Nias Words List
- Posted by nias on September 1st, 2006 filed in Language
How to pronounce Nias words ? If you speak Italian, you can easily learn Nias language. “What you read is what you write”.
A bit about Nias Grammar
Nias grammar is a bit tricky. You say: “I go to school” in English. Translated directly: “Ya’odo möi ba sekola“. Such a structure is “laughable” in Nias, and only used by children, say, under six or five years old, or by a person who just started learning Li Niha.
Note: I = ya’odo, go = möi, to = ba, school = sekola.
So, how do Nias people say: “I got school” ? Answer: Möido ba zekola.
Two things are worth of note in the above sentence: (1) the position and the “practical” form of the “subject” and (2) the change in the first letter of the word “sekola” form “s” to “z”.
Although “Yahodo möi ba sekola” is “OK”, Nias people most probably will say: “Möido ba zekola” instead. (However, younger generation will tend to adopt the “English” or “Indonesian” sentence structure and will say: “Ya’odo möi ba sekola”.
The following are the subject personal pronoun in Li Niha:
Ya’odo = I
Ya’ugö = You (singular)
Ya’ia = he/she
Ya’ita = we (speaker included)
Ya’aga = we (speaker excluded)
Ya’ami = You (plural)
Ya’ira = They
As explained above, in Li Niha, subjective personal pronouns are rarely used in their original form. You found it as an anwer to a question about “who”.
For example:
“Who read this letter ?” (Haniha zombaso sura da’a ?)
“Yaodo”, or “Ya’ia”, etc.
So, how would say: “I/you/he .. go to school” in Li Niha ?
Hint: follow the “Möido ba zekola” structure and substitute “do” with the following for:
yaodo ->do
ya’ugö ->’ö
ya’ia ->ia
ya’ita ->ita
ya’aga ->-ga
ya’ami ->ami or mi
ya’ira ->ira
Having trouble still?
No problem, follow me:
Möido ba zekola
Möi’ö ba ze…
Möi ia …
Möi ita …
Möiga …
Möi ami (or Möimi)*
Möi ira
*Nias people living in central Nias: Gomo, Lahusa, etc. will say: Möimi instead of Möi ami which is common in North, East and West Nias (Gunungsitoli, Lahewa, Sirombu, etc.).
sekola -> zekola
Most of Nias words will undergo “initial mutation” when they are used in a sentence. Please read the interview with Dr. Lea Brown about this ….
Numbers
One - sara
Two - dua
Three - tölu
Four - öfa
Five - lima
Six - önö
Seven - fitu
Eight - walu
Nine - siwa
Ten - fulu
Eleven, twelve …. nineteen = fele(-zara, -ndrua, -dölu, -öfa, -lima, -önö, -witu, - walu, - ziwa)
Twenty = duawulu
Twenty (one, …, nine) = dua wulu a (-sara, -dua, -tölu, …, siwa)
Thirty = tölungafulu
Thirty (one, …, nine) = tölu ngafulu a (-sara, -dua, -tölu, …, siwa)
Forty = öfa wulu
Fifty = lima wulu
Sixty = önö ngafulu
Seventy = fitu ngafulu
Eighty = walu ngafulu
Ninety = siwa wulu
One hundred = otu
One hundred and ten = otu a fulu
One hundred and nineteen = otu a feleziwa
(a = and, fele- = -teen)
(Two, three, .. nine) hundred = (dua, tölu, … siwa) ngaotu
One thousand - saribu (modern), sara ngahönö (rather archaic)
(Two, three, … nineteen) thousand = (dua, tölu, … feleziwa) ribu
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Greetings:
Good (morning, day, noon, etc.) - Yaahowu
How are you = Hadia duria ?
When did you arrive ? = Hamega tohare’ö ? (Hamega örugi ?)
I have no cigarette to offer - lö rokoda (you normally say this when you just meet someone, just after you shake his hand)
When you leave someone’s house, saying goodbye:
Bye … (let me go, let’s us go) = (Damöido e…, damöiga e…)
They will bless you:
Ya’ugö ba lala - “You (single) are in your walk” -> May your journey be safe.
Ya’ami ba lala - “You (plural) are in your walk” -> May your journey be safe.
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How much is this thing ? (when you buy something) - Ha’uga mböli da’a ?
I’m hungry - olofodo
I’m full - abusodo
I’m sick - möfökhödo
I’m thirsty - owökhi dödögu
I want to eat - omasido manga
That’s enough - abönö, ibönö
Thank you: saohagölö
Foods/Fruits:
Banana = gae (gae soso)
Chicken meat = nagole manu
Cooked rRice = fakhe (sasoso)
Durian = duria
Mango = maga
Meat = nagole
Pork = nagole mbawi
Uncooked rice = böra
Names of Days
Sunday = (luo) Migu
Monday = (luo) Sinaya
Tuesday = (luo) Salasa
Wednesay = (luo) Rabu
Thursday = (luo) Kami
Friday = (luo) Zumaha
Saturday = (luo) Satu = Fangöhöna
day = luo
Time
What’s the time ? - Ha’uga bözi ?
(one, two, three, … twelve) o’clock = Bözi (satu*, dua, tölu … felendrua)
(twelve, one, two, … eleven) thirty = Matonga (satu, dua, … felendrua)
Quarter to (one, two, … twelve) = felelima lö bözi (sara, dua, … felendrua)
Quater past (one, two, … twelve) = felelima aefa bözi (sara, dua, … felendrua)
X past … = X aefa bözi …
X to … = X lö bözi …
*Note: satu is actually not Nias word, but Indonesian word. However, Niassan used to say “bözi satu” instead of “bözi sara”.
Have a commenat or input ? Contact us at: Nias.Online@gmail.com
October 16th, 2006 at 3:41 am eHi!
How do you pronounce the ”ö” sound?
Is it like German ö (= French/Dutch/Sundanese ”eu”)?
Or is another sound altogether? If so, which one?Saohagölö
Merci
Terima kasih
October 16th, 2006 at 9:58 am eYaahowu Louis !You are right, ö is pronounced like German ö, or like Sundanese “eu”. H. Sundermann translated the Bible (New Testament) into Li Niha and used that “special” karakter.
(Atulö nisuramö, “ö” ba Li Niha simane “ö” ba li Geremani, ma simane “eu” ba Li Sunda. H. Sunderman zangali ba Li Niha zura Duria Somuso Dödö (Sura Gamabu’ulu Li Siföföna) andrö, ba i’oguna’ö hurufo “ö” ba halöwö andrö).
Yaahowu, Saohagölö, Merci
Nias.Online
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