Talking about dialogues which are less than useful, I should mention that the main reason I was doing Assamese classes was to help me to learn Nagamese, an Assamese-based creole and the lingua franca of Nagaland.
One book (see picture below) I purchased on my last trip conveniently provided translations of Nagamese words in both English and Sumi. It's probably one of the only resources I have found on Nagamese, but - and no offence to the writer for his work - I've found most of the 'mini-dialogues' in the book rather bizarre.
Given the format of the book, it's difficult to tell when one dialogue ends and another begins, although one can often group together a few lines by context. Often, lines appear to have been inserted in a rather haphazard manner.
Some make sense:
(page 96)
- Gari chalabi.
- Aste chalabi.
- Besi joldi na chalabi.
- Rukhibi.
- Drive the car.
- Drive slowly.
- Don't drive it too fast.
- Stop.
Others don't:
(page 98)
- Aluchhi hua to bhal nohoi.
- Amake nalage.
- Etiya, etiya.
- Mukh bond Koribi.
- Nijor kam sabi.
- To be idle is bad.
- I don't want.
- Presenly (sic), just now.
- Shut your mouth, please.
- Mind your business, please.
Some seem quite rude (like the example right above):
(page 99)
- Apuni heitu rasta laga lamba Kiman ase jane?
- Nai ami pahorise.
- Nodi kiman chowra ase?
- Kele apuni moike jawab nadie?
- Kelemane ami apuni laga samanete bohibole mon nai.
- Do you know the length of that road?
- No, I forgot it.
- How broad is the river?
- Why don't you answer me?
- Because I don't like to sit near you.
But one just screams 'church abuse scandal' (even that wasn't the original intention):
(page 94)
- Itu mej uporte rakhibi.
- Mor laga pichete khara hobi.
- Mej laga niche sabi.
- Dangor lorakhan khela pichete horu lorakhan khelibo pare.
- Put it on the table.
- Stand behind me.
- Look under the table.
- Small boys can play after big boys have played.
Seriously.
One book (see picture below) I purchased on my last trip conveniently provided translations of Nagamese words in both English and Sumi. It's probably one of the only resources I have found on Nagamese, but - and no offence to the writer for his work - I've found most of the 'mini-dialogues' in the book rather bizarre.
Given the format of the book, it's difficult to tell when one dialogue ends and another begins, although one can often group together a few lines by context. Often, lines appear to have been inserted in a rather haphazard manner.
Some make sense:
(page 96)
- Gari chalabi.
- Aste chalabi.
- Besi joldi na chalabi.
- Rukhibi.
- Drive the car.
- Drive slowly.
- Don't drive it too fast.
- Stop.
Others don't:
(page 98)
- Aluchhi hua to bhal nohoi.
- Amake nalage.
- Etiya, etiya.
- Mukh bond Koribi.
- Nijor kam sabi.
- To be idle is bad.
- I don't want.
- Presenly (sic), just now.
- Shut your mouth, please.
- Mind your business, please.
Some seem quite rude (like the example right above):
(page 99)
- Apuni heitu rasta laga lamba Kiman ase jane?
- Nai ami pahorise.
- Nodi kiman chowra ase?
- Kele apuni moike jawab nadie?
- Kelemane ami apuni laga samanete bohibole mon nai.
- Do you know the length of that road?
- No, I forgot it.
- How broad is the river?
- Why don't you answer me?
- Because I don't like to sit near you.
But one just screams 'church abuse scandal' (even that wasn't the original intention):
(page 94)
- Itu mej uporte rakhibi.
- Mor laga pichete khara hobi.
- Mej laga niche sabi.
- Dangor lorakhan khela pichete horu lorakhan khelibo pare.
- Put it on the table.
- Stand behind me.
- Look under the table.
- Small boys can play after big boys have played.
Seriously.
