Meghalaya

Nach einer 17stündigen Busfahrt (4 Stunden davon Stau) erreichen wir Shillong, die 1496 m hoch gelegene Hauptstadt Meghalayas und Heimat der Khasi, einem der Bergvölker. Die Sprache der Khasi ist mit keiner anderen Sprache Indiens verwandt, sondern mit der Sprache Kambodschas, und mit Vietnamesisch. Auch sonst ist die Kultur der Khasi völlig anders. So lebt zum Beispiel der Mann nach der Heirat im Haus seiner Braut, und nach seinem Tod geht das Vermögen und das Haus an die jüngste Tochter. 


Am nächsten Tag machen wir uns auf in das Dörfchen Mawlynnong, das 90 km von Shillong in den östlichen Khasi Hills liegt, entlang der Grenze zu Bangladesh. Das Dorf ist wunderschön, sauber mit gepflegten Gärten und Mülleimern aus Bambus. 

Hauptsächlich leben die Leute im Dorf vom Anbau der Betelnuss. Wir hatten das Glück, bei der Ernte zuschauen zu können, wo einer der Jungs im Dorf auf die Palme klettert und mit einem langen Bambusrohr die Nüsse angelt. 



Weiter geht es zur Living Root Bridge, einer Brücke, die komplett aus Wurzeln besteht. Die Vegetation rund um die Brücke ist beeindruckend. Richtiger Regenwald. Wunderschön, mit Orchideen und vielen exotischen Pflanzen, ein einziger botanischer Garten. 

Ganz in der Nähe gibt es auch einen riesigen Felsen, der auf einem Stein liegt und frei balanziert. 

Wir klettern zum Schluss noch auf den Skywalk, einem langen aus Bambus gebauten Machang, 80 Fuss hoch. An einem klaren Tag kann man von hier aus Bangladesh sehen, aber wir hatten keine gute Sicht wegen dem Nebel, der zu dieser Jahreszeit hier nicht ungewöhnlich ist. 

 

Survival Phrases in Nagamese

Nagaland in the north eastern frontiers of India is a linguist’s paradise where not less than 23 different indigenous languages are spoken in full vigor. Though English is the official language in Nagaland, It is Nagamese (a pidgin/creole arising out of Assamese, Hindi, English and various Naga languages) which rules the roost across the state. Though the origin of Nagamese is unknown, it is evident from the accounts of Lt. Bigges (Tour Diary 1841) that this pidgin was in vogue before the British soldiers set their feet in the Naga Hills. The earliest record of Nagamese is found in Hutton (1921) with a few lexical items and phrases in the pidgin. Hutton (1921) says
‘the Assamese as spoken in the Naga Hills is peculiarly well adapted for the reproduction of Naga idioms as a vehicle of interpretation. It makes a better lingua franca for the Hills than Hindustani or English would, the substitution of which for Assamese has been occasionally suggested.’

Hutton is referring to Nagamese when he is writing of Assamese of Naga Hills. Similarly Haimendorf (Von Furer Haimendorf, The Naked Nagas, 1939, London) writes
‘Fortunately many people including children spoke fluently Nagamese, the lingua franca of entire Naga Hills’.
The spread of Nagamese according to Sreedhar (M.V. Shreedhar, 1985, Standardized Grammar of Naga Pidgin, Mysore) is due to several factors. He cites the construction of roads, penetration of Marwari traders in far flung areas, and various state and central agencies bringing Non-Nagas in Nagaland as the primary reason for the spread of Nagamese. It is absolutely clear that neither colonization nor subjugation was responsible for the birth of Nagamese.

Today Nagamese is used for diverse inter-lingual communication situations such as Schools, markets, hospitals, legislative assembly, and even in churches. Moreover the emergence of a unified Naga identity irrespective of tribal affiliations has led to situations where it has acquired the role of a mother tongue for the children born out of wedlock of people from two different communities. Nagamese is increasingly used in informal conversation though formal discourse is still done in English or any other indigenous language. Youth use it profusely among themselves on the streets of Kohima, Dimapur, Mokukchung and outside Nagaland etc.

Knowing a little of Nagamese in Nagaland comes handy when one decides to visit this beautiful state in the Far East. Nagamese is like a song you would like to sing time and again.

Here are some SURVIVAL PHRASES in Nagamese based on Dr. N. Khashito Aye’s book titled Nagamese: the Lingua Franca of Nagaland, 2007 (published by Christian Education Ministry, Sugar Mill, 5^th Mile, Dimapur- 7977112, Nagaland).

English	Nagamese	Hindi
Please come in	aahibi	आईए।
Please sit down	bohibi	बैठिए।
Where do you live?	aapuni kot thaake?	आप कहाँ रहते/रहती हैं?
My house is in Agra	mor laagaa ghar Agrate aase	मेरा घर आगरा में है।
What is your name?	aapuni laagaa naam ki aase?	आपका क्या नाम है?
My name is Prakash	mor laaga naam prakaash aase	मेरा नाम प्रकाश है।
How are you?	kenekaa aase?	आप कैसे हैं?
I am alright	Bhaal hi aase	मैं ठीक हूँ।
Are you alright	Aapuni bhaal aase?	क्या आप ठीक हैं?
What happened?	ki hoise?	क्या हुआ?
What is the price of this?	itu kiman dam ase?	इसका दाम क्या है?
lower down the price	olop kom koribi	कुछ कम कीजिए।
That will do	Hoise	हाँ यह ठीक है।
I don’t want	amaake naalaage	मुझे नहीं चाहिए।
At what time you will come?	aapuni kimaan baajite aahibo?	आप कितने बजे आएंगे।
I will come tomorrow at 8 o’clock	aami kaali aat bajite aahibo	मैं कल आठ बजे आउंगा।
Please drive the car	gaari chalaabi	गाड़ी चलाईए।
Drive slowly	aaste chalaabi	धीरे चलाईए।
Stop	rukhibi	रोकिए।
Turn it	ghuraabi	घुमाईए।
To the left	left phaale	बाईं ओर।
To the right	right phaale	दाईं ओर।
This way	itu phaale	इस तरफ।
That way	hitu phaale	उस तरफ।
Which way?	kun phaale?	किस तरफ?
Go straight	sida jabi	सीधा जाईए।
Do you like it?	aapuni itu bhal laage?	क्या यह आपको पसंद है?
Where are you going?	aapuni kot jabo?	आप कहाँ जा रहे/रही हैं?
I am going to market	moi market jai aase	मैं बाज़ार जा रहा हूँ।
Where has he gone?	taar kot jaise?	वह कहाँ गए/गई हैं?
I will come tomorrow	aami kali aahibo	मैं कल आउंगा।
Vitsaho and kitoka have come	vitshao aaru kitoka aahise	वित्साहो और कितोका आए हैं।

Survival Nagamese Glossary

Nagamese	English gloss	Hindi Gloss
aalu	potato	आलू
adowaa / adruk	ginger	अदरक
agote	front	आगे
ahaa kaali	tomorrow	कल
ahibo	will come	आउंगा
aina	mirror	आईना
ami	I	मैं
ami / moi	I	मैं
amikhan	we	हम
anibo	will bring	लाउंगा / लाएगा
aru	and	और
azi-kali	nowadays	आजकल
baastenga	bamboo shoot	बाँस की कोपलें
baba	father	पिता
bagan	garden	बाग
baksaa	box	बक्सा
bera	wall / fence	दीवार
beya	bad	बुरा
bhaat	rice	चावल
bhal	good	अच्छा
bhekuli	frog	मेंढक
bheraa	sheep	भेड़
bhija	wet	गीला
bili	sun	सूरज
bishi	more	ज्यादा
boga	white	सफेद
bohibo	will sit	बैठूँगा / बैठेगा
bon koribo	will cover / close	बंद करूँगा / करेगा
bonabo	will make	बनाउँगा / बनाएगा
borton	utensils	बरतन
bosti	village	गाँव / बस्ती
chaapattaa	tea leaves	चाय पत्ती
chamraa	skin / leather	चमड़ा
charibo	will leave	छोड़ूंगा
chatni	mashed/grounded vegetable or fish	भर्ता / चोखा
chini	sugar	चीनी
chipaise	hidden	छिपाया हुआ
choto	small	छोटा
chuli	hair	बाल
daam	price /cost	दाम
daambishi	expensive	मँहगा
dali	pulses	दाल
dangor	large	बड़ा
dao	dagger	दाव
dhalibo	will pour	डालूंगा / डालेगा
dhoribo	will hold / catch	पकड़ूँगा / पकड़ेगा
dingi	neck	गरदन
dobol	double	दूहरा
dolong	bridge	पुल
dorja	door	दरवाजा
dorkaari	useful	उपयोगी
dud	breast / milk	स्तन / दूध
dukan	shop	दुकान
eki	same	समान
etiya	now	अभी
gaao buraa	village headman	मुखिया
gahori	pig	सूअर
gao	body	शरीर
gaudhabo	will bath	नहाउँगा / नहाएगा
ghumabo	will sleep	सो जाउंगा / सो जाएगा
ghurabo	will turn	घुमेगा
gola	throat	कंठ
gorom	hot	गर्म
goru	cow	गाय
haas	duck	बत्तख
hardi	bone	हड्डी
hasibo	will laugh	हँसूंगा
hatguti	elbow	कोहनी
hatzoin	waist	कमर
hitu	that	वह
hitukhan	those	वे
hodai	always	हमेशा
hohai	help	मदद
hoi	yes	हाँ
hosa	true	सही / सत्य
hudibo	will ask	पुछेगा
hunibo	will hear	सुनेगा
iman	so much	इतना
isor	god	भगवान
itu	this	यह
itukhan	these	ये
jabo	will go	जाएगा
jakhala	ladder	सीढ़ी
joluki	chilly	मिर्च
jonabo	will inform	सूचना देगा
juhi	fire	आग
kandibo	will cry	रोएगा
kaso	tortoise	कछुआ
ketia	when	कब
ketiyao	never	कभी नहीं
khabo	will eat / drink	खाएगा
khata	short	नाटा
khong koribo	will be angry	गुस्सा होगा
khori	wood	लकड़ी
ki	what	क्या
kinibo	will buy	खरीदेगा
kobi	cabbage	गोभी
kobo	will say	कहेगा
kol	banana	केला
kopita	papaya	पपीता
koputor	pigeon	कबूतर
kot	where	कहाँ
kothal	jackfruit	कटहल
kuchu	yam	कच्चू
kumraa	pumpkin	सीताफल / कुम्हरा
kuni	egg	अंडा
laipata	a kind of leafy vegetable	एक पत्तेदार सब्ज़ी
lao	gourd	कंद
lobo	will take	लूंगा
lora	boy / son	लड़का
lori	girl / daughter	लड़्की
loshun	garlic	लहसुन
maaki	female / wife	औरत / पत्नि
maatha	head	सिर
maati	land / field	भूमि
mangsho	meat	मांस
mash	fish	मछली
mekhala	skirt worn by women	औरतों द्वारा पहना जाना वाला एक वस्त्र
misa	false	गलत
modu	liquor	शराब
moribo	will die	मरेगा
morom	love	प्रेम
morom koribo	will love	प्रेम करेगा
mota	male / husband	आदमी / पति
motar	peas	मटर
moumakhi	honeybee	मधुमक्खी
mudram	guava	अमरूद
mula	radish	मूली
naarikol	coconut	नारियल
olop	few	कुछ
paahoribo	will forget	भुलेगा
pabo	get	लेगा
paribo	can do	कर सकेगा
philla	thigh	जाँघ
pothabo	read	पढ़ेगा
puka	insect	कीड़ा
raati	night	रात
rakhibo	will keep	रखेगा
rukhibo	will wait	रुकेगा
ruti	flattened bread	रोटी
sagoli	goat	बकरी
saphaa	clean	साफ
shim	beans	सेम / फली
sorai	bird	चिड़िया
suku	eye	आँख
taan	hard	कठोर
tai	she	वह
taka	money / rupee	रुपया
tamul	betel nut	सुपारी
tarkhan	they	वे
tengaa	sour	खट्टा
thai	place	स्थान / जगह
thing	leg	पैर
titaa	bitter	कड़वा
upor	above	ऊपर
uribo	will fly	उड़ेगा

Chumukedima Jagdcamp

Hier einige Foto-Impressionen von unserem Dschungel-Abendteuer: