The Kayan language is one of the major languages of Borneo.It is spoken not only in Sarawak ,Malaysia ,but over a much larger area in Indonesian Kalimantan .Unlike some other Bornean languages,Kayan retains a large measure of uniformity over all this area.
[edit ] Pronunciation guide Kayan is an easy language to learn. Kayan language contains a lot of loanwords from Malay , English,Chinese ,Iban and many other local languages. There are no tones or gender observed in daily conversation with the Kayans. Note that in Malaysia, the Kayan Baram and Kayan Rejang dialect is nearly unintelligable with each other. Generally,Kayan would be referred to as Kayan Baram. This phrasebook is dedicated solely to Kayan Baram dialect.
[edit ] Vowels a like 'a' in "father"
ê like 'e' in "vowel" (schwa)
e, é like 'e' in "bed"
i like 'ee' in "beet"
o like 'ow' in "low",without the "w" sound
u like 'oo' in "hoop", in open positions,such as in final "uh" and "uk" combinations.
[edit ] Consonants b like 'b' in "bed"
c like 'ch' in "China"
ch old spelling of c
d like 'd' in "dog"
f like 'ph' in "phone"
g like 'g' in "go"
h like 'h' in "help"
j like 'j' in "jug"
k like 'c' in "cat"; at ends of words, a glottal stop like the stop some people use to pronounce "something" as "sump'n."
kh like 'ch' in "loch" or 'c' in "cat."
l like 'l' in "love"
m like 'm' in "mother"
n like 'n' in "nice"
p like 'p' in "pig"
q like 'q' in "quest" (most commonly with "u", and only in Arabic borrowings)
r like 'rh' in "rheumatism"
s like 'ss' in "hiss"
sy like 'sh' in "sheep"
t like 't' in "top"
v like 'ph' in "phone" (rarely used)
w like 'w' in "weight"
x like 'cks' in "kicks"
y like 'y' in "yes"
z like 's' in "hiss", like 'z' in "haze", like 'dg' in "edge"
[edit ] Common diphthongs [edit ] Phrase list [edit ] Basics Hello. Kenun dengah. (ka-NOON-dunk-AH )
Hello. (informal ) Nun dengah. (NOON-dunk-AH )
How are you? Sayu ka ika' ya? ( ? )
Fine, thank you. Sayu ka akui,. ( )
What is your name? Kenun aran ka du? ( ? )
My name is ______ . ______ aran kui. ( _____ . )
Nice to meet you. Sayu kenep deng pepsuk dahim. ( )
Please. Tulung. ( )
Thank you. Trimak kasih/Sayu kenep men ikak/ikam lim/kelo. ( )
You're welcome. Sayu kenep ka mn ika lahuh. ( )
Yes. Ie. ( )
No. Nusik/Usik. ( )
Excuse me. (begging pardon ) Akei asi. ( )
I'm sorry. Akei asi kui. ( )
Goodbye Pepsuk la'an. ( )
Goodbye (informal ) Bai. ( )
I can't speak name of language [well]. Nusi kui jam/haman duan dahun Kayan[lan-lan ]. ( [ ] )
Do you speak English? Jam ika' duan dahun urang puti du? ( ? )
Is there someone here who speaks English? Tek hi hi hak inih jam duan dahun urang puti du? ( ? )
Help! Tulung! ( ! )
Look out! Jaga! ( ! )
Good morning. Selamet jehima. ( )
Good evening. Selamet ngedau. ( )
Good night. Selamet malem. ( )
Good night (to sleep ) Selamet malem. ( )
I don't understand. Nusi kui jam. ( )
Where is the toilet? Ha' hino' jaben du? ( ? )
[edit ] Problems Leave me alone. Meng kasau akui. (... )
Get lost! Lap im! ("...")
Don't touch me! Meng gem akui! (... )
I'll call the police. Akui seng bara pulis anih. (... )
Police! Pulis! (... )
Help! Tulung! ("...")
Stop! Rapist! Meng lap! Kelunan buling ketamak! ("...")
Stop! Thief! Meng lap! Kelunan nakau! (... )
I need your help. Akui pelu lan ikak tulung akui. (... )
It's an emergency. Hen dekaya anih..mesti salet. (... )
I'm lost. Lingok kui. (... )
I lost my bag. Padek beg kui. (... )
I lost my wallet. Padek beg sin kui. (... )
I'm sick. Perah kui. (... )
I feel dizzy. Perah kahung kui. ("...")
I've been injured. Ga' kui. (... )
I'm bleeding. Daha kui. ("...")
I need to see a doctor. Akui pelu jupak duktun. (... )
Can I use your phone? Deng akui pakei/pijam telifon ika' ya? (... )
[edit ] Numbers 0 Kusung
1 Ji
2 Duak
3 Telok
4 Pat
5 Limak
6 Nem
7 Tusu
8 Sayak
9 Pitan
10 Pulu
11 Puli ji
12 Pulu duak
13 Pulu telok
100 Ji atuh
110 Ji atuh pulu
111 Ji atuh pulu ji
1,000 Ji libuk
10,000 Pulu libuk
11,000 Pulu ji libuk
100,000 Ji atuh libuk
1,000,000 Ji juta
10,000,000 Pulu juta
100,000,000 Ji atuh juta
1,000,000,000 Ji biliun / Ji libuk juta
number _____ (car, bus,house etc. ) (kelita', bes,uma ) lubun _____ (... )
half ji hunang (... )
less kurang (... )
more lebih (... )
roughly (more or less) lebih kurang
now kerei nih (... )
later na'a (... )
before em pian (... )
after uh / uh anih (... )
morning jehima
afternoon belua dau
evening levi
night malem
[edit ] Clock time one o'clock AM pukun ji jehima (... )
two o'clock AM pukun dua' jehima (... )
noon belua dau (... )
one o'clock PM pukun ji levi (... )
two o'clock PM pukun dua' levi (... )
midnight belua malem (... )
[edit ] Duration _____ second(s) _____ siken (SEE-khen )
_____ minute(s) _____ minit (MI-nit )
_____ hour(s) _____ jam (jahm )
_____ day(s) _____ dau (DHAW )
_____ week(s) _____ migu (MEE-goo )
_____ month(s) _____ bulan (BOO-lahn )
_____ year(s) _____ duman (dhu-MAHN )
_____ hour(s) and _____ minute(s) If the minute is in numbers, _____jam _____ minit. If the minute is expressed as a fraction of the hour e.g two and a half hour: dua jam ji unang.
today dau anih (... )
yesterday dahlem
the day before yesterday dahlem dahlem dih / dau em pian men dahlem dih
tomorrow jima
the day after tomorrow jima jima / jima atih / dua' dau la'an
three days after today telo dau la'an
this week migu anih
last week migu areh
next week migu atih
Sunday Dau Migu / Dau Tusu
Monday Dau Ji
Tuesday Dau Dua'
Wednesday Dau Telo'
Thursday Dau Pat
Friday Dau Lima'
Saturday Dau Nem
[edit ] Months January Bulan Ji
February Bulan Dua'
March Bulan Telo'
April Bulan Pat
May Bulan Lima'
June Bulan Nem
July Bulan Tusu
August Bulan Saya'
September Bulan Pitan
October Bulan Pulu
November Bulan Pulu Ji
December Bulan Pulu Dua'
[edit ] Writing time and date [edit ] Writing time 1.00 pukun ji
1.01 pukun ji ,ji minit
1.15 pukun ji ,pulu lima minit
1.20 pukun ji ,dua' pulu minit
1.30 pukun ji ji unang / pukun ji telo' pulu minit
1.40 pukun ji pat pulu minit
1.45 pukun ji pat pulu lima' minit / Pulu lima' minit jeleng pukun dua'
As in Malay ,the hours are written from zero to 12. So 06.00 PM is written as 6.00PM.
First one should write the day, after that the month and then the year,as in Malay
September 3rd 1986 3hb September 1986 : 03/09/1986 ; 3/9/1986
[edit ] Colors Kayan have limited names for color.For example the word "Nyemit" can mean either blue,yellow or green.
black pitem (')
white puti (POO-te )
red bela (')
blue nyemit lagit (')
yellow nyemit (')
green nyemit uro' (')
orange urin (')
purple nyemit uvek lan / papel (')
brown lah tana(')
[edit ] Transportation [edit ] Bus and train How much is a ticket to _____? Kuri legah tiket tei ha' _____? (')
I want to buy one ticket to _____. Akui ngenep bele' ji tiket tei ha' _____. (')
Where does this car/bus go? Kelita' / Bes anih tei ha' ino' du? (')
Where is the car/bus to _____? Ha' ino' kui deng ala kelita'/bes tei ha' _____ du? (... )
Does this car/bus stop in _____? Tren/bes anih ngeta' ha'_____ du? (... )
What time does the car/bus leave for _____? Pukun kuri kelita'/bes anih leka' tei ha' _____ du? (... )
When will this car/bus arrive in _____? Pukun kuri kelita' / bes anih ateng ha' _____ du? (... )
[edit ] Directions How do I get to _____ ? Nuno seng tei ha'_____ ? (... )
...the bus station? ...padang bes?
...the airport? ...padang bilun? (... )
...downtown? ...pasen? (... )
...______ house ... uma ________ ? (... )
Where are there a lot of... Ha' ino' te' kahum... (... )
...hotels? ...hutil / ngavan melo'? (... )
...restaurants? ...kedei kuman? (... )
...sites to see? ...ngavan aleng sayu en lawat / nyineng / tei? (... )
Please show me on the map. Nujo' men akui ha' kelatet anih. (')
street alan (... )
Turn left. Tei pedah ta'o. (... )
Turn right. Tei pedah hulei. (... )
left ta'o (... )
right hulei (... )
straight ahead tutau (... )
towards the _____ jeleng _____ (... )
past the _____ lipes _____ (... )
before the _____ em pian _____ (... )
Watch for the _____. Nyineng _____. (... )
intersection sipang (... )
[edit ] Lodging Sin
[edit ] Eating eat=kuman
[edit ] Shopping [edit ] Driving [edit ] Authority [edit ] Learning more
