Waxtaan: Badu ag Xadi

Badu and Xadi are students and good friends. They have not seen each other for a while, and they meet in the street; Badu is asking for the bus.

	Badu:	Xadi, na nga def?
	Xadi:	maa ngi fi rekk, Badu.
	Badu:	gëj naa la gis! lu bees?
	Xadi:	dara beesul! maa ngiy jáng rekk.
		naka sa xarit Biram?

The bus is arriving, interrupting their conversation.

	Badu:	Xadi, maa ngiy dem.
	Xadi:	baax na, nuyul ma Biram!
	Badu:	dina ko dégg. ba beneen!
	Xadi:	ba beneen, Badu.

Tekki: Glossary

Wolof			Translation
	na nga def		How are you (doing)?
	maa ngi fi rekk		I am fine
	gëj naa la gis		I have not seen you in a while
	lu bees		What is new?
	dara beesul		Nothing much
	maa ngiy jáng rekk		I am just studying
	naka sa xarit		How is your friend
	mu ngi fi rekk		He/she is fine
	gis naa ko tey		I saw him/her today
	dina ko dég		I will tell him/her (lit. he/she will hear it)
	dinańu ko dégg		I will tell them (lit. they will hear it)
	baax na, ba beneen		All right, (see you) next time
	njaboot ga		The offspring
	mbokk ya		The relatives
	xale ya		The children
	Idi		(First name)
	sa xarit		your friend
	sa doom		your son or daughter
	sa yaay		your mother
	sa pappa		your father
	sa baay		your father
	Paate		First name
	Bintu		First name
	Ami		First name
	Usu		First name
	ba suba		see you tomorrow
	ba ngoon		see you in the afternoon
	ba midi		see you at noon
	ba guddi		see you tonight

Cultural Notes

The types of greeting exchange presented in the preceding dialogue are widely used, among young people. Thus, it is a familiar and friendly type of greeting. There are other greetings that can be used, for instance, in informal encounters with strangers in public, or with family and close friends. Still, other types of greetings are used in more formal situations, when people of different social status are involved, as we have seen in the preceding lesson. Note, however, that the use of jámm nga am? and jámm rekk is appropriate in most of the cases, as well as handshakes. Also note that the use of na nga def? and maa ngi fi rekk is more informal than jámm nga am? and jámm rekk.

EXERCISES

• Exercise 1: Multiple Choice
• Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
• Exercise 3: Sentence Completion
• Exercise 4: Substitution
• Exercise 5: Substitution
• Exercise 6: Singular vs. Plural
• Exercise 7: Comprehension
• Exercise 8: Translation