CHAPTER TWO: Lesson 4

The next lesson would assume that we leave the house after breakfast so the focus is on greetings. In Tałtan we do not greet with a ‘good morning to you’. Instead we comment on the morning as being good.

 
Task One: Leaving the house

a.)  Comment:  Cha-chō-lo-n hoti’e (Morning, it is Great).

b.)  Response:  Ē Cha-chō-lo-n hoti’e (Yes, morning, it is Great).



Task Two: General conversation 1

In any situation, the following question is - What’s up? But in Tałtan we would say: “What are you doing?”

a.)  Ralph, Question:  Duda ān-t’īni (What are you doing?).

b.)  John, Response:  Band office ho-tsi’ dēsāl (Band Office, to I am going)

or, alternatively John could say:

c.)  John:  Edu ye'ast'in (Nothing, I'm doing).

 And then John could ask:

 a.)  Yeda  ga-di'īn-ła (What’s on your mind?).

 b.)  Ralph:  Edū ti’e ane-t’e (not too much.)

 Learn these phrases and sentences and then practice the individual parts with a partner. Make arrangements with a fellow student and practice the conversation by switching roles.

Task Three: General conversation 2

a.) Question:  Duda adīnt’īli (What are you going to do?)

b.) Response:  An-dēsālt (I’m going home).

c.) Question:  Elvis dah edīnts'ega (You heard about Elvis?).

d.) Response:  Duwe, es-don-dech (No, tell me).

e.) Response:  Elvis ta-se-tsā-ni (Elvis died)

f.) or, alternative response:  Elvis ta-dāh (Elvis got hurt).

g.) Question:  Duda a-hu-ja (How it happened?)

h.) Response:  Edū me’es-dih (I don’t know).

Task Four: Where are you going?

a.) Question:  De’ede dīn-dāłi (Where you going?).

b.) Response:  E-dli ki-me hotsi’ dēsał (Mother’s house I’m going).

c.) Question:  Ye-daga (What for?).

d.) Response:  Edēs-tsetl (I’m gonna eat).

e.) Question:  Yeda dīn-tset-le (What are you gonna eat?).

f.) Response:  Tāzeł dēs-tsetl (I gonna eat soup).