This guide is for the Sanifabayzij amongst us, or to not confuse the reader, a non-Izij man or woman. Of course, I know my Izij brothers will choose to buy this guide to scribble out whatever mistakes I might make but I assume my audience is probably
Uganë of some variety. We Izij have come in our flocks from further afield than I think most of you can imagine with our strange tounge of long words.
I make the assumption that by buying it you are of the more learned or compassionate variety rather than wishing us to stop, in the words of a certain
Dakhan Lyënv 'infesting our good cities with their spices and the smell of corpses like parasitic worms'. Firstly, we apologise that we people like flavour to our cuisine and value
our religious practice. Secondly, I think we are more mosquitoes than parasitic worms, but that is a debate for another time.
Theoretically, I could write more words, basic vocabulary and idioms that come up in day to day life. But I am not a linguist - many of my Izij brothers are and have compiled dictionaries. Or, for idioms, you could go ask an Izij person - I am not your mother, I merely write angry pamphlets.
Shafivizirivuuj! - Hello
Ung niwuru, or Ina - Please
Niwur un uyfi - Thank you
Puwam - Yes
Sanij - No
Uniram jut - Good day
Uniram sanis - Good night
Ubiyuj ilus uyfi - How are you?
Puj ung uniram - I am well
Puj ung sanifuxal (or shiram)
- I am bad
Puj unnax lir... - My name is...
Ubiyuj uynax lirfe? - What is your name?
Niwuru-ung - Nice to meet you
Ugukumayvi - Excuse me
Riniwam ung - I am sorry
Ubiyuj iifaing uj? - Can you help me?
Tuxal? - When is it?
Firunarur? - How much does it cost
Puj ung sanuvivaziris - I am lost
Ubiyuj iniing... - Where is...?
Put – Her
Sh - There
Shiram ivamik - On the left
Uniram ivamik - On the right
Lifas - In front
Yat - Behind
Putug - At the corner
Sang izij ung tuxuvifi Uvizij - I do not speak Izij very well
Ubiyuj izij uj Ugane? - Do you speak Ugane?
Iziwiwam ung Ugane. - I want to speak Ugane with you.
I love how this is formed as an in-world book! You could improve it by having a gloss, or a literal translation of the phrases. Their culture sounds super interesting, so I'd love to see if the culture shows in the idioms somehow! It would also be cool to have a character article of the author!
Elizabeth Trkova
Thank you so much! Will take the ideas onboard. I was on a time crunch so I didn't add things I should have.