Foreign Words Used in The Race

Say What?
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Languages Used:

• P = Paradisian: Invented language spoken in the fictional country of Paradise Island
• R = Rarámuri (Tarahumara): Native tongue that has no written alphabet of its own. Phonetic transcription using various alphabets results in different spellings for the same word (e.g., the word for “hello” may be spelled kuira, cuira, and even quira). I’ve tried to choose the spellings easiest for an English speaker.
• Sp = Spanish

 

Vocabulary

A

• Áchami kanili? (R): Are you okay?
• Áchimi tamí bichíima? (R): Will you trust me?
• Achi kanili? (R): How are you?
• ada (P): dad (adu= daddy)
• Akiná simí (R): Come
• aparúami wáasi owira (R): dangerous bull
• ayena abi (R): yes

B

• bachí (R): older brother
• boní (R): younger brother

C

• chabochi (R): foreigner

D

• d’alasház (P): I love you
• d’amoúr (P):  I moan (yearn, long) for you
• de chiste (Sp): as a joke
• Debora dice que está bien (Sp): Debora says it’s okay
• defín (P): one who keeps/trains dogs
• Deón (P): eternal one
• desmón (P): one who inspires awe
• don (Sp): title of respect for a man
• donde (Sp): where
• doña (Sp): title of respect for a woman

E

• Ekanu Mejad Paladisi (P): Paradisian Royal Army

F

• fidén (P): one of unusual cunning
• fuj (P):  faith

H

• humillarse (Sp): to humble oneself

J

• jishana (P):  righteousness

K

• kanuf (P): selfishness, evil, sin
• keni no (R): my son
• koná (R): salt
• kuira/kuirabá (R): hello/hello (back)
• kurichi (R): uncle (mother’s older brother)

L

• lak (P):  not, pseudo, false
• lakfuj (P): prudence; presumption (“pseudo-faith”)
• lakjishana (P): good works (“pseudo-righteousness”)
• lakvinashu (P): a lie or partial truth
• lanáj (P): to help or serve
• lashani (P): selfless love
• Lejáni Mejad (P): Royal Guard
• lelima (P): one of the fruits of the Viv Zabé (a fist-sized, eggplant purple fruit that tastes like a combination of an orange and a coconut; plural: lelimi)

M

• Ma gará hu (R): Everything’s all right
• mami (Sp): mommy
• Ma nosobuli! (R): You destroyed it!
• maraca (Sp): a type of percussion instrument
• melodí (P): a type of Paradisian poetry
• meshón (P): one who shows compassion
• mi amor (Sp): my love
• mi hermana se va a casar (Sp): my sister is getting married
• mi hijo (Sp): my son
• misi (R): cat (taá misi = little cat)
• modén (P): exalted one (his/your Highness)
• Modén Eshí or M.E. (P): Moden Years
• Mohé ayenacho boní hu. (R): You’re my little brother, too.
• moúr (P): to moan (amoúr= I moan; emoúr=he/she moans)

 

N

• natérarabá (R): thank you
• Navidad (Sp): Christmas
• Nihé nimí garé (R): I love you
• No me hagas esto (Sp): Don’t do this to me
• No puede ser! (Sp): It can’t be!
• No te rías de mi (Sp): Don’t laugh at me
• nud’amoúr (P): I would moan for you
• nushaz (P): humility

O

• omérami mawiyá (R): valiant lion
• onó (R): father
• orguk (P): pride

P

• papi (Sp): daddy
• pash (P): peace
• por favor (Sp): please

Q

• Que cara tiene! (Sp): What nerve!
• Que fresco! (Sp): How fresh!

R

• raberi (R): an instrument similar to a violin
• rarahipa (R): a long-distance race run while kicking a ball

S

• si quieres (Sp): if you want
• sodashi (P): salvation
• sondem (P):  ally

T

• tesoro (Sp): treasure
• tía (Sp): aunt (also used for some cousins)
• towí ke akemi (R):  lad who runs barefoot
• tsuma (P): praise

V

• ve nulo (P): my son
• ve nunela (P): my children
• vinashu (P): truth
• viv (P):  life
• viv zabé (P):  life-tree

W

• Wabeni barami (R): I’m very thirsty
• wadí (P): grace

Y

• Ya basta! (Sp): Enough, already!
• yanja(P): formative years
• yushún(P): family  (plural: yushuni)