“For me, studying language and culture separately is nonsense; one always includes the other.”
Languages connect me to others
Last week I had a terrible yet fascinating experience with Somali language and culture. A young son of Somali parents tragically died near us. In community solidarity, my family went to the local mosque for the funeral. At the funeral were hundreds of Somalis, plus a handful of non-Muslim community members.
My main reason for going was solidarity with the family and community, but I would have liked an opportunity to chat in Somali. The crowds of people constantly moving and the fact that very few people would look me in the eye didn’t allow me to practice my Somali, but that was not a big deal considering my purpose for coming. I greeted a few people in Somali, and thanked them. Beforehand I learned the Somali idiom used at funerals, Allaha u naxariisto “God have mercy.” This is a direct translation of the…
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