:44 AM
Re: learning Tahitian
[Re: Old Wife]
|
Silvanocat
Advisor
Registered: 04/03/04
Posts: 696
Loc: Los Angeles
|
Here are some words in Tahitian, French and English: http://www.thetahititraveler.com/general/soclang.asp#lexicon
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#90273 - 06/17/11 08:51 AM
Re: learning Tahitian
[Re: Old Wife]
|
holte
Expert Advisor
Registered: 11/19/04
Posts: 2417
Loc: Duluth, Minnesota
|
I took French a million years ago in junior high and in college as well.
Americans in general do not value other languages, so unless there is a reason to be speaking another language besides American, it's not that acceptable.
When I travel I feel so stupid as people in other countries speak many languages. They speak English as well and say they are not good speakers, but they always are. It's so funny how they think they are not a good speaker.
The public schools here no longer teach French. They eliminated it a couple of years ago.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#90276 - 06/17/11 10:58 AM
Re: learning Tahitian
[Re: holte]
|
Old Wife
Expert Advisor
Registered: 02/21/03
Posts: 2369
Loc: Burlington, Ontario, Canada
|
That's too bad that they eliminated French there. It's such a beautiful (and useful) language. It is amazing how many people around the world speak 2 or more languages. My husband always says he's embarrassed when there's a news story in, say, Moscow, and the reporter stops a street-sweeper to ask him a question and the guy can speak English! I think it must be easier to keep up a language if you live somewhere like Europe because you don't have to travel far to practise it.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#90288 - 06/18/11 06:48 PM
Re: learning Tahitian
[Re: Old Wife]
|
Gary & Cath
Expert Advisor
Registered: 04/01/06
Posts: 1284
Loc: Wollongong, Australia
|
Definitely, OW, we thought it was amazing on our first visit to Le Taha'a (2006) that the beautiful vahines that came to do our turn-down service at the end of the day could speak Tahitian, French and fantastic English.
We had a list of Tahitian words that we brought with us and they spent considerable time with us teaching us how to pronouce (and having a giggle at us as well, lol, due to our poor first attempts at each word).
_________________________
Is there anything better than a sipping a Tahitian Mai Tai on an Overwater Bungalow in FP?
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#90289 - 06/19/11 08:17 AM
Re: learning Tahitian
[Re: Gary & Cath]
|
BarbiJKM
Supreme Advisor
Registered: 02/14/07
Posts: 6150
Loc: Mesa, AZ
|
One good word to know is "fiu" (pronounced FEE-YOO). It means tired, bored, fed-up, or feeling lazy... as in "I am fiu." Tahitians use it a lot; it's even a good reason to call in sick to work.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
Moderator: BarbiJKM, hamara, DenverJoe, Poehere
|
6923 Members
15 Forums
10259 Topics
91469 Posts
Max Online: 118 @ 04/08/12 01:59 PM
|
|
|
