Various useful expressions in Ingush
Expressions below are set out in three lines: the Ingush expression; a linguistic interlinear (word meanings in lower case, grammatical information -- abbreviations -- in capitals); and the translation. Abbreviations are given at the end.
Links:
- Hello
- Other greetings
- Greetings in special social contexts
- Goodbye
- Please, thank you, etc.
- Miscellaneous requests
- Phone call
- Ordering in a restaurant
- Miscellaneous
- Abbreviations
(1) "Hello." Da dika xalda hwa. (reply) Hwa 'a xalda da dika.
Da dika
xalda hwa.
day good may it be you
day good be.SBJ.D 2s.GEN
'Hello', 'Good day'. (Lit.
'May you have a good day'. 'May your day be good.')
Hwa 'a xalda da dika.
2s.GEN &
be day good
(Lit. 'May you have a good day too.')
Intonation and prosody of this expression: Prosodically, it is broken down into two phrases. The first word of each phrase has phrasal accent (high pitch), the second low pitch. The second phrase starts (and ends) lower than the first. In the following notation ´ = high pitch, ` = low pitch, and the height of the accent marks indicates the overall declination.
Da dika xalda
shyn.
you.pl-GEN
'Hello' (to two or more people)
(2) Other greetings.
Wijra
dika xajla ;
hwa.
Reply: Hwa 'a xajla wijra dika.
morning good be.SBJ.-J you-GEN
'Good morning'
Sejra dika xajla
hwa.
Reply: Hwa 'a xajla sejra dika.
evening
'Good evening'
Biisa deaq'ala xajla
(hwa).
night peaceful
'Good night'
(3) Greetings in special social contexts.
Form of greeting used only between men (from Arabic):
Assalaam
walejkum. Reply: Vaa walejkum salaam.
When a youth or young adult has said 'good morning', 'good day', or 'good evening' to an older person, the elder answers like this:
Duqa
vaaxalva
(hwo).
Plural: Duqa daaxalda (sho).
much V.live.SBJ you.sg-NOM
May you live long (to man)
Duqa jaaxiila (hwo).
J.live.SBJ
M live long (to woman)
When a person in (say) his or her 30's has greeted the older person, the elder's response is:
Maarsha-ca vaaxalva
(hwo).
Plural : Maarshaca daaxalda (sho).
peace-with V.live.SBJ you.sg-NOM
lit. May you live with
peace.
(same, said to two or more people)
(4) Goodbye.
Guddy vaj.
see.D.FUT 1pIN
'See you.' (lit. 'We'll see
(each other)')
Wa dika xajla
remain.INF good be.SBJ.J
Goodbye. (Lit. 'May your remaining
be well')
(5) Please, thank you, etc.
Barkal.
Thanks. (e.g. when someone
has just handed you something)
Barkal
xalda hwuona
Thanks be-SBJ you-DAT
Thanks. (In general.)
(Lit. 'Thanks be to you')
Saagha xalda hwa.
mercy/charity be.SBJ.D 2s.GEN
Thank you very much. God bless you.
(Expression of deep gratitude, or gratitude for food or hospitality.)
Deala reaza xalda hwuona.
God.GEN agreement be.SBJ.D
2s.DAT
Thank you very much.
'Excuse me', 'pardon me' is literally 'Don't take offense'. It is used to excuse yourself for small social offenses (stepping on someone's foot, walking in front of someone at a concert) and for initiating a conversation with a stranger or person you don't know well.
Biexk my baaqqalahw.
offense NEG B.take.IMPV
Excuse me.
There is no word for 'please' in Ingush. Where English uses 'please', Ingush uses the mild, or polite, imperative.
Plain imperative:
Niw hwajiela!
door DX-J.open
Open the door! (Command, warning, order, etc.)
Polite imperative:
Niw hwajielal.
(Please) open the door. (Request, suggestion.)
(The mild imperative suffix is -al, with high pitch.)
Even more polite, for a person you don't
know well:
Biexk my baaqqalahw, niw hwajielal.
Excuse me, could you please open the door?
The phrases boqq'al and deallahw, both roughly 'for heaven's sake', underscore a request more strongly. Either of the following could be said to ask someone to quiet down, quit swearing, turn down a blaring radio, or otherwise stop behaving disruptively:
Boqq'al, sacal.
stop.IMPV
Please stop. For heaven's sake stop
it.
Deallahw sacal.
stop.IMPV
(6) Miscellaneous requests
Tilifon tuoxa megagjii?
phone strike.INF may.FUT.J=Q
May I use your phone?
Megagjy.
may.FUT.J
OK. (Yes.) (lit. '(you) may')
(7) Phone call. (Musa calls to speak to Ahmed or Ahmed's brother Mahmud. Ahmed's wife Aisha answers the phone.)
Aisha: Aloo?
Hello?
Musa: Wyjra dika xejla hwa.
morning good be.SBJ 2s.GEN
'Good morning.'
So Muusaa vy (Axriijev).
1s Musa V.be.PRS (Akhriev)
This is Musa.
(If he knows they have more than one acquaintance named Musa he adds his last name after
an intonation break.)
or:
So Axriijev Muusaa vy.
This is Musa Akhriev.
(If he knows them less well he gives his full name at the start.)
Fy diezh dy sho?
what D.do-PRG 2p
How are you (all)? (Lit. 'What are you
(all) doing?')
Aisha: Hwama diezh daac.
(any)thing D.do-PRG.NEG
Fine. (Lit. 'We're not doing anything.)
Musa: Mogazh dii?
well D.be=Q
Are you (all) well?
Aisha: Dwadoax.
DX-D.live.PRS
We're fine. (Lit. 'We're living.')
Hwo fy diezh vy?
2s what D.be V.PRG
How are you?
Musa: Hwama diezh vaac.
(any)thing D.do-V.PRG:NEG
I'm fine. (Lit. 'I'm not doing anything.')
Ahwmad c'agha vii?
Ahmed home V.be=Q
Is Ahmed at home?
Aisha:
Vaac.
;
or: C'agha vaac.
V.be:NEG.PRS
home V.be:NEG.PRS
No.
; He's not home.
or: Vaac. Balxa vy.
work.ADV V.be.PRS
No, he's at work.
or: Balxa vaxaa c'agha
vaac.
work.ADV V.go.CV home V.be:PRS.NEG
He's not here, he's gone to work.
Musa: Mahwmud vii c'agha?
Mahmud V.be.PRS=Q home
Is Mahmud there?
Aisha: Vy. Aaz handz hwaviex.
V.be.PRS 1s.ERG now DX-V.call.PRS
Yes. I'll call him.
(to Mahmud) Muusaa vy hwuoga tilifon jiettazh.
Musa V.be.PRS 2s.ALL phone J.strike:CV
'It's Musa.' (lit. 'It's Musa (for) you, calling.)
(High pitch on progressive tense auxiliary vy, since it has been moved away from its normal position after the verb. Following it, hwuoga has markedly low tone. Tilifon is back up to the normal pitch for a phrase-initial word.)
Mahmud (on phone): Wassalaam walejkum.
Hello.
Musa: Vaa walejkum salaam. Fy diezh dy sho?
Hello. How are you?
Mahmud: Hwama diezh daac.
Fine.
Musa: Mogazh dii?
Are you (all) well?
Mahmud: Dwadoax. Sho fy diezh dy?
We're fine. How are you?
Musa: Hwama diezh daac.
We're fine.
Mahmud: Kerda hwama dii?
new (any)thing D.be:PRS=Q
Is anything new?
Musa: Hwama daac.
No, everything's fine.
Mahwmud, Suultaan mogazh voacazh c'agha vy.
Mahmud Sultan
well V.be:NEG.CV home V.be.PRS
Mahmud, Sultan is home sick.
Qoana cynna hwalxar balxa vaxa vwaashtahw_daga_dar=ii hwa?
tomorrow 3s.DAT instead work.ADV V.go.INF
substitute=Q 2s.GEN
Could you work in his place tomorrow?
Mahmud: Biexk cy boaqqazh xalalahw,
offense NEG B.take.CV be.IMPV.FUT
I'm very sorry,
qoana Pwleaq'ongjii jurta vaxa viezazh
tomorrow Plievo town.ADV V.go.INF
V.should.CV
ch'woagha cwa ghulaq dar sy.
very one matter
D.be.IMP 1s.GEN
tomorrow I have to go to Plievo on some urgent
business.
Ahwmad qoana hwamanaga vaxa viezazh vaac.
Ahmed tomorrow (any)thing.ALL V.go.INF
V.should.CV V.be:NEG
Ahmed doesn't have to go anywhere tomorrow.
Aaz cynga addy hwuona.
1s.ERG 3s.ALL say.D.FUT 2s.DAT
I'll ask him (if he can do it). (Lit.
'I'll tell him'.)
(Note: hwuona is not an indirect object but an ethical dative indicating very generally that this statement affects Musa.)
Musa: Barkal. Aaz yz chyviecha
tilifoona tuoxagjy cynga.
Thanks. 1s.ERG 3s in-V.come.CV phone
strike.FUT 3s.ALL
Thanks. I'll call when he gets back.
Wa dika xejla.
Goodbye.
Mahmud: Wa dika xejla.
Goodbye.
(8) Ordering in a restaurant. C = customer, W = waiter.
C. Biexk my baaqqalahw, hwaviel uquza.
W. Fy ieshar shoana?
C. Cwa piela kuofii=je, cwa piela chej=je,
pichienii=ji, cwa ch'iegalgj tort=je.
W. Megead. Aa qy hwama jiez=ii shoana?
C. Jiezac. Or: Barkal, qy hwama
jiezac. Or: Barkal, handz qy hwama jiezac.
(Waiter brings order)
C. Barkal.
Translation and comments, line by line:
C. Biexk my baaqqalahw, hwaviel uquza.
offense NEG B.take.IMPV
DX-V.come.IMPV here
Excuse me, could you please come
over here? (Customer calls waiter over.)
W. Fy ieshar shoana?
what need.IMP 2p.DAT
How can I help
you? (Lit. 'What would you like?')
If the waiter comes over by himself and initiates the conversation he says:
Hwama iesh=ii shoana?
(some)thing need=Q 2p.DAT
Can I help you? (Lit. Do you
need anything? Is there anything you'd like?)
C. Cwa piela kuofii=je, cwa piela chej=je, pichienii=ji, cwa
ch'iegalgj tort=je.
one cup coffee
& one cup tea & cookie(s) &
one piece cake=&
One coffee, one tea, cookies, and a piece of
cake.
W. Megead. Aa qy hwama jiez=ii shoana?
OK. else
(any)thing J.like=Q 2p.DAT
OK. Would you like anything
else?
C. Jiezac.
J.like.NEG
No, we wouldn't.
Or: Barkal, qy
hwama jiezac.
thanks else (any)thing J.like.NEG
No thanks. Thanks, that's all.
Or: Barkal, handz qy
hwama jiezac
thanks now else (any)thing
J.like.NEG
Not for now, thanks. Thanks, that's all
for now.
C. Barkal.
Thanks.
If the customers are older and the waiter younger they may say instead:
Duqa vaaxalva. Or: Barkal, duqa
vaaxalva.
long V.live.SBJ thanks long
V.live.SBJ
May you live long.
(9) Miscellaneous
Ghalghaaj mott
(dika) xaac suona.
Ingush
language well know.NEG 1s.DAT
'I don't know Ingush (very well)', i.e.
'I don't speak Ingush'
Uqaza bolx
byr maarkjaa qy
suona hwama xaac.
here work do.NZ
except else 1s.DAT (any)thing know.NEG
'I don't know, I just work here.'
Abbreviations:
1s first person singular (i.e. 'I',
'me')
1pIN first plural inclusive (inclusive 'we': speaker plus hearer)
2p second person plural (i.e. 'you', 'you
all')
B gender class with b- prefixal
agreement
D gender class with d- prefixal agreement
DAT dative case
DX deictic prefix ('here', 'there', 'up', 'down')
FUT future tense
GEN genitive case
IMP imperfect tense
IMPV imperative
J gender class with j- prefixal
agreement
NEG negative
NZ nominalization, nominalizing suffix
PRS present tense
Q interrogative (question) enclitic
particle
SBJ subjunctive
V gender class with v- prefixal agreement
Boundaries: .
inflectional -
derivational = clitic