The Meaning of Tingo.

by Adam Jacot de Boinod.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Meeting and Greeting

From Top to Toe

Movers and Shakers

Getting Around

It Takes All Sorts

Falling in Love

The Family Circle

Clocking On

Time Off

Eating and Drinking

Below Par

From Cradle to Grave

Otherworldly

All Creatures Great and Small

Whatever the Weather

Hearing Things

Seeing Things

Number Crunching

What's in a Name?

Foreword

My interest in the quirkiness of foreign words was triggered when one day, working as a researcher for the BBC quiz programme QI QI, I picked up a weighty Albanian dictionary to discover that they have no fewer than twenty-seven words for eyebrows and the same number for moustache, ranging from mustaqe madh mustaqe madh, or bushy, to a mustaqe posht mustaqe posht, one which droops down at both ends.

My curiosity rapidly grew into a pa.s.sion. I was soon unable to go near a second-hand bookshop or library without seeking out the shelves where the foreign language dictionaries were kept. I would scour books in friends' houses with a similar need to 'pan for gold'. My collection of wonderful words with no equivalent in the English language grew even longer, and I started to make a shortlist of my favourites: nakhur nakhur, for example, is a Persian word (which may not even be known to most native speakers) meaning 'a camel that won't give milk until her nostrils have been tickled'; and areodjarekput areodjarekput, the Inuit for 'to exchange wives for a few days only'. Many described strange or unbelievable things. When and why, for example, would a man be described as a marilopotes marilopotes, Ancient Greek for 'a gulper of coaldust'? And could the j.a.panese samurai really have used the verb tsuji-giri tsuji-giri, meaning 'to try out a new sword on a pa.s.ser-by'?

Others expressed concepts that seemed all too familiar. We have all met a Zechpreller Zechpreller, the German description of 'someone who leaves without paying the bill'; spent too much time with an ataoso ataoso, Central American Spanish for 'one who sees problems with everything'; or worked with a neko-neko neko-neko, Indonesian for 'one who has a creative idea which only makes things worse'.

My pa.s.sion became a quiet obsession. I combed through over two million words in hundreds of dictionaries. I trawled the Internet, phoned Emba.s.sies, and tracked down foreign language speakers who could confirm my findings. I discovered that not everything sounds the same the world over: in Afrikaans, frogs go kwaak-kwaak kwaak-kwaak, in Mexico cats go tlatzomia tlatzomia, while in Germany the noise of Rice Crispies' snap, crackle and popping is Knisper! Knasper! Knusper! Knisper! Knasper! Knusper!

I found beautiful words to describe things for which we have no concise expression in English, like serein serein, the French for 'the rain that falls from a cloudless sky'; or wamadat wamadat, Persian for 'the intense heat of a sultry night'. I found words for all stages of life, from paggiq paggiq, Inuit for 'the flesh torn when a woman delivers a baby', through Torschlusspanik Torschlusspanik, German for 'the fear of diminishing opportunities as one gets older', to mingmu mingmu, Chinese for 'to die without regret'. I savoured the direct logic of Danish, the succinctness of Malay, the sheer wackiness of j.a.panese, and realized that sometimes a dictionary can tell you more about a culture than a guidebook.

I looked at languages from all corners of the world, from the Fuegian of southernmost Chile to the Inuit of northernmost Alaska, and from the Maori of the remote Cook Islands to Siberian Yakut. Some of them describe, of course, strictly local concepts and sensations, such as the Hawaiian kapau'u kapau'u, 'to drive fish into the waiting net by striking the water with a leafy branch'; or pukajaw pukajaw, Inuit for 'firm snow that is easy to cut and provides a warm shelter'. But others reinforce the commonality of human experience. Haven't we all felt termangu-mangu termangu-mangu, Indonesian for 'sad and not sure what to do' or mukamuka mukamuka, j.a.panese for 'so angry one feels like throwing up'? Most rea.s.suring is to find the thoughts that lie on the tip of an English tongue, here crystallized into vocabulary: from the Zambian language of Bemba sekaseka sekaseka, 'to laugh without reason', through the Czech nedovtipa nedovtipa, 'one who finds it difficult to take a hint', to the j.a.panese bakku-shan bakku-shan, 'a woman who appears pretty when seen from behind but not from the front'.

The English language has a long-established and voracious tendency to naturalize the best foreign words: ad hoc, feng shui, croissant, kindergarten ad hoc, feng shui, croissant, kindergarten. We've been pinching words from other cultures for centuries. Here are some we missed. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Adam Jacot de Boinod.

I've done my best to check the accuracy of all the terms but if you have any suggestions for changes (and, of course, I'd love to know of your own favourite foreign words) do please send them in to my website: www.themeaningoftingo.com.

Acknowledgements

I am deeply grateful to the following people for their advice and help: Giles Andreae, Martin Bowden, David Buckley, Candida Clark, Anna Coverdale, Nick Emley, Natasha Fairweather, William Hartston, Beatrix Jacot de Boinod, Nigel Kempner, Nick and Galia Kullmann, Alf Lawrie, John Lloyd, Sarah McDougall, Yaron Meshoulam, Tony Morris, David Prest, David Shariatmadari and Christopher Silvester.

In particular I must thank my agent, Peter Straus; my ill.u.s.trator Sandra Howgate; my excellent editorial team at Penguin, Nigel Wilc.o.c.kson, Georgina Layc.o.c.k and Sophie Lazar; and Mark McCrum for his invaluable work on the text.

Meeting and Greeting

ai jiao de maque bu zhang rou (Chinese)sparrows that love to chirp won't put on weight

Hola!

The first and most essential word in all languages is surely 'h.e.l.lo', the word that enables one human being to converse with another: aa (Diola, Senegal) (Diola, Senegal)beeta (Soninke, Mali, Senegal and Ivory Coast) (Soninke, Mali, Senegal and Ivory Coast)bok (Croatian) (Croatian)boozhoo (Ojibwe, USA and Canada) (Ojibwe, USA and Canada)daw-daw (Jutlandish, Denmark) (Jutlandish, Denmark)ella (Awabakal, Australia) (Awabakal, Australia)i ay (Huaorani, Ecuador) (Huaorani, Ecuador)khaumykhyghyz (Bashkir, Russia) (Bashkir, Russia)nark (Phorhepecha, Mexico) (Phorhepecha, Mexico)rozhbash (Kurdi, Iraq and Iran) (Kurdi, Iraq and Iran)samba (Lega, Congo) (Lega, Congo)wali-wali (Limbe, Sierra Leone) (Limbe, Sierra Leone)xawaxan (Toltichi Yokuts, California, USA) (Toltichi Yokuts, California, USA)yoga (Ateso, Uganda) (Ateso, Uganda)yoyo (Kwakiutl, Canada) (Kwakiutl, Canada) But it may not even be a word. In the Gilbert Islands of the Pacific, arou pairi arou pairi describes the process of rubbing noses in greeting. For the j.a.panese, bowing is an important part of the process and a sign describes the process of rubbing noses in greeting. For the j.a.panese, bowing is an important part of the process and a sign

of respect: ojigi ojigi is the act of bowing; is the act of bowing; eshaku eshaku describes a slight bow (of about 15 degrees); describes a slight bow (of about 15 degrees); keirei keirei, a full bow (of about 45 degrees); while saikeirei saikeirei is a very low, worshipful type of bow that involves the nose nearly touching the hands. When one meets someone extremely important, one might even consider is a very low, worshipful type of bow that involves the nose nearly touching the hands. When one meets someone extremely important, one might even consider pekopeko pekopeko, bowing one's head repeatedly in a fawning or grovelling manner.

Just say the word Sometimes a single word works hard. In Sri Lanka, for example, the Sinhala word ayubowan ayubowan means not only 'good morning', but also 'good afternoon', 'good evening', 'good night' and 'goodbye'. means not only 'good morning', but also 'good afternoon', 'good evening', 'good night' and 'goodbye'.

Expectant The frustration of waiting for someone to turn up is beautifully encapsulated in the Inuit word iktsuarpok iktsuarpok, meaning 'to go outside often to see if someone is coming'. As for the frustration of the caller, there's always the Russian dozvonit'sya dozvonit'sya which doesn't simply mean to ring a doorbell, but to ring it until one gets an answer (it's also used for getting through on the telephone). which doesn't simply mean to ring a doorbell, but to ring it until one gets an answer (it's also used for getting through on the telephone).

Hey you!

Once the first encounter is out of the way the correct form of address is important. Most of us know the difference between the intimate French tu tu and the more impersonal (and polite) and the more impersonal (and polite) vous vous. A similar distinction exists in Arabic between anta anta ('you' singular) and ('you' singular) and antum antum ('you' plural) addressing an important person with ('you' plural) addressing an important person with anta anta ( (anti is the feminine version) rather than is the feminine version) rather than antum antum would be considered impolite. would be considered impolite.

In Vietnam there are no fewer than eighteen words for 'you', the use of which depends on whom you are addressing, whether a child or a senior citizen, whether formally or informally. And in the Western Australian Aboriginal language of Jiwali there are four words for 'we': ngali ngali means 'we two including you'; means 'we two including you'; ngaliju ngaliju means 'we two excluding you'; means 'we two excluding you'; nganthurru nganthurru means 'we all including you'; and means 'we all including you'; and nganthurraju nganthurraju means 'we all excluding you'. means 'we all excluding you'.

Cripes!

Exclamations are generally used to express a sudden reaction: to something frightening, incredible, spectacular, shocking or wonderful. Best not attempted by the visitor, they are better heard from the mouth of the native speaker than read off the page: aaberdi (Algerian) a cry used when learning fearful news (Algerian) a cry used when learning fearful newsaawwaah (Dardja, Algeria) a shout of doubt or hesitation (Dardja, Algeria) a shout of doubt or hesitationax (Karuk, North America) how disgusting! (Karuk, North America) how disgusting!aduh (Malay) ouch or wow! (Malay) ouch or wow!aduhai (Indonesian) an expression of admiration (Indonesian) an expression of admirationalaih (Ulwa, Nicaragua) gosh! goodness! help! (Ulwa, Nicaragua) gosh! goodness! help!alalau (Quechuan, Peru) brrr! (of cold) (Quechuan, Peru) brrr! (of cold)amit-amit (Indonesian) forgive me! (Indonesian) forgive me!ammazza (Italian) it's a killer! wow! (Italian) it's a killer! wow!a.s.she (Hausa, Nigeria) a cry of grief at distressing news (Hausa, Nigeria) a cry of grief at distressing newsbambule (Italian) cheers! (preceding the lighting of a joint) (Italian) cheers! (preceding the lighting of a joint)cq (Albanian) a negative exclamation of mild disappointment (Albanian) a negative exclamation of mild disappointmenthoppla (German) whoops! (German) whoops!naa (j.a.panese) that's great! (j.a.panese) that's great!nabocklish (Irish Gaelic) don't meddle with it! (Irish Gaelic) don't meddle with it!oho (Hausa, Nigeria) I don't care (Hausa, Nigeria) I don't careoop (Ancient Greek) a cry to make rowers stop pulling (Ancient Greek) a cry to make rowers stop pullingsa (Afrikaans) catch him! (Afrikaans) catch him!savul (Turkish) get out of the way! (Turkish) get out of the way!schwupp (German) quick as a flash (German) quick as a flashshahbash (Anglo-Indian) well done! (or well bowled!, as said in cricket by a wicket-keeper to the bowler) (Anglo-Indian) well done! (or well bowled!, as said in cricket by a wicket-keeper to the bowler)tao (Chinese) that's the way it goes (Chinese) that's the way it goestaetae tiria (Cook Islands Maori) throw it away, it's dirty! (Cook Islands Maori) throw it away, it's dirty!uf (Danish) ugh! yuk! (Danish) ugh! yuk!usch d (Swedish) oh, you poor thing! (Swedish) oh, you poor thing!y-eazziik (Dardja, Algeria) an expression used exclusively by women to criticize another person's action (Dardja, Algeria) an expression used exclusively by women to criticize another person's actionzut (French) dash it! (French) dash it!

Chinwag The niceties of what in English is baldly known as 'conversation' are well caught in other languages: ho'oponopono (Hawaiian) solving a problem by talking it out (Hawaiian) solving a problem by talking it outsamir (Persian) one who converses at night by moonlight (Persian) one who converses at night by moonlightbegadang (Indonesian) to stay up all night talking (Indonesian) to stay up all night talkingglossalgos (Ancient Greek) talking till one's tongue aches (Ancient Greek) talking till one's tongue aches

Breakdown in communication Whether the person you are talking to suffers from latah latah (Indonesian), the uncontrollable habit of saying embarra.s.sing things, or from (Indonesian), the uncontrollable habit of saying embarra.s.sing things, or from chenyin chenyin (Chinese), hesitating and muttering to oneself, conversation may not always be quite as we'd like it: (Chinese), hesitating and muttering to oneself, conversation may not always be quite as we'd like it: catra patra (Turkish) the speaking of a language incorrectly and brokenly (Turkish) the speaking of a language incorrectly and brokenlynyelonong (Indonesian) to interrupt without apology (Indonesian) to interrupt without apologyakkisuitok (Inuit) never to answer (Inuit) never to answerdui niu tanqin (Chinese) to talk over someone's head or address the wrong audience (literally, to play the lute to a cow) (Chinese) to talk over someone's head or address the wrong audience (literally, to play the lute to a cow)'a'ama (Hawaiian) someone who speaks rapidly, hiding their meaning from one person whilst communicating it to another (Hawaiian) someone who speaks rapidly, hiding their meaning from one person whilst communicating it to anotherdakat' (Russian) to keep saying yes (Russian) to keep saying yesdialogue de sourds (French) a discussion in which neither party listens to the other (literally, dialogue of the deaf) (French) a discussion in which neither party listens to the other (literally, dialogue of the deaf)mokita (Kiriwana, Papua New Guinea) the truth that all know but no one talks about (Kiriwana, Papua New Guinea) the truth that all know but no one talks about

t.i.ttle-tattle Gossip perhaps more accurately encapsulated in the Cook Island Maori word 'o'onitua 'o'onitua, 'to speak evil of someone in their absence' is a pretty universal curse. But it's not always unjustified. In Rapa Nui (Easter Island) anga-anga anga-anga denotes the thought, perhaps groundless, that one is being gossiped about, but it also carries the sense that this may have arisen from one's own feeling of guilt. A more gentle form of gossip is to be found in Jamaica, where the patois word denotes the thought, perhaps groundless, that one is being gossiped about, but it also carries the sense that this may have arisen from one's own feeling of guilt. A more gentle form of gossip is to be found in Jamaica, where the patois word labrish labrish means not only gossip and jokes, but also songs and nostalgic memories of school. means not only gossip and jokes, but also songs and nostalgic memories of school.

False friends Those who learn languages other than their own will sometimes come across words which look or sound the same as English, but mean very different things. Though a possible source of confusion, these false friends (as linguists call them) are much more likely to provide humour as any Englishwoman who says 'bless' to her new Icelandic boyfriend will soon discover:hubbi (Arabic) friendly (Arabic) friendlykill (Arabic) good friend (Arabic) good friendbless (Icelandic) goodbye (Icelandic) goodbyeno (Andean Sabela) correct (Andean Sabela) correctaye (Amharic, Ethiopia) no (Amharic, Ethiopia) nofart (Turkish) talking nonsense (Turkish) talking nonsensemachete (Aukan, Suriname) how (Aukan, Suriname) how

The unspeakable...