Linguistic Endeavors

I would like to share with you a riddle that was posed to me by a particularly intelligent student who was bored with his math exam. (Imagine several large arrows directing your attention toward this note at the end of the exam.)

My God is Wonderful, Invincible King

Answer this proverb (brain-teaser).

What is the most powerful than god, evil than devil, while the poor have it, and rich look for it. What is it?

-Dr. Morris Katunga

“Well”, I thought to myself, “it sounds like it would be a good word for one of my Chichewa flashcards.” I now have a treasured stack of white notecards each bearing a term that I have memorized. I refer to them as ‘my words’, as in “Jesse, did you take my words to school again?” I asked a teacher for a word to add to my collection the other day and he gave me the word “chikondi” meaning love. What a nice word to learn.

As I gradually increase my Chichewa vocabulary I find myself becoming casually enchanted with words. I’m not exactly sure when the affair began. It was certainly fueled by a package from my Grandmother containing New Yorker shorts stories brimming with the creative sentences of the modern American writer; and it is sparked whenever I correct verbal slippage, such as a student’s biology exam that declared that males have a “white” chromosome. With this newfound enthusiasm for language, a bright orange and red book has become a regular companion. The lucky book is Dictionary: English-Chicehewa-Chinyanja Fourth Edition Revised and Enlarged. Yes, I like to read the dictionary. But this isn’t just any dictionary. The choice of entries is quite unique; it has so many words for so many different situations such as ‘love potion’ or ‘eyelid disease’. For the religiously inclined visitor (half of the white folks in Malawi are missionaries) the text is full of Bible characters. They even have the Maccabees. Reading a dictionary has never been so entertaining. I actually find myself flipping through the pages looking for juicy tidbits. But, what really makes this reference book a page turn is the fact that whenever possible, the authors chose to define words using proverbs rather than some bland English synonym.
Deciphering the proverbs has become a pastime that rivals my shelf of already read books. Here’s a few if you are up for a challenge. Answers are at the end.

1) “Walira mvula, walira matope.”
If you cry for rain you cry for mud.

2) “Chalaka bhaka nkhuku siingatole.”
What a duck cannot pick up cannot be picked up by a chicken.

3) “Ukapeza anzako akukuzinga mason awe tang’ola ako.”
When you find your friends frying their eyes, you have to do the same. (Yes I did mean to type “frying”)

4) “Chala chimodsi sichiswa nsabwe.”
One finger cannot press a louse.

5) “Chakudza sichiyimba ng’oma.”
What comes does not beat a drum.

6) “Nkuhyu zodya ana zimapota wa wamkulu.”
Figs eaten by the children trouble the adults.

And if those were too easy:

7) “Mphuno salota.”
The nose does not dream.

Malawi has such a wealth of lingual gems. Another good example are slogans. Our container of Gold Band margarine proclaims: “Nature’s Best – Only Better!” A sticker on a fence in Magochi proudly boasts the colors of the Malawian flag and declares, “Peaceful Elections: Yes We Can!” (Now picture a shop across the street selling chitenje plastered with a gigantic Obama head.) Jesse pointed out the best slogan so far when, on a recent trip to our favorite run-down resort, he noticed the faded text on the monogrammed rubber checker board upon which we were playing checkers with bottle caps. Mulangeni’s original slogan, which was painted in big blue flaking letters on the weathered cement wall at the entrance, was “Simply the Best of Lake Malawi.” The checkerboard, which must have been a more recent revision read: Mulangeni- “Probably the Best of Lake Malawi”. Oh the difference that can be made a single word.

Tonight we are treating ourselves to pizza cooked by a nearby NGO called Utawaleza Farm. We’ve bought various vegetable from them depending on what they are harvesting, but best of all we can buy chickens there that are already dead and frozen. We rode down to the farm yesterday on our newly acquired bicycle (more on that later) to buy chickens and whatever other vegetables we could find. They only had tomatos and eggplants and no chicken. So we ordered a pizza for today as a treat (you have to order one day in advance), and had spaghetti with an eggplant sauce for dinner.

As mentioned before we recently inherited a bicycle. There are many places, such as Utawaleza, that are not too far to walk but would require a minimum of 20 minutes to get to. While having lunch at our friend Austin’s house a few weeks ago we mentioned that we’d like to find a bicycle. A few days later he came by the house, wheeling a magenta mountain bike with him. He told us we could use the bike if we fixed it up. “What’s wrong with it?” Jesse asked. To demonstrate Austin turned the pedal with his hand. Nothing happened. “So what’s wrong?” I thought to myself, and then felt stupid a few seconds later when I realized that that was exactly the problem. The bicycle didn’t go. Turns out it was a simple fix. The bicycle mechanic just down the road fixed it in 30 minutes for about 25 cents. Once a metal carrying rack for the back was procured for me, Jesse and I had ourselves a genuine Malawian taxi. Needless to say, our maiden voyage down to Utawaleza Farm elicited laughter up and down both sides of the road since what were two anzungu (white people) doing sharing a bicycle, don’t they have a car?

I am looking forward to touring the countryside on our new mode of transport. Gone are the days of paying 50 kwatcha each just to get to Maldeco (previously referred to as Madego since that’s how everyone pronounces it). I anticipate that our two wheels will open up new horizons to be explored with exciting adventures just around the corner. That is, if the rain ever lets up and we are able to get out of the hut. Until next time.

-Jes



Proverb Answers:
1) Bad things always accompany good things.
2) If I smart person (or older person) couldn’t solve a problem, then a dumb one (or a young one) won’t be able to.
3) When in Rome do as the Romans.
4) Teamwork solves problems.
5) Misfortune comes unannounced.
6) If children cause trouble, then their parents have to deal with it.
7) You never know what will happen next (danger!).