Summer Lettuce Project at JGTF
Six Ways to Say “Hello” at Juniper Gardens Training Farm
Did you know there are around 7,200 living languages around the world? Of those, only around 12 to 15 are spoken day-to-day at Juniper Gardens Training Farm. However, if you’ve ever run a CSA with vegetables from 20+ growers, you’ll know English can be enough of a challenge day-to-day.
But we’re not complaining. It’s the price we gladly pay for damn good times, and a place where farmers have the chance learn from rich farming traditions found around the world. Over the years, Juniper has hosted families starting farm businesses from Somalia, Myanmar, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Bhutan, Mexico, Sudan, and more.
You might wonder how New Roots staff and farmers work around such complex language barriers. My friends, let me tell you, it’s not easy. Cultivate KC relies heavily on a crack team of interpreters, and something called Plain Language Framework when interpreters aren’t around. It also means everyone learns new ways to say hello!
If you find yourself at the farmers market, or maybe even at Juniper Gardens, here are some of the ways you can reach across the language barrier.
Common Greetings at Juniper Gardens
Burmese:
The official language of Myanmar (Burma), Burmese is also the most widely spoken by New Roots farmers from Southeast Asia.
Common greetings:
- “Min-ga-la-ba sin” (Hello, said by a woman) or “Min-ga-la-ba khin-bah” (Hello, said by a man). The most common and polite greeting, used for elders, teachers, or any public situation.
- “Nikongla” (Hi, how are you?) A common greeting for a public and casual situations.
Falam Chin and Hakha Chin:
Though Burmese is the most widely spoken language among folks from Myanmar, the country hosts around 115 distinct languages from several language families, including 45 dialects of Chin. At Juniper Gardens, the most common dialects are Falam and Hakha Chin.
Common greetings:
- “Hming-thang” (Hello). This is the most common way to say hello in Falam Chin.
- “Na dum muaw?” (Are you well?) A common greeting in Hakha Chin.
Kirundi:
Kirundi is a native African language widely spoken in the country of Burundi. Kirundi is also spoken in countries like Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania due to large refugee populations in those places.
Common greetings:
- “Amakuru?” (What’s the news?)
- “Muraho,” is another neutral greeting suitable at any time of day. Use the singular form, “Uraho,”or use “Muraho” to show respect or when greeting multiple people.
Maay Maay:
Maay Maay is a major dialect of the Somali language, spoken especially among those from cultures found in the eastern Somalia. Maay Maay is spoken by many of the women who made up the first class of New Roots farmers back in 2008!
Common Greetings:
- The traditional Islamic greeting is appropriate when meeting anyone: “As-Salam Alaykum” (May peace be upon you.) The correct response is “Wa ‘alikum assalaam,” (and peace be upon you).
- Note:People generally do not touch those of the opposite gender during greetings unless they are a close family member. Therefore, men should wait until a woman extends her hand first before extending his own hand for a handshake.
Swahili:
Swahili is spoken widely as a lingua franca across East and Central Africa and is especially common in Democratic Republic of Congo. It developed from a trading language as coastal cultures exchanged goods with travelers speaking Arabic, Persian, Portuguese and other languages.
Common greetings:
- “Habari gani?” or just “Habari?” (How are you?) This can be used in both formal and casual settings.
- “Jambo” (Hello) is also common, though often used with tourists and less common among native speakers.
Disclaimer for the Linguistically Curious
Communication is hard. Communicating across a language barrier is very hard. Language is arguably the closest thing to magical powers humans possess, and interpersonal communication is the foundation of what makes life worth living among other humans. This can make trying another language feel high stakes.
Such experiences can be embarrassing and vulnerable, but they can also be highly rewarding. A fumbled attempt at connection is better than foregoing any connection at all. If it doesn’t work out, move on and try again next time.
If languages aren’t your thing, not to worry. Rest assured that food grown in soil is the true universal language. Everyone appreciates a bundle of greens, so next time you’re at the market and point to the collards, a smile and nod will get the message across just fine.
