We have no word for thank you

[Joe tahkahikew]

In Cree, but more in some other northern first nations, if you are asked for something you are expected to give it. Not like in England or european Canadian where it not too proper to ask for things. So if we are hunting and run short of stuff it is perfectly OK to ask for things from someone you don't know. We will even go short if we don't have enough to give away. Sometimes this can go too far though!!. A long time ago I was out with my father & uncle and we met up with some other first nation group, beaver I think. They said they'd run out of tobacco or cigarettes and asked if uncle had some. He did so he gave them some. Then they asked for more. And this went on until my uncle had no tabacco for himself. Although he willingly gave - it would have been very, very unacceptable for us to refuse, I don't think he was too happy as I remember him making some unkind remarks about them to farther.

Of course we feel gratitude when something is done or given but we just don't say 'thank you' like you always do in English. We do have words to express thank you in our language but we wouldn't use it because it expresses a much greater gratitude than just saying thank you. So we use The French word is used because when we learn that this is what white people say there were only French voyagers & hunters around so we copied their word - Merci!

 

[mrcharly]

Social conventions and courtesies . . .

reminds me of tales from an instructor (call him 'Fred') who worked with people from all over, many countries. On one course there was someone who kept offending the others (english) by standing very close to them when talking, not helped by a diet heavy in garlic. When Fred tactfully approached said someone about this the gentleman thought for a bit and replied

"In my country, if someone doesn't stand close enough for you to smell their breath when talking, we assume they are lying."

I wonder how many business deals, diplomatic negotiations etc have founded on that cultural difference.

 

[Joe tahkahikew]

In Cree, but more in some other northern first nations, if you are asked for something you are expected to give it. Not like in England or european Canadian where it not too proper to ask for things. So if we are hunting and run short of stuff it is perfectly OK to ask for things from someone you don't know. We will even go short if we don't have enough to give away. Sometimes this can go too far though!!. A long time ago I was out with my father & uncle and we met up with some other first nation group, beaver I think. They said they'd run out of tobacco or cigarettes and asked if uncle had some. He did so he gave them some. Then they asked for more. And this went on until my uncle had no tabacco for himself. Although he willingly gave - it would have been very, very unacceptable for us to refuse, I don't think he was too happy as I remember him making some unkind remarks about them to father.

Of course we feel gratitude when something is done or given but we just don't say 'thank you' like you always do in English. We do have words to express thank you in our language but we wouldn't use it because it expresses a much greater gratitude than just saying thank you. So we use The French word is used because when we learn that this is what white people say there were only French voyagers & hunters around so we copied their word - Merci!

 

[bearbait]

My maternal grandmother used to swear in Welsh, in as much as she would use Welsh words when she hurt herself or dropped or broke something. I remember the words, but don't know the translation of them, so they may or may not have been.

A few years ago I worked with some Welsh speakers down in Cardiff. One Monday morning a female colleague was discussing the weekend's rugby with a friend on the phone in Welsh. I was most amused to find that whenever she had cause for an expletive in the conversation she dropped into English for the word or phrase and then back into her native tongue for the remainder of the sentence. A number of times.

 

[santaman2000]

......However, on the flip side, I remember watching an American TV show where they'd stationed cameras next to busy doorways (train stations, mall entrances, etc) in big American cities and had an Ordinary Joe holding the door open to let people in after him. He got a 'thank you' three or four times out of a hundred.....

How old was that show? All of those type places have had automatic doors that are radar controlled for decades now.

No, I think it's cultural. If you hold a door for people in central London (not a place particularly known for courtesy) they'll mostly say 'thank you' as a reflex. In Manhattan, broadly similar in a lot of ways, they won't. That's not because they're more lazy in New York, it's just they don't 'do' thank you there, they'd rather tip a doorman than meet his eye. It's all part of the busy-busy-can't-stop culture there.

It's not all America either, I spent a lot of last summer in Montana and Wyoming and they are very big on politeness out there......

Yeah, that's what Toddy touched on about the difference between bust city environments vs small towns or villages with a slower pace.

 

[Harvestman]

A few years ago I worked with some Welsh speakers down in Cardiff. One Monday morning a female colleague was discussing the weekend's rugby with a friend on the phone in Welsh. I was most amused to find that whenever she had cause for an expletive in the conversation she dropped into English for the word or phrase and then back into her native tongue for the remainder of the sentence. A number of times.

That happens a lot with bilingual people in whatever two languages.

With apologies in advance, my nan used to say "Daro!", which I would associate as 'ouch' or 'drat', or if it was worse "Jawch!". Particularly bad things merited "Jawch an awl!" (written literally from what she said - it may not be correct Welsh). I never asked her to translate. If there are Welsh speakers on here I would be fascinated to know more, even if by PM to avoid the bad language guidelines.

 

[rik_uk3]

My maternal grandmother used to swear in Welsh, in as much as she would use Welsh words when she hurt herself or dropped or broke something. I remember the words, but don't know the translation of them, so they may or may not have been swearing.

Interesting points about the understanding on English speakers about other cultures' words. it seems that English speakers believe that their language is the standard, and deviations from it are regarded as strange. Maybe I think that because I am in an English-speaking culture myself, so that is what I hear all the time.

There is an analogy in music. People I the UK on the whole only seem to listen to music from the UK and America (i.e. in English). People on the continent of Europe seem much more comfortable with music in several languages, of which English is just one. Again, possibly just my perception.

My granny Lloyd (in brum in the 60's) would often shout strange words if something was not right, there are a lot of swear words/phrases in Welsh

 

[Toddy]

….and lots of folks swear and say, "Pardon my French".

 

[santaman2000]

….and lots of folks swear and say, "Pardon my French".

It's all Greek to me.

 

[Joonsy]

In Cree and in the other languages of the north here in Canada there is no words for thank you.

To us, giving, helping and sharing is expected so there is no need to say thank you.

It must be contagious, here in the uk the word ''thankyou'' is heard less and less, in the same way as drivers do not ''wave'' you a thankyou when you give way to them.

It's expected here too, mostly by people who expect it of others but don’t practice it themselves.

On the other hand the word sorry is used all the time, not as an apology but just to get someone to repeat themselves when they haven’t heard properly.

 

[xylaria]

That happens a lot with bilingual people in whatever two languages.

With apologies in advance, my nan used to say "Daro!", which I would associate as 'ouch' or 'drat', or if it was worse "Jawch!". Particularly bad things merited "Jawch an awl!" (written literally from what she said - it may not be correct Welsh). I never asked her to translate. If there are Welsh speakers on here I would be fascinated to know more, even if by PM to avoid the bad language guidelines.

It might be the idiom which I think means come in peace dewch yn (t) awel. I am probably wrong.

I have certainly heard saxon swear words in spoken welsh. This area has reputation for really sloppy spoken welsh with a lot of english creeping in even when there is a welsh word. Even cultural concept words can be english words in an otherwise welsh speach, or visa versa. Example the word "tidy" is cultural concept word. Eg The men that took all the tobacco weren't tidy with you, but fair play to you gave them some any way. The words " fair play " the welsh words are often used in an english sentence and the english word tidy turns up in spoken welsh. these two words are really good cultural concepts that there is a right way of behaving to your fellow man.

 

[vestlenning]

It's all Greek to me.

What is the greek equivalent?

 

[Harvestman]

It might be the idiom which I think means come in peace dewch yn (t) awel. I am probably wrong.

I have certainly heard saxon swear words in spoken welsh. This area has reputation for really sloppy spoken welsh with a lot of english creeping in even when there is a welsh word. Even cultural concept words can be english words in an otherwise welsh speach, or visa versa. Example the word "tidy" is cultural concept word. Eg The men that took all the tobacco weren't tidy with you, but fair play to you gave them some any way. The words " fair play " the welsh words are often used in an english sentence and the english word tidy turns up in spoken welsh. these two words are really good cultural concepts that there is a right way of behaving to your fellow man.

That's a tidy explanation, fair play.

 

[santaman2000]

What is the greek equivalent?

The phrase, "It's all Greek to me" is a common saying which means, "I have no idea what you just said."

However, ironically I do know the Greek phrase for "thank you" although I'll probably misspell it: "F Colly Stoh"

 

[bambodoggy]

A trace of the empire, don't you think?

English, German, Spanish (I think), Italian etc.......all descended from Latin to one extent or another, so yes.....indeed a trace of empire but not the British empire you seem to be insinuating

I'm reliably informed that Sweden had an empire at one point....did they get into Norway? And if so, is that why the languages are similar?

English is the international language (dispite what the French would like), it is the language of business and of a lot of governments, particularly places like India that have so many languages and dialects spoken. So it makes sense that is would be treated as a base line.

I'm not suggesting it's the best language (not really sure what a "best" language would entail to be fair) but it does seem to be the international standard one whether people like it or not.

Interesting thread....thanks Joe

 

[Harvestman]

I'm reliably informed that Sweden had an empire at one point....did they get into Norway? And if so, is that why the languages are similar?

Don't ever say that to a Swede! A Swede told me a joke about how the Norwegions got their language. He said that when the world was made every country was given a language, except Norway. So the Norwegians asked God why they had no language. God replied that he only had one language left, but he had been intending to give it to the seals, but since they asked he gave it to the Norwegians instead. Which is why Norwegians sound like seals when they speak.

 

[santaman2000]

English, German, Spanish (I think), Italian etc.......all descended from Latin.....

Or did Latin descend from Greek? The Greek empire predated the Roman one.

 

[Joe tahkahikew]

When I was made to go to school we were only allowed to speak English. I was not the only indian who had his mouth washed out by a teacher for speaking Cree to my friends and we were sometimes beaten too. That did not bother me I was used to discomfort as child on the hunting trail.

What annoyed me was that our English teacher used to boast and claim that English was the most expressive language in the world and tell us how beautiful it was compared to our "primitive and simple language". Well I hated her because I couldn't use my language to express myself. And her language has no word for male or female caribou nor does it have the same tenses as us - we have more than one past tense and another tense which I can't even explain in English.

 

[Harvestman]

When I was made to go to school we were only allowed to speak English. I was not the only indian who had his mouth washed out by a teacher for speaking Cree to my friends and we were sometimes beaten too. That did not bother me I was used to discomfort as child on the hunting trail.

What annoyed me was that our English teacher used to boast and claim that English was the most expressive language in the world and tell us how beautiful it was compared to our "primitive and simple language". Well I hated her because I couldn't use my language to express myself. And her language has no word for male or female caribou nor does it have the same tenses as us - we have more than one past tense and another tense which I can't even explain in English.

Something very similar happened here with the Welsh language just over a century ago. It was almost eradicated in many areas, though it is making a comeback now. I suspect it is a commopn pattern globally.

 

[Laurentius]

Welsh has no words for yes and no, an altogether complicated language is Welsh. It too was very much a language that the English attempted to exterminate but ultimately failed. Funny thing about Welsh and for that matter Gaelic too, is that where they don't have a word for something they are happy to adopt an English word, except that they just celticise it by giving it a different spelling. Welsh also has words that have no perfect English equivalent but which say something about the Welsh character in there meaning, such as hwyl and hiraeth for example.