Jayson will be two years old in one month!! Hard to believe in some ways that two years have almost already gone by. We have been a little concerned for his lack of speech. He just learned how to say Papa a few weeks ago and has no sentences except "I go" and "me too" while copying his big sister!! Yesterday we were having lunch with Chris and Diane Marine and Jayson used his default word for what we thought was his attempt to say popsicle.... Aigoba. He usually tries to open the refridgerater and stands there saying "Aigoba, Aigoba" If Mariame, his babysitter is nearby she will give him a popsicle or a piece of cheese or a cookie... Yesterday Chris told us that "Aigoba" is the Dzerma word for "I want it" or "I like it". Poor kid, no wonder he is a late talker, he isn't just processing English, we knew he was surrounded by French because he was only six weeks old when we arrived in Quebec, but we had no idea he was also processing Dzerma, a language Tim and I do NOT know!!
4 comments:
He's got a lot on the go for a little guy! :) My mom was telling me this year that my brother's first words were in Hausa. He was looking at a toad and inquired, "Minene wunun?" Spelling's probably all wrong on that but essentially, "What is this?" It's very interesting what kids pick up.
What a smart cookie! He'll be completely bilingual or maybe even tri-lingual by the time he comes back for furlough.
Cute pics.
LYM
what a smart cookie he is! Does that mean I'm going to have to learn a few tribal phrases to be able to talk to my own nephew?? What's Dzerma for "I love you and I miss you?"
Does Chris Marine speak Dzerma?
Give the boy a popsicle - It's hot over there!!
Actually, Jenn, it is taboo to say "I love you." in Djerma. The language teacher (whose mother tongue is Djerma) told us that he tells his wife he loves her in French because it is taboo to say it in Djerma. I am not sure if that means there is no way to say it or if it brings "bad luck" or something... This man is a Christian so I am guessing that there is no Djerma word for love... very sad, eh?
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