Mong doo!

Harry Needham
Special Advisor - Programme Development
Canadian War Museum
330 Sussex Drive,
Ottawa, Canada
K1A 0M8
Voice: (819) 776-8612  Fax (819) 776-8623
Email: [log in to unmask]

> ----------
> From:         Dr T.K.Eppen[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Reply To:     Museum discussion list
> Sent:         Monday, July 20, 1998 7:27 AM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Re: Help with translation
>
> When C. Columbus first made landfall on the American continent he was
> welcomed by the Miskito indians who live on the Atlantic coast of Honduras
> and Nicaragua. Had he come with good intentions he might have
> experienced their generous " latwan laka ", which means love and
> friendship
> in Miskito.
> Since the Spaniards had blown their chance looking only for "gul"
> and "daimans" and bringing "siknis" but no "daktars", it were "inglis"
> English pirates some decennia later hiding at the "ki's" small islands,
> who
> established friendly relations with the coastal Miskito communities, with
> sometimes desastrous consequences to the "ispail" Spanish fleet.
> The language is still spoken by the people, on "satadi" and "sandi"
> sermons
> at protestant church services are held by the "separd" pastor in
> "miskitu".
> They pray to " holi gad" and "kraist" ,god and Christ, using a translation
> of the German Luther "baibil" bible.
> There are newspapers,radio and merengue-cd's in Miskito, too!
> Miskitia was granted regional autonomy after the Contra - war by the
> central "gabamint" in Managua. After all the bad news
> of indigenous languages and cultures disappearing in North and South
> "Miriki"
> America - here's the the good news:  Miskito language and culture are
> prospering! Many words concerning religion, seafaring, the calendar ecc.
> have been taken from the English language during the long time
> of contact with the pirates. These are now completely felt as
> their own, though it takes still more than one word to express what an
> iceberg is: "Ais (ice) walpaya tarkatara kabu nanira aipaski bara ya ba".
>
>
> yours with latwan laka,
>
> T.K. Eppen
>