Fun with Dayak Languages

Wow...! *chuckles*

It seems that my last post generated quite a bit more interest than I expected. If you are foreign or otherwise unfamilliar with the Melanau language, go here. Go ask Shook to translate for you. Or Aida.

I was supposed to post yesterday about something totally different yesterday. I wanted to talk about blogger burnout and Spidey 2, which I saw with Leon (my cousin) on Tuesday night. It was a good movie. I didn't post because I was at Leon's office and he wanted to show me Star Wars Galaxies. Very nice game. I saved yesterday's post as a draft and was going to continue today but I read my comments and thought this topic is more fun.

How come I never write in Iban ? Same question I'm asking myself. Okay there are few excuses I can make. Firstly, despite being Iban I don't write well in Iban. That's because I didn't take Iban in secondary school (Iban is offered as a elective in some highshools here, although not at St. Thomas' apparently). I don't even speak Iban as purely as some of my friends. My Iban is a mish-mash of at least two different Iban dialects, the Sri Aman Iban and the Lundu Iban and maybe a smattering of words from other Iban dialects (Sibu, Betong/Saratok ?). Purists will tell me off for having a "impure" dialect/accent. I don't speak Iban as well as English actually *embarassed*.

Secondly, I want this blog to be internationally accessible. I could write in "rojak" (mixed) language but I don't know how. I'm not as "terrer" (good) as Lizzy. If you want to read hilarious posts written in English/Malay go and check her out.

Varying languages, one of the cool things about being a Iban in Sarawak. You hear and can learn so many languages, it's mind boggling. Even dialects are different from one another, although technically they are the same language. Like Bidayuh, one race (again technically) but SEVEN completely different languages (Serian, Bau, Padawan etc. I can't remember the rest). And various Iban dialects, same language, but not the same at the same time.

Spend time with enough Iban friends and you will hear Lundu/Sibuyau, Simanggang, Betong/Saratok, Sibu etc. All the same, but different enough to be obviously different.

And I haven't mentioned the Orang Ulu peoples yet. Mainly because I don't know many of them and therefore my knowledge of their language is non-existent.

And finally....

aku suah berunding nama kebuah bala kitai Iban tauka suku bansa Dayak bukai (lebih agi ba menua Sarawak tu) enda entu ka nguji ngereja pengawa IT tauka utai bukai ti bisi kena menegna enggau komputer ? Selama aku udah gawa nyadi technician IT, aku jarang sekali betemu ka bala kitai ba pengawa IT tu. Aku ingat maia aku agi sekula ba UTM suba, kelas Dipl. Comp. Sci. aku bisi lebih ari 300 nembiak. Aku siku ajak Iban enggau bisi siko indu Kenyah. Dua Dayak dalam 300. Nama kebuah nemu bakanya ? Engka diatu udah maioh agi, tang aku bedau agi tepeda.

*Apu, tusah amat ka nulis dalam jako Iban tu. (Translation: Wow, it's so hard to write in the Iban language.) I need to practise. Maybe I should hook up with a girl from some remote longhouse so I can write her sappy love letters. In Iban...

And are there any Bidayuh's out there who blog ?

*This post was reedited for grammar & spelling.