How Do You Say?
Posted by Editor in Losungen, tags: foreign languages, gestures, italian for beginners, speak italianGoing to Italy (Italia)?
Got a summer trip planned for Italy and need to learn Italian? Me neither and noep.
But, having no summer plans or plan funds shouldn’t hold you back from learning a foreign language, and Italian is easy. Think not? Think again! Remember, all the best Italian food comes in a box or a can! E-Z.
Most folks have learning issues with spoken languages because of latent urges to say more than is needed. It’s a childhood thing, which means you got it if/when you were childlike.
In learning another old language, as with life, moderation is key. Limit your vocabulary to only what’s needed, and you’ll be able to vini, vidi, vici your way through any encounter.
For me, I’m good to go with only two expressions:
- “You’re crazy!” and,
- “That costs too much!”
In Italian, that up there, goes like this:
- “Sei pazzo!” and,
- “Di lusso!”
I know, it’s still a lot to learn. Fortunately, Italian can be spoken via the fingers. Rather than words, try using gestures as illustrated above, and you will get you through the rest of your life, in Italy or not – guaranteed.
- Tap finger on side of head repeatedly (either side being acceptable).
- Out-stretch hand (one, left or right) and rub finger(s) together.
That’s it, and until next time…
Ciao bella, amigos!
The "Vitarka mudra." Medium: alla prima acrylic on burlap. Artist and genuity unknown, appears by courtesy of Kumar van Pandit, curator, Musee Pundole, Bombay, India.
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I heard from a friend, a one MVS, that in Sweden they only need one expression in any conversation. It is a finger pointing to the speaker or to another person (s) and that means: “Your place or mine.” Please comment on this. I know that you are worldly wise and all knowing and your insights will be very helpful to all travelers.
WVC
Perhaps. But, it has long since we’ve been to Minnesota. TACK SJÄLV!
LVC comes from good pioneer stock. I could not help but noticing in “The Week” issue of July 17, 2009, that the oldest recorded music instrument, the bird flute, was recently unearthed in a discovery made in Germany, dating back 35,000 years. Paleontologically (and pathologically) speaking, one Swedish actor who just happened to be on the scene, (MVS, I think it was) also noticed a rare artifact just beneath the bird flute. This artifact was a round coin, about 3 inches in diameter, and it depicted a thumb and forefinger together forming a circle. Do you think that the early Cro Magnon Man or the Neanderthal Man could have developed hand signals to ward off evil spirits? I ask you this in all seriousness, because of the far reaching implications: If this is true, then surely, nothing is new under the sun, right? Please clear up this important “Dialectical” consideration for me. I must know the answer to this nagging question.
LVC
Yes. We were apprised of this recent unearthing of hollow griffon vulture bone bits, and understand, when assembled, can fashion a flute-like instrument capable of producing musical tones. Such, marking now the eighth similar finding of tenured archaeologist Nicholas Conrad and his devoted team over the recent past several years. Paleolithicaly speaking, given the ubiquity of like artifacts throughout southern European caves, we emote no surprise and relate little social consequence and/or cultural significance to this item of note. However, the gesture depicted in bas-relief to the coin-shaped object would afford credence to your postulate that “nothing is new…” The described shape is that of the “Vitarka mudra,” (see inset above) a common transmission of Buddhist teaching, when applied to currency, symbolizes the value of “not much,” or rather, “zero.” We can therefore safely conclude, and do concur, that today’s relative perceived value of a crude harmonic device is much the same as it was some 35,000 years hence. Ergo, “finders keepers.”