Let's continue with those Superwords, here we are with the next ten:
- tä, -ta: to be (temporary)
- tärä: there is, have got
- raba: can, remain
- rabai: will remain
- rabadre: have to remain
- abokän: to be (permanent), that is
- te: place, in, at
- ne, nete: this, here
- se, sete: that, there
- ye, yete: it, that, there, to
- Tä, -ta: It is actually the same word, but when joined at the end of another it is pronounced "ta" instead of "tä". For instance, "ni jökrä tä nete" o "nita nete" The verb "to be" in Ngäbere works very similar to Spanish, so there is a word for temporary circumstances ("I'm here, but but I might not later") which is this one "tä" (Spanish "estar"), and then there is another word for more permanent circumstances ("I'm a doctor, and I will be for a long time") that is "abokän" (Spanish "ser")
- Tärä: It means "there is", but it is often said that it also means "have got" because when ngäbe people want to say "I've got a car" they actuallly say "There is a car mine" that is "Carro tärä tikwe"
- Raba, rabai, rabadre: It means "remain" in the regular, "will" and "have to" forms. When it is used in the regular form it also means "can", but not in the other forms. For instance:
- "Ti raba blite Ngäbere" > "I can speak Ngäbere"
- "Ti rabai blite Ngäbere" > "I will speak (or will remain speaking) Ngäbere"
- "Ti rabadre blite Ngäbere" > "I have to speak (or have to remain speaking) Ngäbere"
- Abokän: It means "to be" for permanent circunstancies, but it is also used as a nexus between ideas, just like "that" or "so".
- Te: It means "place", "in" or "at". For instance, when you ask a ngäbe where is his family, sometimes they say "jate", that is "ja" > "oneself" joined with "te" > "place, in, at" so his family is "at oneself's place" or at his land in the "Comarca indígena"
- Ye: This word is quite complex, so I will explain it in detail in another lesson.
See all 100 Superwords articles
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