Monday, September 22, 2014

"Pamɛbhamɛ" article on ebola

A monthly journal in the Dan language of Côte d'Ivoire named Pamɛbhamɛ features a short article on ebola, which I reproduce below. Thanks to Prof. Valentin Vydrine of LLACAN for sharing this and background on the journal.

Dan is a Mande language spoken by around a million people mainly in western Côte d'Ivoire, but also across the border in Liberia, with a few speakers also in Guinea. The language has two dialects - eastern (Dan-Gwɛɛtaa or Gwɛɛtaawu) and western (Dan-Blo or Blowo) - and Pamɛbhamɛ correspondingly has two editions. The journal has just recommenced publication after a hiatus of three years since the death of the editor of the Eastern Dan version, Kessé "Alphonse" Mongnan in 2011. That version has a new chief-editor, Emmanuel Zeh, and the Western Dan version is again being edited by Japhet Loh. According to Prof. Vydrine, Pamɛbhamɛ is the currently only African language periodical in Côte d'Ivoire.

The article below from Pamɛbhamɛ (No. 40) is in Eastern-Dan. The dashes ("-") and equal signs ("=") are used to indicate tones.


-Kwaa “Kɔdivua -sɛ ‘gü -wɔn
-Tiaandhö, kö -kë “klʋ̈ʋ̈klëë -sü -yö kë kwa –gɔ bha ‘aa –yö kë!

Kwa –bha “kɔdivua –dhɛ -todhʋ̈sü ‘gü, kwa –bha “dhiʋ̈sükwakamɛ -nu ‘wo kwa –gɔ “sɛ ya- ‘gü, -ang –lookotasü -wo wo ‘gü dɔ -ni ‘gü “gbɩɩ- “sɛgümɛ -nu =zo =kpaɔ -sü ‘gü, kë “dhʋ̈ kö Ebola –yua bha, ‘ya ‘dho –da kwa –gɔ “sɛ ya- ‘gü.

BHƲ̈Ʋ̈NË ‘WO- -DHƐ EBOLA BHA, -KAA –NU KË -KƆ –NU -GA

“Yua –zë -a -së ‘bhaa ‘dhö. Kwa
-mɛnu –wa pö ‘wɔn yaa –yö -dhö, ‘yö -a yaagüyaa ‘dhö ‘dhö. -A  –k̈ë “dhʋ̈ -sü bha- ‘gü, ‘yua yaa –yënngsü ‘ö =ya zun kwa –-bha “kɔdivua –sɛ ‘ka klöö- bha, wa –dhɛ EBOLA. “yua ‘ö “dhʋ̈ bha, mɛbhɩɩdhe “gblüdo ö -ta “saɔdhu “sima =në =ya- -nu zë. “yua ‘kö “dhʋ̈ bha ‘ö zun =dɛɛ -bha –a -bɛdhɛ ‘yaa ‘dho. Mɛbhɩdhe –duda -yua =dede –mü. Ebola –yua ‘kö “dhʋ̈ bha, =ya –ya ‘mɛ ‘ö- -bha “nɛnɛ “gbɩɩ- =në nu –a –mɛ -ta, ‘yö- -mɛ -yö -pe =dedewo, ‘yö- -mɛ -gɔ -ya –pʋ̈ʋ̈=dhɛ ‘gbanggɔ ‘dhö, ‘yö =yɔɔn bhɔ mɛ -bha, kö- -mɛ “glü ziö -ni ‘gü. ”Yua gbɛ -lokotasü -sü -mü“ɛ vlannggeedhö
-A EBOLA –yua kö bha  -wa-sü mü =dhɛ?
kwɩɩ” –mɛ -nu ‘ka =dɔ bha, ‘wɔn =ya da kö pë =ya siʋ̈” mɛ -bha.
-A –kë “dhʋ̈ -sü bha- ‘gü, EBOLA –yua bha -wa –sü “blü -wi –nu =në- -bha. “Fɛnng –nu oo, -Vë -nu oo, Gbɔng –nu, Zua –nu oo, “Sɔɔ -nu oo, “Tɩ -nu oo, “blü -bhɔɔ -nu.
‘Mɛ ‘ka yö ‘waa- pö “saa- =ya zun =Tɔ “puu –bha, =Gan “puu ‘yaa- “yʋʋ ‘sü. =Ya kë “dhʋ̈, -yö tɛɛwɔn ‘ka =dhɛ =Danwopö -mɛ -nu –zë wü =në- -dhɔ ‘dhö kwa –kë, “kɛɛ -kwa kwa bo “blüwü -nu =bhösü ‘ka. –Ka bhɔ wü =gee suu =gban –suu =gban =dhɛ taa.
MƐA- -KË MU =DHƐ
EBOLA –YUA –MƐ -GƆ ?

=ya kë dhɛ ‘ka- yö kö  “nɛnɛ “gbɩɩ- =ya nu –a –mɛ -ta, kö- -mɛ -yö -pe =dedewo, ‘yö- -mɛ -gɔ -ya –pʋ̈ʋ̈ =dhɛ ‘gbanggɔ ‘dhö, ‘yö =yɔɔn bhɔ mɛ -bha, kö- -mɛ “glü ziö -ni ‘gü. –ka –dhɔtrɔɔ -nu –dhɛ “vaandhö. ‘waa –zuö -a –mɛ -bha. –Dhɔtrɔɔ -nu –bha “nimlɔɔ ‘ö ‘waa- =saabho yö =nɛ, 143 ɛɛn” 401
-KWAA KË -SË KÖ -YÖ KË -SË.
‘Mɛ ‘wo “yua bha- dɔ -wa –pö =ya kë =dhɛ mɛ ‘bha =ya ga ebola -yua bha- -kɔ ‘ka, ‘ka ‘dho –zuö -a –mɛ =gee –bha. –ka bhɔ- ‘ka taa =glɛɛn. -kaa –a  –bhasɔ -nu, -a wɔta –pë -nu =gban =pia “pɛɛpɛdhö.
-Yö ‘to kwa “yaan =dhɛ, “yua ‘ö- -kë ‘gü -kɔ -kë =dhɛ -kɔ bha- ‘dhö bha, ‘pë ‘wo- -da aa’ mi ‘gü ‘yaa –wa.
–A –WƆN ‘GÜ KWA –DHO –TOSƐA KË ‘MÜ =DHƐ KWA ‘KO “PIƲ̈?
-dhɔtrɔɔ -nu –wa -pö =dhɛ Ebola –yua ‘kö “dhʋ̈ bha, ‘ö ‘mɛ ‘kö- -bha, kaa- -mɛ ‘ka =kɔ -da ka ‘ko =kwɛɛ- kö ‘bha- ‘sü, ɛɛn” ‘zü kaa- -mɛ ka =loo ka kwëë- kö ‘bha- ‘sü. –a -gɛn –mü =dhɛ -yö ‘fuëyi ‘ö mɛ -bha –a ‘gü.
-A -kë “dhʋ̈ -sü bha- ‘gü, dha ‘yaa mɛ -zo –da ‘yaa mɛ -ma. –ka –dhio dɔ kaa- ‘në -ta, kaa- ‘kɔɔ -mɛ -nu –ta, ka =kɔɔnmɛ -nu –ta, ‘ka- pö ka dɔ -mɛ -nu –dhɛ.
-ƐƐ, KÖ KWA –BHAA –YÖ KË ‘WƆNSË ‘KA BHA ‘AA –YÖ KË!

EBOLA –YUA
EBOLA –YUA ‘KÖ “DHƲ̈ -YÖ KWA –GƆ MƐTII -SƐ YA- ‘GÜ -EE?

1 comment:

Don said...

Valentin Vydrine has this clarification regarding varieties of the Dan language. The "two varieties" refer to eastern and western Dan: "there is a great number of Dan dialects (more than 40), and the two varieties you mention are the written standard languages selected for alphabetization in Cote d'Ivoire. As far as I can judge, the Liberian Dan is close to the Western Dan of Cote d'Ivoire; on the other hand, there is a Kla-Dan language in the North (to the east of Tuba in Cote d'Ivoire, but also in Guinea, somewhere between Beyla and Sinko) which is different from both."