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Wolof

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Captain Haddock
Diglot
Senior Member
Japan
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Joined 6779 days ago

2282 posts - 2814 votes 
Speaks: English*, Japanese
Studies: French, Korean, Ancient Greek

 
 Message 1 of 4
17 December 2006 at 5:30am | IP Logged 
I was reading up on random languages on Wikipedia today, and I learned an interesting fact about Wolof (spoken in West Africa): in Wolof, verbs are unchangeable words and do not conjugate; instead, the pronoun conjugates for tense! That means there's an "I" in the present, an "I" in the past, and so on. Too cool.
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Kitty
Triglot
Groupie
Germany
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Studies: Spanish, German*, English, French
Studies: Latin

 
 Message 2 of 4
17 December 2006 at 7:03am | IP Logged 
hey captain

yeah that's correct
the problem is that doesnt make it so much easier because the pronouns (time-for-words we would say in a German translation of the "situation") is that this pronouns are then totaly different in the conjugation that the actual word

so... i'm not sure if this is really easier then conjugating a verb after a clear system

and in wolof you also can't add some words to others... if i would say, to underline that i will do somthing definantly like going, in english

i can say "i will go now definitely" or "i will do that later in any case" or something (not very nice english but kinda possible)

but in wolof that is not possible
you can not add a time-for-word like "now" to a word that discribe a current state - there are exeptions but in general a no-go

but correct me if im wrong :)

ps: but its a very interesting languages because of that differences!

Edited by Kitty on 17 December 2006 at 7:06am

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Captain Haddock
Diglot
Senior Member
Japan
kanjicabinet.tumblr.
Joined 6779 days ago

2282 posts - 2814 votes 
Speaks: English*, Japanese
Studies: French, Korean, Ancient Greek

 
 Message 3 of 4
17 December 2006 at 9:06am | IP Logged 
Wow, you know some Wolof? :)

I wouldn't have expected that feature to make Wolof easier. I just like how every language brings something new that makes you think in a way you're not used to.
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Kitty
Triglot
Groupie
Germany
Joined 6569 days ago

43 posts - 45 votes
Studies: Spanish, German*, English, French
Studies: Latin

 
 Message 4 of 4
17 December 2006 at 9:19am | IP Logged 
Captain Haddock wrote:
Wow, you know some Wolof? :)

I wouldn't have expected that feature to make Wolof easier. I just like how every language brings something new that makes you think in a way you're not used to.


yeah i know a bit wolof :) (i'm addicted to "minority languages haha, but wolof is spoken by 3 million ppl so its not that minority-like but not well known anyway) there are online courses out there, some are not bad for basics and as long as you not wanna move to the Senegal you don't need more then basics ^^

well ok, you're right it IS def. a new perspective on grammar, i was surprised too in first place

do you wanna learn wolof?


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