Beginning Iraqi Dialect

[Chuvak]

Here's a beginning Iraqi dialect course. You should have atleast one year of MSA for this to help you.

A few notes:

1. The "kaaf" will sometimes change into a "gaaf". The gaaf looks like a kaaf (you won't see it in this course) but with a second line on top, parallel with the line that is normally there.

2. The "kaaf" will also sometimes change into a "chee". The chee looks like a Ha/jim/kha but with three dots underneath. For example, Ahmed CHelebi's name.

3. The "shiin" will sometimes change into a "chee", but rarely. Shay=Chai (tea).

4. Vowels, especially the alif, are usually deeper than other dialects.


The sound files don't work.

[Chuvak]

Forgot the file.

[TPD1280]

shukhran:)

[Massgrunt]

I just want to add: Shookoo makooo


Starting a basic Arabic class this month, a civilian one. I just want to start yelling "Kef! Kef! Em'Tada!"

[Spinner]

LOL

One of our instructors was from northern Iraq, a Kurd. He tossed that one at us and it stuck. Just a way of saying what's up, but the literal translation was something like "what's with you not with you" or something like that.

The standard response would be Maku shay

[Massgrunt]

This was the sequence in Nasiriyah, as best I can get it phonetically:

A) "Shookoo makooo?"

B) "Kishoo makoo?"

A)"Safia dafia?"

B)"Total gibberish!"

The last part was something I could never begin to repeat, so I would just mumble in a funny way like I was trying half-ased to say it and they'd laugh. I have no idea what any of it means, just that's it's a casual/familiar Iraqi greeting thing. For all I know, I was saying "I loooove the cock." In fact, with their sense of humor, I'm reasonably sure I said that more than once.

My favorite Arabic memory is when I learned the word for embassy. They'd ask how they can go to America and I'd say "Ask at the sifaarah." They'd look at me like, gee, thanks for all your help.

I asked my Dad to send me an Arabic phrasebook, and he sends me "The Lonely Planet Guide to Beruit Nightclubs", or something equally useless. But it actually came in handy.

[Anouar]

Software:
Learn to read and write arabic (http://www.declan-software.com/arabic/index.htm)


On-screen Arabic keyboard (http://www.zeitun-eg.org/keyb.htm)

[Chuvak]

Note, it should be pronounced, "shako mako," because it resonates better. But technically it's written, "shiko mako" (I don't know where you got the shoo).

The question word is "shino" which can always be shortened and attached to the subject like this: "shi-" That's why it should be "shiko mako." The word for "thalik/hunak" in Iraqi is "Ako" but the "a" disappears.

"Ma" is negation. So "mako" is the negation of "ako."

The response should be mako shii (not shay, that sounds like "tea").

Literal translation:

"What is there/isn't there?"

Response: "There is nothing."

Or:

"What's going on and what isn't going on."

Response: "Nothing is going on."

It's supposed to be pretty humorous... not that you'll get a giggle out of anyone by saying it.

My instructor is an Iraqi defector.

[Massgrunt]

I'm no linguist, so the pronounciation is beyond me. We just had "pointy-talkies" and the locals coaching us.

Pretty interesting to learn what it actually means. I think the Iraqis have a pretty good sense of humor. I don't want to sound like someone who's "gone native", but we were in Nasiriyah at the beginning, and it was very relaxed with the locals. Unfortunately not an experience many had.

[Ace]

Ù�اث خىمهىث سØ_ثممهىل Ø_قخلقشة هس Ø_قثÙ�Ù�غ ؤخخم

[Chuvak]

لا ا�همك ماذا ا�سْتَخْدَمَت
"encoding"?

؟اوَلت أن استخدم

"Unicode (UTF-8)"

[None]

If you have a good understanding of MSA, the following will help with Iraqi dialect....although, you'll still find that there are variations throughout different parts of the country. Despite that, this still forms a solid background.

Basics of Iraqi Arabic
http://onlinelearning.lingnet.org/BIA/data/loader.htm

Language Survival Kit
http://oef.monterey.army.mil/lsk/languages/Iraqi/basic/online/current/default.html

Iraqi Arabic
http://www.culturalorientation.net/iraqi/iarabic.html

Mesopotamian Dialects
http://arabworld.nitle.org/texts.php?module_id=1&reading_id=113&sequence=3