When You Part Ways

Tumoodo no. Good bye.  (tu-moh-doh)

Kopisoomo tokou vagu suvai tadau. We'll meet again some other day. (ko-pi-soh-mo)

Mikot vagu kio. Please come again.

Songian kivaa timpu ku. When I have the time.

Kada hiivai ka ma. Please don't forget.

Talipaonan ku iziau. I'll call you.

Bah. Okay.



Good bye.  Tumoodo no. (tu-moh-doh)

We'll meet again some other day. Kopisoomo tokou vagu suvai tadau. (ko-pi-soh-mo)

Please come again. Mikot vagu kio.

When I have the time. Songian kivaa timpu ku.

Please don't forget. Kada hiivai ka ma.

I'll call you. Talipaonan ku iziau. Hoovon ku iziau. (hoh-von)

 Okay Bah.

Some Problematic Kadazan Words

These are some of the problematic Kadazan words. If the emphasis is wrongly placed, the meaning can change dramatically.

1. potodon (po-to-don), pootodon (poh-to-don), potoodon (po-toh-don), potodoon (po-to-dohn), potoodoon (po-toh-dohn)

a) potodon (po-to-don), to cut something to make it shorter
Potodon iho dukug. Cut that rope. Shorten that rope.

b) pootodon (poh-to-don), to send
Pootodon ihia suat kumaa di Jimmy. Send that letter to Jimmy.

c) potoodon (potoh-don), to stop, to cease
Potoodon ino. Stop that. Root word: tood

d) potodoon (po-to-dohn), to say goodbye.Potodoon zioho. Say goodbye to them.

e) potoodoon (po-toh-dohn), to arrange.
Potoodoon no ngaavi buuk nu moi avasi tokito. Arrange your books so that they are nice to see.

2. asaasau, oium, timpoon

a) asaasau (a-saa-sa-uh), now written as asaasau'. It means 'repeatedly' Asaasau no zioho do nosunudan nga aiso kinovohion. They have been told repeatedly with no effects.

b) oium (o-ium), now written as o'ium which means 'can be found'. O-ium ih usin. Money can be found.

c) Just as in other languages, some Kadazan words can have more than one meaning. 'timpoon' is one of these.
i) timpoon (timpo-on), verb, to stay back. Timpoon no doiti. Stay here.
ii) timpoon, noun, thorn, wood splinter that has embedded itself in one's flesh. Kivaa timpoon id hapap nu. You have a thorn/splinter in your foot.

Note:
Additional information on this matter will be published in a different posting.

When You Meet a Kadazan_ Songian Koso'omo Ko do Kadazan

Greetings! Kopivosian!

Good morning. Kopivosian Doungosuab (kosuabon). Although good in Kadazan is 'avasi', it does not sound right if one were to say, "Avasi dungosuab". Kopivosian (Kopivasian) comes from 'avasi' (good).

Good afternoon. Kopivosian tahib-tangaadau.

Good evening. Kopivosian kosodopon.

Good night. Kopivosian do sodop.

How are you? Ingkuo ko no?

Fine. Avasi.

Fine, thank you. Avasi. Kotohuadan.

I'm fine. Avasi zou. Preferable to say, "Avasi bo."

'avasi' also means good. The antonym of 'avasi' is 'alaat', bad or evil. You don't say, "Alaat zou," if you mean you are not fine. You say, "Au zou ohidas," "I'm not well." When you say, "Alaat tuhun diho", what you mean is, "That man is evil (bad)."

What's your name? Isai ngaan nu? 'What' in Kadazan is 'nunu' but you don't say, "Nunu ngaan nu?" But you can say, "Nunu ngaan pihion nu?" (What name do you choose?)

One can say, "Nunu ko?" but this is to ask for the race of the person or what type of character a person has. When asking for a person's name, you can also say, "Isai ko?" which means 'Who are you?'

It is unusual for a Kadazan to say, "Ngaan ku nopo nga ii John / Mary" which translates to "My name is John / Mary" although this can be accepted in writing. The preferred option is "John / Mary zou." I'm John / Mary, or "John /.Mary ngaan ku."

To ask politely, say, "Isai ko gia dii?" Some Kadazan may take take offence when one asks, "Isai ko?" because it sounds rude. The word 'gia' makes it polite. It is equivalent to "May I know your name?"

Where do you live? Nombo ko poingizon?

I live at ... Poingizon zou doiho ....

How far is it from here? Songkuo sinodu dii mantad doiti?

Very far. It's over the mountain. O'osodu. Hu sampaping do nuhu.

May I follow you? Kavasa zou tumanud diau?

Okay, let's go. Ba, kano no (mugad).

'kano' denotes at least two people. If there are more than two people, use 'kanou.'

Help Me Pronounce Kadazan Words_Lahan Mangait Boos Kadazan

Learners of the Kadazan Language may find problems of pronunciation particularly in cases where double vowels are used (aa, ii, oo, uu). There is no 'e' except perhaps in the name of 'Penampang' which is a district.

Pronouncing the end part of certain Kadazan words (not a suffix) may pose problems such as 'tandah' and 'tandaah'. Now, an apostrophe is used instead of 'h' but even this may not solve the problem.

The Kadazan 'tandah' (wild geese) is not the same as the Malay 'tanda' (sign). 'tandaah' requires the 'aa' to be emphasized. (tandaah, cock, rooster). One needs to hear someone knowledgeable in the Kadazan Language say the words in order to appreciate the unique way certain Kadazan words are pronounced. (Please note that a domesticated goose in Kadazan is 'patu.')

Let us deal with the vowel 'o' first. The double 'oo' may be more problematic for those who are schooled in the English language. In English, words containing 'oo', for example, 'loose' is pronounced 'loos'. In Kadazan, 'loos' is pronounced to sound almost like 'laws'. Thus, 'oosin' (salty) is pronounce 'awe-sin' and not 'u-sin' (money), 'potoodon' as 'po-toh-don' (to stop), 'poo' (thigh) as in 'paw' or 'law', 'nosood' as 'no-soh-od' (filled to the brim). When the word is pronounced at the correct speed, people will be able to understand.

However, if the emphasis is wrongly placed then 'nosood' may sound like 'noh-sod' which means forced out as when a baby is forced out during delivery.

Going back to 'aa", in words like 'aasang' (angry), the emphasis is at the beginning of the word. In 'asaang' (bright), the emphasis is toward the end of the word.

A single 'i' in Kadazan is pronounced like the 'i' in the English 'is'. The English 'I, i' is not pronounced as 'ai' in Kadazan.and has a different meaning. 'I' is 'Izou' in Kadazan. The Kadazan sentence "I nopo otopot nga ovudut isido." This can be translated as "The truth is that he lied." The 'I' is not pronounced as 'ai' but as in 'is'. The 'I' is referring to the 'truth', not the speaker.

Using a double 'ii' is to put an emphasis. Example: "Ii no kangku nga au' ko mokinongou." This was what I said but you didn't listen. Emphasis on what had been said.

'Ii' often forms part of a word. Example: "Sondii ko monoodo dii." You have to do it yourself.

'Uu' is usually used as part of a word such as 'monuung', 'suungon' (to push), 'no-duung' (noh-du'ung), conned. Examples: 'Kada' zou suungo.' Don't push me. 'No-duung zou.' I was conned.

'Uu' as in 'Uu ko no,' can be understood to mean 'Serves you right.'


Note:
Grateful if anyone who detects any error in this blog regarding the way Kadazan words are pronounced will make some suggestions.

Let's Learn Kadazan

Last night, one of my friends said that if Kadazan parents do not talk to their children (and grandchildren) in Kadazan, the Kadazan Language can disappear in fifty years time. This is very true and I had written on this topic somewhere else.

Another said that he insists on Kadazan-Dusun to talk in their own mother tongue whether or not young Kadazan-Dusun can understand the language or not. Parents who refused or refrained from talking in their mother to members of their family, particularly the young generation, are allowing outside influence to undermine the identity of their people.

The Chinese and the Indians prefer to talk to each other in their own language. And the performance of their children in schools do not suffer. This is clearly seen in the performance of the school-going children during examinations.

In fact, I read some time ago that being knowledgeable in  their mother tongue strengthens a people's racial identity. This helps them to build a stronger foundation in life and be better able to handle the stresses in life. In short, they will become successful in what they do as individuals and this helps to build up their people.

Loving one's own people and mother tongue is not wrong. It is not a sin. Accordingly, it is imperative for Kadazan people to love and learn their language. There is no excuse for refusing to do so. In fact, it is wrong to claim that one is a Kadazan and yet cannot understand and speak Kadazan. How is possible for a Kadazan to prove that he or she is a Kadazan if he or she cannot speak or understand even one word of Kadazan? There could be fake Kadazans nowadays since anything is possible in these times of technological advance and innovation.

So make up your mind to learn Kadazan today.

Click HERE for another site where you can learn Kadazan


Translation to / Kapadahinan kumaa Kadazan

KANOU MINSINGIHO KADAZAN

Di kosodop, songuhun mantad di tambahut ku minoboos do nung au monongkiboos o mohoing Kadazan doid tanak dioho (om manangaki dioho), miho do atagak boos Kadazan id daasom himo ngo'opod (50) toun. Otopot kozo iti om nokoponuat zou kokomoi diti id suvai pisuk id internet.

Songuhun vagu minoboos do osonsog isido do mositi do moboos o Kadazan-Dusun id boos tuhun dioho sondii, kalati toi au kalati o komuhakan do Kadazan-Dusun. Mohoing ii au' toi mada monongkiboos doid puu paganakan dioho id boos sondii, hobi no ii sinakagon vagu, papakavasa do unsub mantad dahabus do popomungkang do kointutunan do tuhun dioho.

Tuhun Sina om India ii momihi do monongkiboos doid tiso om tiso id boos dioho sondii. Om au ii minsiibo taangazan tanak dioho id sikul. Atahang iti id taangazan id poniisan do tanak dioho.

Ii otopot, nakabasa zou di poguhu do toihaan do boos sondii papavakas do kointutunan do tuhun sabaagi do iso' tinau'. Koponokodung dioho iti do popotuidong do ningkokoton id koposion ii hobi avakas om hobi kaanu monoina katangkangaan id koposizon miampai do hobi vinasi. Poniboon, ouhan zioho tosoosonguhun do humantoi doid nunu ii tootoinaon dioho om koponokodung do popotuidong do tuhun dioho sabaagi do iso' tinau'.

Au kahasa do guminavo do tuhun om boos sondii. Okonko douso ii. Id kotonudan diti, mositi nopo do tuhun Kadazan do guminavo om minsingiho do boos dioho sondii. Aiso do sabap do mada do mimang do ingkaa. Ii otopot, kahasa do magampa o songuhun dii do Kadazan isido toi zosido om om au' i' kalati toi kaanu moboos Kadazan. Ingkuo dii songuhun Kadazan do popointahang do Kadazan isido toi zosido nung au kaanu isido toi zosido do moboos toi mamalati do iso' potuu boos Kadazan? Id timpu do kobuuon om koponguugan teknoloji baino diti, kaanu do minghaahasu sabaagi do tuhun Kadazan.

Potontuo no pomusaavan nu do baino do minsingiho do Kadazan.

Todoson HUTIA pakaazan doid hivang iso' po do kaanu ko minsingiho Kadazan