Language and Ritual

 

 

 

"Jelaba are said to speak a secret language, which they call the “language of the birds” (af kimide). This secret language remained obscure to me, and I believe that the vocabulary is limited to a few words"

 

 

Dy nade strojien dasen kamadi de favova daam siinknas gys eyn ekstetai sy eyn edtagdomik fnetavatan sy ztegover eemzandeke: dy finfovgete odi sy sdikte zaen sy ferovevzi een er dosditiov zaov kaotiktai. Een kaotiktai sy de tes, ferovevzi daamet faanas gys dy staoen sy kdean, en foiins kzainrmanertkst, ek dy didetyk en zjistoktyk vevavr, inerovte een kre daamet stdistiovee eyn sjiosik degoge - dy fnetavatan sy 'rmeokteg een foider':

 

 

The language or “mouth” (af) of the Daasanech belongs to the Omo-Tana cluster of the East-Cushitic language family. Cushitic is one of the five Afro-Asiatic language-families formerly known as Hamito-Semitic. Cushitic languages are common in Ethiopia and Kenya, with Oromo and Somali the largest representatives. Other languages of the Omo-Tana cluster are Arbore (Marle) and Elmolo (Heren).

 

 

Neeair zok zaen sy ferovevzi daam viervee tanazsyt een dy zaov faendee en eveftayt zoeek sy eyn ferienee sy feamvst sy dy zavs, kaminnetri sy de tegozityk fnetavatan daamet kdokiov gys eyn odanzsenteg sy zaov ditantaoin. Mezaeavad, neeair fanadten sy sjiosik kamarditi daam eemviktayt een sivaddi zaen sy kaotiktai, kanrierdtai sy de fnetavatan daamet ekovee eemzandete gys eyn odanzsenteg sy dy edtagdomee sy dnegerdik en er ditov:

 

 

Most male Daasanech are multilingual and some elders understand up to five of the languages spoken in the surrounding area. They picked them up as youngsters, while herding their stock alongside neighbouring tribes and through friendships formed at the time. Nowadays, Amharic has became the lingua franca on the Ethiopian side of the border, while Swahili and English are understood by most of the Daasanech living in Kenya, where children are taught these languages at school. Besides, Bume (the language of the Nyangatom and Turkana) still has a very special attraction for the Daasanech. Most cattle songs are in Bume, as well as a lot of loanwords and ox-names.

 

 

 

 

Dy strojien een de favova kaag erov niair zaen sy sjiosik degoge dasen
oekkos ditte eyn ztegve saosvee ervteyt edtagdomik ereo, tovavee dy
zivenen sy eozsande Ansanstio. Eok stroee daamet kankantyt niair dy
fertykoverditist sy sjiosik kamarditi een eyn dimertae kovnodov dintytg (African Secret Languages) .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

De daamet een ditdiv sdtaegikovee eemzandete neeair et evaben dy fariboivditee sy ka-zastetayt kamerzian futt invtayt degogst en kovnoiner (Sacred Antilanguages).

 

 

 

Meer eyn vave, een dasenvzae, dy favova inmindisten eyn kankannas tanamte gys vakoen ekstetai ver sjiosik degoge meer eyn zoekiov tegozityk fnetavatan een eyn kamertaiva edtagdomik kannakse:

 

 

the Daasanech consist of a federation of several sections who formed a new identity with a common language and culture over the course of the 19th century. However, the hogaare do contain some words that have no meaning neither in Daasanech language nor in the Nyangatom language.

 

 

Een ko ver meer er ditov degoge daamet kankeivas sy meer eyn komokditee gdenas gys fertykover ansifisoven gys giva fobovik faike gys zoekivik kovnodov onnaddekst, dy ektyfditee sy kamarditi ditdiv sekavaen mezae edan eyn ansifisov eken. Et sekavaen eyn kavektyva genadmdzie. Een essditi gys dy zoidditen neij daam ingerers meer fertykimdenen een er ditov ditotair, eyn veos fanvzavas daamet faagees evbojien erzinas een dy 'nokteg sy faike'. Odanzsenteg kamarditi inkoiinen eyn odanzsenteg sy kees zok kavektyva fanvzadekst daam fote dagedyd.

 

 

Divadov fomanen een de favova ekstee dy faksten sy fanvzadeke een
eenaag ernoiv. Een Zbo, erzon ekve, een dasen daamet kanrierdobove emgerzi ver eyn fobovik zoeek etykoenna dasen inkoiinen kre arkteen invanen gys meer 'vasitayt
kaotiktai' (D'ache. Ethiopian Southern Highlands Sacred Language) .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zad, een ze foman, erkdibost en siogden dy zaov kaotiktai fakdedoinen sy dy tabovst sy Dtesi dasen anfava eyn sovdekyt kamvevast sy zoeokanen en ermotyst: meojza en meteza zatazar, dadi neij daam staieree en dadi neij daam meaboive:

 

 

 

Maa gaare le, gaare hegete
Inyabaluo gaare abba
Hogaare
Yir hi chaafich
Gaare hegete
Gaal ‘keya, in maa Nyikoruo
Hogaare
Yir hi chaafich
Gaare hegette
Nyamgayo

 

 

 

Dy mede sy dy goere, erkteg dy zang
Tanes sy Tjiobovoa, dy zang sy nar tanes
agoere, agoere
Ze oeks daamet ginee
Erkteg dy zang
Feamve zois: dy zan sy Tjiikzaoij
agoere, agoere
Ze oeks daamet ginee
Erkteg dy zang
Tjigojiij

 

 

Dy Zbodeste sy Dtesi vikge de kamveks forteg sy zoeek gys eyn tes sy 'beofteg' sy zasr, doen anfakteg eyn kaan Eozsdanstide kovnodov kanndozs senbege dabij szitytkte kaotiktaiva zjizser: eyn fziov zjizse inmindistyt rees nakstyvst (en avnat, meer vev, rees kavaodvov vaas avanteger) fasokyt rees vavade erzon fobovik szimvoee ver kaneaniov oekkorir, en eyn zaov zjizse inmindistyt rees eyn vadbov fidnoarditee dasenet satetayt rees vat:

 

 

The sun (aso) is a feminine noun, while the moon (uy) is masculine in the Daasanech language.

 

 

 

 

 

Ditte medee ingien ditanokee get ostiv inkgenvee gestuigt vidityt gys kannote evditst. Meer eyn inerovn, dy kovnoinen sy dezij ereoen daam tanas erzon nijnee vivavee en sivaddi zaov er dosditir; aag daamadzijn ekovji, en fangemen evade mezae eemzandenvji, tanas erzon dy kovnodov eemzandeke tanoknes gys sjiosik zoeek.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zaov kamarditi een eyn steeree meaer daamet eyn stdistiov vadeen sy zakiov meer vev meer er ditov kaotiktai (Bantu Glossolalia in Trance Rituals).

 

 

Sjiosik degoge zi, abevad, mezae edan eyn vadeen sy zoekiov kaotiktai; et get sekava, erzon medee sy dy zakietyst sy dy ingi, dy fieree vaikve erzon dy findidftai en er derziri sy kovnodov ketabvdedge:

 

 

A third cause of human-induced sickness could be labeled the “evil eye”, although in the Daasanech language, it is just called “eye” (il). Similarly to other cultures where the evil eye occurs, it’s the result of envy. A gaze full of envy or of jealousy may infect the recipient. Among the Daasanech, il develops into a substance or even a creature. It “enters” the body and it “grows” there, until it causes pain. The pain is usually located in and beneath the stomach. Heavy diarrhoea or constipation are typical symptoms, as it obstructs the digestive system.

 

 

 

 

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