Dialogue: On the phone
Eli:
Sara tamâne? Sara tamâne?Is Sara there?
Sybilla:
auka, anigalâkKaujuk.auka, anigalâkKaujuk. No, she's stepped out for a little while.
Eli:
Kanga utiniatton?Kanga utiniatton? When will she be back?
Sybilla:
âtsuk. ilinnut uKâlakKujân?âtsuk. ilinnut uKâlakKujân? I don't know. Do you want her to call you?
Eli:
â. â.Yes.
Sybilla:
nomarait sunauvâ? nomarait sunauvâ?What's your phone number?
Eli:
923-5555.923-5555.What's your phone number?
Jâni:
Juliusi tamâne?Juliusi tamâne? Is Julius there?
Matilda:
mânna aullasimajuk.mânna aullasimajuk. He's out of town right now.
Jâni:
utippat uvannut uKâlakKugajattân?utippat uvannut uKâlakKugajattân? Can you have him call me when he gets back?
Matilda:
ahailâ. kinaugaven?ahailâ. kinaugaven? Sure. Can I get your name?
Jâni
Juliusiuvunga. nomuraga 922-1555.Juliusiuvunga. nomuraga 922-1555. This is Jaani. My number's 922-1555.
Vocabulary
uKâlautik
telephone
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uKâlajuk
calls on the phone (he/she...)
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uKâlapvigijaga
calling him (I am...)
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uvanettuk
here (he/she is...)
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tamânejon?
Is she / he there?
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tamânengituk
She / he is not here.
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anigalâttuk
stepped out for a moment (he/she...)
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aullasimajuk
away; out of town (he is...)
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uKâlakKujiniattagâ
Do you want him/her to call you back?
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uKâlapvigigumajân?
Do you want to speak to him/her?
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nilliutilaullagu
Let me speak to him.
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Numurait sunauvâ?
What's your phone number?
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Numaraga una 979-0000.
My phone number is 979-0000
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kinauven?
Can I get your name?
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Grammar
46 » Calling or Writing to Someone
This lesson will look at the grammar you use to call or write someone:
| uKâlapvigivâtit | He/she is calling you. |
| allavigijanga | He/she is writing to him/her. |
To build these phrases:
1. Begin with the basic verb:
| uKâlak- | to call |
| allak- | to write |
2. Add the affix -vik. This is normally used to indicate a place. When it is added to uKâlak- or allak-, it means the person who is being called or written to.
3. Add the affix -gi. It will delete the final -k in -vik:
| uKâlak + vik + gi = | uKâlavigi- |
| allak + vik + gi = | allavigi- |
4. Add the transitive verb ending to indicate who is calling / writing and who is being called or written to:
| uKâlapvigijân ? | Are you calling him/her? |
| uKâlapvigijaga | I am calling him/her. |
| Ippasak uKâlapvigilaukKaatit. | He/she called you yesterday. |
| allavigijangâ ? | Is he/she writing to him/her? |
| allavigijanga | He/she is writing to him/her. |
5. So, when we put all of the pieces together:
uKâla + vi + gi + jaga
We get, as a very literal translation: “I have him as the place I am calling” or, as we would say in English, “I am calling him.”