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:
Qanga utiniatton?Kanga utiniatton? When will she be back?
Sybilla:
Âtsuk. Ilinnut uKâlakKujânÂtsuk. Ilinnut uKâlakKujân? I don't know. Do you want her to call you?
Eli:
Â. Â.Yes.
Sybilla:
Numurait sunauvâ? Numurait sunauvâ?What's your phone number?
Eli:
923-5555
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. Numuraga 922-1555.Juliusiuvunga. Numuraga 922-1555. This is Jaani. My number's 922-1555.
Vocabulary
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fonnik
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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FonniKuniakKagâ?
Do you want him to call you back?
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uKâlapvigigumajân?
Do you want to speak to him?
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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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Nomaraga una 979-0000.
My phone number is 979-0000
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kinauven?
Can I get your name?
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e-mail (I will send him an...)
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e-mail (by ... )
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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:
fonnivigivâtit | She is calling you. |
allavigijanga | He is writing to 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 her? |
uKâlapvigijaga | I am calling her. |
Ippasaq uKâlapvigilaukKaatit. | She called you yesterday. |
allavigijangâ ? | Is he writing to her? |
allavigijanga | She is writing to him. |
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.”