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Neh. These three main groups came from di erent parts of Nigeria. The clas has a development association called ‘Besaah Cultural and Development Association’ also called ‘BECUDA’ . A Short Story: Answers 1. Nte 2. kindoŋ 3. ni shee English Translation

A Hen and her Chicks There once lived a mother hen who had ve chicks. One of the-se chicks was called Nte who was very stubborn each time they went out to eat. The other chicks were always behind their mother. Until one day, as they were eating as usual, a hawk came down and carried Nte away to the sky because of her stubbornness. Questions 1. Who was very stubborn? 2. What carried Nte away? 3. Who had the children? Answers 1. Nte 2. a hawk 3. mother hen

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Ntenyɛ Bɛ Ntsɛwu Kiŋwa Ki Saari

Nyanda Francisca Lamnya Donatus Kila Tamfu Austine Tamfu

Massa Denis Sunde

Saari Language Committee Misaje Sub Division

Donga Mantung Division North West Region, Cameroon

2012

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Language: Saari as spoken in Misaje Sub Division, Donga Mantung Division, North West Region, Republic of Cameroon ISO 639-3 language code: asj

Title in English: Reading and Writing the Saari Language Genre: Transition Primer Illustrations: Mbanji Bawe Ernest © 2009 SIL © 2012 SIL

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How to Make Palm Oil We begin with harvesting the ripe palm nuts. They are carried to the house. Then you cut the nuts from the cones, and leave it to get soft. After that, we select the good ones and carry them to the processing side. Then we cook them overnight. The next morning, we remove and put in the trough for pounding. After pounding, we pour enough water in the trough and wash thoroughly, removing the cha and nuts. After that, we shake the paste, separating the oil from the water. Later, we put the oil in a drum and boil. When it is ready, we remove the oil from the re and separate the oil from the water. Finally, we put it in containers and take home. Lesson 12 Long Reading Exercise- English Translation

Besaah History in Brief The Besaah are a clan in Misaje SubDivision of Donga

Mantung Division in the NorthWest Region of Cameroon. This clan shares boundary in the east with the Wimbum villages, in the south with the Nchane villages, in the North with the Kemedzung village, Bebe-Kete, Akweko and Ande villages and in the west with Mungong. It is a clan of just over eight thousand inhabitants, speaking the Saari language. The land is mostly covered with savannah and forest around the villages and also along some of the valleys.

The Besaah clan is made up of Mbissa village situated on a high plateau and to the lowland of Kilowe, Kiji now called Misaje, Kidong and Kiyako.Kmine village lies on the lowland, two big streams bound this village, that is Kiteh in the north and Kimbeng in the west. Akweto, Bakinchine and Bansobi cover greater area up in the hills and down in the valleys.

Traditional history holds that the rst person to settle on the Besaah land was called Mbenke, it is not known from where he came. The next group was the Bemboo led by Mbori. . Besaah/Mbissa came in two groups; Bebei led by Bei and Benjere led by Njere. The last group was the Benkaan led by

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me. I bought one okrika dress for each of my children. I was left with a few coins and I bought some rice and spices just for that day. Nsa: Heee *laugh* My husband gave me 30.000 frs. I bought two dresses each for my children for both Christmas and New Year celebrations. I also bought two pairs of shoes each for them. I also bought 5 packets of rice, two litres of groundnut oil, two kilos of meat and enough spices to add to the 5 fowls for both Christmas and New Year. Foki: Hmm *grumbling* Next year I will slaughter a goat. Lesson 11 – Exercise 3: 1. aa 2. a 3. ɛ, ɛ 4. ii, ii 5. oo 6. ɔɔ 7. u, u 8. ɔ 9. ɛɛ, ɛ 10. e 11. i, i 12. o 13. ee 14. ɔɔ 15. uu, uu Exercise 5: 1. saa - ‘ rst’ 2. koo - ‘go home’ 3. too - ‘carry’ 4. buu - ‘remove’ 5. kaa - ‘drum’

English Translation of story in Ex. 5:

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Table of Contents

Introduction ............................................................................. 4

Lesson 1 Familiar consonants ......................................... 5

Lesson 2 The consonant ‘ch’ ........................................... 9

Lesson 3 The consonant ‘sh’ ........................................... 12

Lesson 4 Familiar vowels ............................................... 15

Lesson 5 The vowel ‘ɔ’ ................................................... 17

Lesson 6 The vowel ‘ɛ’ ................................................... 20

Lesson 7 The consonant ‘ŋ’ ............................................ 23

Lesson 8 The consonant ‘ts’ ........................................... 26

Lesson 9 The consonant ‘ny’ .......................................... 29

Lesson 10 Singular and plural ......................................... 32

Lesson 11 Vowel length ................................................... 36

A Brief History of the Saari People ......................................... 39

Answer Key and English Translations ................................... 40

4

Introduction

This book is written for the people of Saari, of the

Misaje Sub-Division, Donga Mantung Division, North West

Region, Cameroon who speak Saari. Its purpose is to be used in

classes and to help speakers of this language, who already read

and write English, to learn to read and write in Saari. The

teacher and the student should follow all the instructions in

each lesson, working through the lessons in the order in which

they occur in the book, from lesson one to the last lesson. When

you are unsure of a word in Saari, use the English translation to

help you.

An answer key and English translations are available at

the back of the book to help the teacher and student in their

learning and evaluation processes.

The Saari alphabet is in conformity with the General

Alphabet of Cameroon Languages, which was adopted in 1979

by the National Committee for the Uni cation and

Harmonization of the Alphabets of Cameroon Languages.

Technical assistance came from Cindy Lux and Kay

Smoes, both of SIL Cameroon. Much thanks also to Ntani Elijah

Fale for formatting and revising the book.

Suggestions for improvements of future reading and

writing materials are welcome. Address them to the Saari

Language Committee Chairman.

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8. d 9. j 10. h Exercise 5: 1. Shée kaayɛ bɔŋ. 2. Bí jiiyɛ bɛnduru. 3. Ntsoko tonwɛ tsáaŋ. 4. Nfóka numiyɛ mi. 5. Ngela ŋwɛntiwɛ bíɛ yɛɛ. English Translation of sentences in Ex. 5: 1. A hen has hatched chicks. 2. A goat is eating corn. 3. Ntsoko has shot a monkey. 4. An ant has bitten me. 5. Ngela is building her hut. English Translation of answers in Ex. 5: 1. Hens have hatched their chicks. 2. Goats are eating corn. 3. Ntsoko has shot some monkeys. 4. Soldier ants have bitten me. 5. Ngela is building her huts. Exercise 6: 1. bɔŋ - children 2. nyuŋ – man 3. ndú – clothes 4. kiya – year 5. shée - fowls EnglishTranslation of the dialogue in Ex. 6: Nsa and Foki, Her Friend, Have Met on the Way and are Discussing How Christmas will Look. Foki: Hey. Good morning Nsa, my friend. Nsa: Good morning, Foki, my sister, how are you preparing for Christmas? Foki: I left the house with 10.000 frs, which my husband gave

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4. Pa Buba bought some cow meat in the market. 5. Dry season is approaching. Exercise 5: 1. Nyiri yu tɔɔ jumi. 2. Nyɛ mi nyiri. 3. Nyiiŋ wuti yɛ. 4. Nyaŋ yi tɔɔ letiniyɛ Exercise 6: English Translation of Song- The word of God is like a tree that we harvest without ceasing. Solos – The Lord says, I am the Lord your God, there is no other god but me.

What a tree that we harvest without ceasing. Exercise 7: Translation of Proverb: Gas from Fons gets lost in their robes. Meaning of Proverb: High personalities’ mistakes are never pronounced. Lesson 10 – Exercise 3: 1. yú 2. ndú 3. bío 4. shɛ ́ɛŋ 5. nsúŋ Exercise 4: 1. c 2. f 3. a 4. g 5. b 6. i 7. e

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Lesson One: Familiar Consonants Familiar consonants are those that are the same in Saari as in the English alphabet. They are pronounced in the same way. Bb, Dd, Gg, Hh, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Pp, Rr, Ss, Tt, Ww, Yy Exercise 1 Read the following words aloud. Use the English to help you with any words that you nd di cult to read in Saari. Consonant Saari Bb bɔŋ ‘children’ bikpɔ ‘shoes’ Dd du ‘mortar’ di ‘hairs on the chin’ Gg gɛŋɛ ‘razor blade’ gɛnɛ ‘go’ Hh hebe ‘oh!’ woho ‘no’ Jj jii ‘hoe’ jinfɛ ‘jump’ Kk kikuŋ ‘horse’ kiti ‘tree’ Ll le ‘oath’ la ‘compound’ Mm mbee ‘camwood’ muŋgaa ‘garden eggs’ Nn nsara ‘needle nachɛ ‘repair’ (arrange) Pp pampa ‘tin’ pia ‘pear’ Rr nduru ‘corn’ geri ‘perch’ Ss soŋɛ ‘pay’ saa ‘judge’ Tt ta ‘spoon’ tɛtɛ ‘stone’

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Ww wɛ ‘farm’ woo ‘hear’ Yy yɔrɛ ‘speak’ yɔɔ ‘skin hair’ Exercise 2 Draw a line from the Saari word to the English word that has the same meaning as in the example. 1. du a. spoon 2. jii b. camwood 3. kiti c. mortar 4. mbee d. judge 5. nsara e. hoe 6. nduru f. tree 7. ta g. corn 8. saa h. needle 9. le i. compound 10. la j. oath Exercise 3 Read each English sentence. Then read the Saari sentence and write a Saari word from the list given here which completes the sentence. bɔŋ ‘children’, ta ‘spoon’, gɛŋɛ- ‘razor blade’, di ‘beards’, bikpɔ ‘shoes’, la- ‘compound’ 1. My father has bought a pair of _______________ for me. Taa gowo mi ______________________. 2. Go and shave your _____________________. Gɛnɛ wo mu ______________________ ya. 3. The child is sweeping the ______________________. Nwaŋ fweyɔ _______________________. 4. My ____________________ have gone to the farm. _______________________ bɛŋ la ba. 5. Give me a ____________________________ to let me eat with. Nyɛ mi _____________________ nji bie lu. 6. Buy for me a ________________________________. Goche mi __________________________.

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4. tsɛrɛ 5. tsii 6. tse yi bara 7. tsɔɔŋ 8. tsɛktsɛkɛ Exercise 5: 1. I ate fufu corn with some rat mole meat. 2. Tie the goat to the tree. 3. All my children are schooling. 4. Kikoki is cracking palm kernels. Exercise 6: 1. When a person is too stubborn, he or she must be brought to order. 2. A man is never too old to get married. 3. Con ict within the family is usually dangerous. Lesson 9 – Exercise 3: 1. nyanɛ ŋkwaa 2. nyimɛ 3. nyiiŋ 4. nti 5. ntekɛ 6. ntumu Exercise 4: 1. nyiri 2. nyuŋ 3. nyakikii 4. nyaŋ 5. nyiiŋ English Translation of sentences in Ex. 4: 1. Nsangfo shot a parrot with a gun. 2. That man coming is named Wane. 3. I put on high heeled shoes today.

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2. Ɛ Ba Mbunwe wu tɛ buŋɛ bɛ naŋ balu li Mami Nyabe wɛ. 3. Tɛ toɔ Boka lɛ kwe bo. Exercise 7: Once there was a herdsman in our village, Mbissa, called Boka, who was always grazing his cows in the hills. However, on one country Sunday, this herdsman took his cows and sent them into Mama Nyabe’s farm. Unfortunately for him, one Pa, Mbunwe ,was in his ra a bush nearby, seeing everything. Pa Mbunwe got very angry and caught Boka, the herdsman, by the neck and got him well beat-en and later took the cows to the Misaje Council fence and im-pounded them. English Answers 1. Boka was the herdsman in the Mbissa village. 2. Pa Mbunwe discovered the cattle in Mami Nyabi’s farm. 3. The herdsman was beaten. Exercise 8: 1. ‘Had I known’ always comes last. 2. A corpse has no friend. Lesson 8 – Exercise 3: 1. ts 2. s 3. ts 4. ts 5. s 6. ts 7. s 8. ts Exercise 4: 1. tsaaki 2. tsɛɛŋ 3. tsire

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Exercise 4 Read the following sentences in Saari and write the English translation of the underlined word in the space provided. 1. Nyɛ mi babi wɛŋ. ___________________________ 2. Nache yi yini. ___________________________ 3. Finiŋ geri ɛ li kiti. ____________________________ 4. Bɛ kusɛ ba wu mbee. ____________________________ 5. Nimɛ bɛ jii. ____________________________ 6. Bɛnaŋ jiba bɛnduru. ____________________________ Exercise 5 Translate the following English words into Saari. 1. oh! ________________________ 2. no ________________________ 3. jump ________________________ 4. stone ________________________ 5. farm ________________________ 6. pay ________________________ 7. hear ________________________ 8. horse ________________________ 9. needle ________________________ 10. mortar ________________________ Exercise 6 Read the following proverbs, translate and give their meaning. 1. Bwɛɛŋ ti yɛkii kikoo kɛ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Ŋkɛlɛ ti nuŋ ŋwaŋ wu lejiŋ. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Wi ti letii kintaŋ ki shee lɛ kɛ. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Special note: ‘kp’ and ‘gb’ It should be noted that on the Saari alphabet chart, we have the consonants ‘kp’ and ‘gb’. However, there are only a few words with these sounds. Below is a list of those few words with the English translation. kp gb kpɛ ‘trouble’ gbo ‘bark’ kpabie ‘iguana’

ŋkpaki ‘saucer fokpɔŋ ‘harmattan’ bikpɔ ‘shoes’ ŋkpaŋ ‘wild wasp’ ŋkpɛɛŋ ‘be open’

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3. They have tied baskets on their waists. Lesson 7 – Exercise 4: 1. (ŋ) 2. (ŋ) 3. (ŋ) 4. (ŋ, ŋ) 5. (ŋ) 6. (ŋ) 7. (ŋ) Exercise 5: 1. naŋ 2. ŋɛŋkɛ 3. ŋge 4. ŋwaŋ 5. ŋwaŋshee 6. ŋgo 7. ntaŋ 8. ŋgɛ Exercise 6: 1. naŋ 2. ŋwaŋ 3. ŋwaŋshee 4. ŋkoko 5. ŋkaa English Translation of Sentences for Ex. 6: 1. The cow is eating grass. 2. Shimbe carried a baby on her back. 3. A hawk grabbed a chick. 4. Grandmother is smoking a pipe. 5. Tatago is weaving baskets. Exercise 7: Answers to questions 1. Bukuŋ bwe tɛ be le Boka.

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English Translation of sentences in Ex. 4: 1. A blade has wounded Mbong’s nger. 2. The dew touched his feet. 3. Come let’s go to the market. Exercise 5: 1. (e) 2. (e, ɛ) 3. (ɛ) 4. (e) 5. (e, ɛ) Exercise 6: 1. e. 2. b. 3. g. 4. h. 5. j. 6. i. 7. a. 8. c. 9. d. 10. f. Exercise 7: Answers to questions from the story 1. Be bayiba benduru. 2. Be titi ba bie be kitii 3. Be jii ba munsoŋu. English Translation of story, questions and answers in Ex 7: These women are weeding corn. They have tied baskets on their waists. They are discussing and laughing. Answers 1. They are weeding the corn. 2. They are discussing and laughing.

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Lesson Two: New Letter - Ch ch This is almost a familiar consonant because it is already used in English words. In Saari, the letters “c” and “h” represent one sound and is considered as one consonant. It sounds like ‘ch’ in the English word ‘chair’.

chikuu ‘squirrel’ Exercise 1 Read the following pairs of contrasting words aloud from left to right. Note the contrast between the sounds ‘ch’ and ‘sh’ . ch sh chikuu ‘squirrel’ shitɛ ‘stop’ chinyiŋ ‘rubber’ shiini ‘smooth’ chike ‘laughter’ shiiki ‘lower’ chiiŋ ‘push’ shi ‘look after’ Exercise 2 Read the following words aloud, taking note of the sound ‘ch’ . 1. chikuu ‘squirrel’ 2. chiiŋ ‘push’ 3. chi ‘blister’ 4. chee ‘drag’ 5. chiba ‘excema’ 6. chita ‘rib’

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Exercise 3 Fill in the missing letter(s) in the following Saari words, using either “ch” or “sh” . 1. ____ɛɛŋ ‘truth’ 2. ____i____i ‘di erent’ 3. ____igɔŋ ‘illness’ 4. ____igwenti ‘cha of palmnuts’ 5. ____ike____ike ‘laughter’ 6. ____iini ‘smooth’ 7. ____iiki ‘lower’ 8. n____ɔɔŋ ‘lamb’ 9. ____ee ‘fowl’ 10. ____ɛŋ ‘heart’ Exercise 4 Translate the following English sentences into Saari. 1. Speak the truth. ___________________________________________________________ 2. Accompany me to the farm. ____________________________________________ 3. My rib is in pain. __________________________________________________________ 4. I feel like sleeping. _______________________________________________________ 5. I have excema. ____________________________________________________________ 6. Seh has castrated his goat. _____________________________________________ Exercise 5 Match the following Saari words with the correct English meaning. 1. chikuu a. sleep 2. chimɛ b. push 3. chilefɛ c. frighten 4. chiiŋ d. carve 5. chɛnɛ e. faint 6. chee f. squirrel 7. chi g. clay 8. chinɛ h. dig 9. chitɛ i. pull 10. chɔrɛ j. blister

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Exercise 5: 1. Bikpɔ byɛŋ bee bie. 2. Mbe la li kɔ bɛŋ. 3. Fɔŋ yɛ li nyaŋ ye lu ŋge. 4. Nyɔ yi tɛ toŋ kiboo bɛ nshɛ. 5. Fɔɔ chɛ lɛ kigoo li lɛjiŋ. Exercise 6: Answers to questions 1. li kɔ 2. yi tee 3. yɔ English Translation of story, questions and answers for Ex 6: Koko and the cutlass One day Koko went to the forest with his father’s cutlass when his father had refused him to take his cutlass. One day he took the cutlass and went to fetch rewood. Immediately he saw a snake and threw the cutlass away and started running. Questions 1. Where did Koko go? 2. He stole whose cutlass? 3. What did he see? English Answers 1. To the forest 2. His father’s cutlass 3. snake Exercise 7: 1. A poor person is known as a sel sh person. Lesson 6: Exercise 4: 1. gɛŋɛ 2. ŋgwɛ 3. bɛ

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English Translation of story and answers for Ex 5: Ngela and Nkobi Nkela and Nkobi are going to school. They are carrying bags with their books inside. Nkobi is holding a broom. Questions 1. Where are these children going? 2. What is Ngela carrying? 3. What things is Nkobi carrying? English Answers 1. They are going to school 2. She is carrying a bag 3. He is carrying a bag and a broom Lesson 5 – Exercise 2: 1. toki 2. sɔŋ 3. foŋ 4. ɔŋ 5. yɔ English Translation of sentences for Ex 2: 1. The cat carried the meat from the reside. 2. The children are playing outside. 3. Let’s go and clear their farm. 4. Go and buy thread. 5. The snake had bitten my child. Exercise 3: 1. (ɔ) 2. (o) 3. (ɔ) 4. (o) 5. (ɔ) 6. (ɔ)

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Exercise 6 Read the following Saari proverbs and translate them into Enlgish. 1. Chilefɛ nuyɛ kwe kɛ. _____________________________________________________ 2. Bwi yi yɔŋchi ti kii chigwe chi nyaŋ de. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Exercise 7: Read the following letter. Translate the underlined Saari words into English in the spaces provided below. Kikoo ki BECUDA Dr. Mpoche Kizito tenyiwɛ bɔŋ Bɛsaarɛ, bɛ kuŋ mɔ bɛ fɛŋ kuŋ, le bee banche lɛ ntɔ wu Nfɔŋ Bɛŋkaŋ lɛ Bukinyɔŋnɛ jobɛ bika bifɛ, le bebɛ be nachɛ si kimbanchɛ ki Bɛsaarɛ kiyaŋ gi ki nuŋ le be cheekɛyi li ntoŋ wuuni kɛ, kifɛ nachɛ wu shaŋ gi ni nuŋ lu.

Ɛ Kikoo ki BECUDA Dr. Mpoche Kizito Kiyɔɔni _______________________________________, ________________________________________, _______________________________________ _______________________________________, ________________________________________

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Lesson Three: New Letter – Sh sh This is almost a familiar consonant because it is already used in English words. In Saari, the letters “s” and “h” represent one sound and is considered as one consonant. It sounds like ‘sh’ in the English word ‘shoe’.

she ‘horn’ Exercise 1 Read the following pairs of contrasting words aloud from left to right. Note the contrast between the sounds ‘sh’ and ‘s’ . sh s shiiŋ ‘anvil’ siiŋ ‘be dry’ fɛshɔŋ ‘spine’ fɛsi ‘arrive’ nshaŋ ‘noon’ nsaŋ ‘ ancée’ nshɛ ‘ground’ nsɛ ‘drip’ Exercise 2 Read the following words aloud, taking note of the sound ‘sh’ . 1. shee ‘be seated’ 2. shɛ ‘remain’ 3. shɛɛŋ ‘broom’ 4. shiiki ‘lower’ 5. shitɛ ‘stop’ 6. shiiŋki ‘be smooth’ 7. shɛɛrɛ ‘gizzard’

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6. (i) 7. (o) 8. (e) 9. (a) 10. (u) Exercise 3: 1. ba 2. ntu 3. ka 4. ndu 5. tomɛ 6. ŋko 7. ŋgwe 8. ŋge 9. miri Exercise 4: 1. mfumi 2. kumi 3. munchonti 4. lanchiba 5. kige English translation of sentences of Ex 4: 1. My mother went to get beetles. 2. Mbaaŋ is selling huckleberry in the market. 3. I have a basket of groundnuts. 4. We are learning Saari. 5. My tooth is aching. 6. Children are playing outside. Exercise 5: Answers to questions in story 1. Be ginsi baa fɛ sukuu. 2. Wu towɔ babi. 3. Wu too babi bɛ shɛɛŋ.

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3. Tɛ gɔ nuŋ she yiɛ. 4. Kifɛ tɛ bɛ wu bɛ nya yi bukɔŋ. English Translation of the Story, Questions and Answers for Ex. 7:

‘Ngabang’s Gift to the Fon’ Once there was a man in Mbissa named Ngabang who went to Nigeria to look for a job. When he got there, in Nigeria, he had this job and started working. He did this job for about two years and the third year he thought of coming back home. He bought a beautiful horn of a bu alo as a gift for the Fon. When he reached the palace the fon was on a journey, so his wives told him. He left news with the fon’s wives and went home. When the fon came back from his journey his wives told him the news. Immediately the Fon was so excited and sent his messengers to this man and the man brought his gift and the Fon gave him a red feather since there was an annual festival that was forthcoming and he was going to use this horn. Questions 1. What was the name of this Mbissa man who went to Nigeria? 2. How many years did he work in Nigeria? 3. What did he buy for the Fon? 4. Why did the Fon give him a red feather? English Answers 1. His name was Ngabang. 2. About three years. 3. He bought a horn of a bu alo. 4. Because he brought him an important gift. Lesson 4 – Exercise 2: 1. (u) 2. (i) 3. (a) 4. (e) 5. (o)

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Exercise 3: Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list of Saari words. (shaaŋ, shari, shitɛ, shɛŋ, shi, she) 1. Kitoh bɛ ____________ bɔŋ bɛ ŋwani ŋka. 2. Ŋfɔŋ wuntɔɔ mbiŋ lɛ _____________ lɛ nti. 3. _____________ wu Yɛnsah be tsɔŋ bɛŋ. 4. Mbowa bee ______________ mi bɛ ŋwaŋ bɛŋ. 5. Be _____________ babi we wu gari bujɔŋ. 6. Nyɛ mi fɛ _______________ yi naŋ yiɛ nji. Exercise 5 Translate the following English sentences into Saari. Use these words in the sentences: she – ‘horn’, shɛmɛ - ‘thirsty’, sheeshen – ‘hiccough’, nshiiŋ – ‘be silent’, nshɔɔŋ – ‘sheep’ 1. I am thirsty. ________________________________________________________________ 2. I su ered from hiccoughs after eating sweet potatoes. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. The class teacher asked his pupils to be silent. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 4. We slaughtered sheep for last Christmas celebration. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 5. We used a horn for drinking during our traditional celebration. ____________________________________________________________________ Exercise 6 Translate the following Saari words into English. 1. sheeŋ yi tsoo ___________________________ 2. shiiki ___________________________ 3. shaaŋ ___________________________ 4. sheŋ yi gɛrɛ ___________________________ 5. shiini ___________________________ 6. nshiiŋ ___________________________ 7. nshaŋ ___________________________ 8. nshɛ yi dzeeŋ ___________________________

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Exercise 7: Read the story and answer the questions that follow.

Nyaŋ yi Ŋgabaŋ li Nfoŋ Wumuu wu Lisa te la ndɛndɛ le tɛ lɛɛ waŋ nimɛ bukoŋ lɛ Ŋgabaŋ. Lɛ fɛsi lɛ tɛ wu kɛmɛ nimɛ che. Tɛ niŋ nimɛ chini biya bi fɛ, lɛ bo bi tɛtu wu chɛkɛ lɛ ko. Wu se go chuŋɛ she yiyɛ lɛ bɛ nyɛ Nfɔŋ. Lɛ bɛɛ bo lɛ ntɔ wu waŋ Nfɔŋ siŋ, lɛ wu lawɛ ndɛndɛ. Wu dɔŋchɛ ŋya yi lu li bɛ wɛntɔɔ wu koo. Lɛ to jɔbɛ chi nfɔŋ be kari lɛ ndɛntɛɛ bɛ te wu. Nfɔŋ tɛ tɔŋ bɛ dugari bee le be bɛɛ tsɛkɛ tsɛkɛ. Ŋgabaŋ tɛ bɛ bɛ she yi lu wunyɛ limfɔŋ Nfɔŋ tɛ nɛtɛ si kimanchɛ te gi kinumi lu li n wɛ. Wu sɔɔ Ŋgabaŋ gwini chi nsee lɛ. Mbifu 1. Wi wu lisa wutɛ bɔɔ lɛ tɛ wini tɛ bee bukɔŋ lɛ no? 2. Tɛ niŋ lɛ tɛ biya bi mɛ? 3. Ɛ la tɛ go li Nfɔŋ? 4. Nfɔŋ tɛ bɛŋ wu gwini chi nse lɛ ki la?

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Lesson 3 – Exercise 4: 1. shitɛ 2. she 3. shaaŋ 4. shi 5. shari 6. shɛŋ English Translation of sentences in Ex. 4: 1. Kitoh has stopped her grandchildren from visiting people. 2. The Fon is drinking from his horn. 3. Yensah’s corn beer was a good one today. 4. Mbowa looked after my baby today. 5. She tightened well her bag of gari. 6. Give me a bit of that liver to eat. Exercise 5: 1. Shɛmɛ dzɔ wuyɛ mi. 2. Ntɛ nji bɛ lɔkwe, sheeshen dzɔ mi. 3. Wi wu lanchi tɛ tee bɔŋ bɛ kiŋwaati le be shee nshiiŋ. 4. Tɛ tɛ sɛɛ nshɔɔŋ li Kereshimɛ wu tu ka wini. 5. Tɛ wunti bie lɛ she lɛ nti n wu kimbanche nuŋ lu. Exercise 6: 1. be curious 2. lower 3. important 4. be eager 5. make smooth 6. sorrow 7. noon 8. fertile soil Exercise 7: Answers to questions 1. Tɛ gi nuŋ bukɔŋ lɛ Ŋgabaŋ. 2. Tɛ niŋ giŋki biya bi tɛtu.

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Exercise 4: 1. Tɛ chɛɛŋ. 2. Chinɛ mi li wɛ. 3. Chita wu chɛ mi. 4. Chile fɛ wu chɛ mi. 5. Mi wɛɛ be chiba libwiŋ. 6. Se chɔɔchɔ bi yɛ. Exercise 5: 1. f. 2. g. 3. a. 4. b. 5. c. 6. i. 7. j. 8. h. 9. e. 10. d. Exercise 6: 1. Sleep is not death. 2. A hunting dog always knows the tracks of an animal. Exercise 7: 1. banche - gather 2. nachɛ - arrange 3. kimbanchɛ - gathering 4. cheekɛyi - hesitate 5. nachɛ - arrange English Translation of the invitation in Ex. 7: The National President of BECUDA, Dr. Mpoche Kizito, invites all external and internal elites to gather at the Fon of Kamine’s palace on Buiyɔɔnɛ at 2 p.m. for an important meeting concerning their annual cultural come together. They should not hesitate to attend because important matters shall be discussed in the meeting. BECUDA President

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Lesson Four: Familiar Vowels Familiar vowels are those that are the same in Saari as in English. It should be noted that, unlike English where the sounds of these letters sometimes change, in Saari they each have only one sound. Aa, Ee, Ii, Oo, Uu Exercise 1 Read the following words aloud to learn the sound of each vowel. Aa la ‘compound’ tasa ‘dish’ Ee lembe ‘orange’ ke ‘bowl’ Ii giki ‘egg’ bi ‘goat’ Oo ntoŋ ‘news’ tomɛ ‘shoot’ Uu nunu ‘knee’ kumi ‘huckleberry’ Exercise 2 Fill in the missing vowel(s) in the following words. Choose from ‘a’ , ‘e’ , ‘i’ , ‘o’ , ‘u’ . 1. corn nd____ru 2. bag bab____ 3. spoon t____ 4. pumpkin d____ŋ 5. cocoyam kik____ 6. tooth k____ge 7. chameleon ŋk____ma 8. ute t____bi 9. weeds n____mɛ 10. huckleberry k____mi

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Exercise 3 Translate the following English words into Saari. 1. marry ____________________ 2. nail ____________________ 3. cup ____________________ 4. cloth ____________________ 5. shoot _____________________ 6. box _____________________ 7. dews _____________________ 8. many _____________________ 9. climb _____________________ Exercise 4 Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list of Saari words. (munchonti, kumi, kige, nfumi, lanchiba) 1. Naaŋ be la _______________. 2. Mbaaŋ kabinɔ ______________ fɛ waŋ. 3. Mi wo bɛ ŋkaa wu ______________________. 4. Tɛ _______________ Saari. 5. ______________ wukɛ mi. Exercise 5 Read the story and answer the questions that follow.

Ŋgela be Ŋkobi Ŋgela be Ŋkobi giŋgi baa fɛ sukuu. Bɛ too ba bɛbabi bɛ biŋwati le. Ŋkobi kɛŋgɔ shɛɛŋ bo. Mbifu 1. Bɔŋ bani tuu fɛŋ? ____________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Ala ŋgela too? ____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Ŋkobi too la bɛ la? ____________________________________________________________________________________

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Exercise 5: 1. hebe 2. woho 3. jinfɛ 4. tɛtɛ 5. wɛ 6. soŋɛ 7. woo 8. kikuŋ 9. nsara 10. du Exercise 6: Proverb 1. The shoulders can never be above the head. 2. ‘Had I knownʼ always comes last 3. A person cannot seize the insect of a fowl. English translations and Meanings 1. ‘The shoulder can never be above the head.’ No matter how intelligent a child is, he shall never be above his elder. 2. ‘If I knew what comes at last.’ Those who reject advice always regret at the end. 3. ‘A person cannot seize the insect of a fowl.’ What is meant for you can never be seized. Lesson 2 – Exercise 3: 1. ch 2. ch, ch 3. ch 4. ch 5. ch, ch 6. sh 7. sh 8. sh 9. sh 10. sh

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Answer Key and English Translations Lesson 1 – Exercise 2: 1. c. 2. e. 3. f. 4. b. 5. h. 6. g. 7. a. 8. d. 9. j. 10. i. Exercise 3: 1. bikpɔ 2. di 3. la 4. boŋ 5. ta 6. gɛŋɛ English Translation of sentences in Ex. 3: children, spoon, razor blade, beards, shoes, compound 1. Shoes 2. Beard 3. Compound 4. Children 5. Spoon 6. Razor blade Exercise 4: 1. Give me that bag. 2. Arrange this house. 3. A bird has landed on a tree. 4. They have rubbed her with camwood. 5. Work with the hoe. 6. The cows have eaten the corn.

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Lesson Five: New letter – Ɔ ɔ The vowel ‘ɔ’ is not on the English alphabet but is frequently found in Saari. This letter is sounds almost like the ‘o’ in the English word ‘pot’, only a little farther back in the mouth.

yɔ ‘snake’ Exercise 1 Read the following pair of words aloud from left to right and note the di erence between the sounds ‘ɔ’ and ‘o’ . ɔ o 1. yɔ ‘snake’ yo ‘sing’ 2. tɔmi ‘put’ toki ‘carry’ 3. fɔŋ ‘fat’ foŋ ‘clear’ 4. sɔŋ ‘play’ soŋ ‘pay’ 5. ɔŋ ‘thread’ oŋ ‘small hole’ Exercise 2 Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list of Saari words in excercise 1 above. 1. Fimu be ________________ nyaŋ fɛ taŋ. 2. Bɔŋ fetiba ___________________ lɛ kuŋ. 3. Tɛ gɛɛŋ tɛ _____________________ wɛ wusɛŋ. 4. Gɛnɛ gochɛ _____________________. 5. _____________________ beyi nuŋ ŋwanɛŋ.

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Exercise 3 Fill in the missing letter(s) in the following Saari words, using either ‘ʼɔ’ʼ or ‘ʼo.’ʼ 1. bug____mu ‘hunting’ 2. ŋg____ŋgo ‘bow’ 3. ŋk____nu ‘snore’ 4. mf____ka ‘soldier ant’ 5. ŋg____mbe ‘plantain’ 6. ŋg_____ ‘grinding stone’ Exercise 4 Write the letters ‘Ɔ’ and ‘ɔ’ ten times on the lines below. Ɔ___________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ ɔ___________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Exercise 5 Translate the following English sentences into Saari. 1. My shoes are bad. _________________________________________________________ 2. I went to the forest today. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. There is too much fat on the meat. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 4. God created the heavens and earth. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 5. The axe is behind the door. _____________________________________________________________________________________

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Lesson 12: Long Reading Exercise

Filoŋ Fi Besaare Besaa nu kitoŋ ki Misaje SubDivision li Donga Mantung Division li NorthWest Region wu Cameroon. Besaah kɛmi ŋgatɛ gwi ‘east’ bɛ Bɛjunu, ‘south’ bɛ Bentsanu, ‘north’ bɛ Bugaa, Bunaŋ, Bulemi, ‘west’ bɛ Mungong. Besaa nu kitoŋ ki yɛki bɛnchuki nyaaŋ be yeti Saari. Nshɛ yi bɛ nu ndeeŋ kitoɔ bɛ binko li fɛŋ li. Bitoŋ bi Saari nu Besaah bɛ nu fɛsa fɛ de kiki mbowu le Kilowe, Kiji ki be tɛŋ deŋ le Misaje, li duŋ bɛlɛ Nyako, Kitoŋ ki Beŋkaaŋ ti nu fɛ de kiki, dzɔ́ɔ yi nyɔŋ ɛ, Kite ‘north’ , bɛ Kimbeŋ ‘west’ . Bɛbenɛ, Bɛŋkinchinɛ, Bensobi kɛmi kintsi ki ŋge li bɛɛ ŋkumɛ mbɔwu li baa. Wi wu Kosi wu tɛ tsi li nshɛ yi Besaare nu bukoŋ le Mbeŋkɛ, bɛ kiyɛ fɛ tɛ boofe kɛ. Bemboo tɛ bie bɛ kiko ki bey, Mbori. Besaah tɛ bɛ kinga kife, Bɛbei bɛ kiko ki bey bukoŋ le Bei, Bɛnjere bɛ kiko ki bey le Njeri. Beŋkaaŋ tɛ bɛ lɛ jiŋ, bɛ Ne si kiko ki bey. Besaa tɛ yɛ nu lɛ tɛ li libintsi Chichi. Besaa kɛmi kimbanje ki nu ‘BECUDA’ .

Ni Shee Be Boŋ Bee

Ni shee wumu tɛ bey bɛ boŋ bee bɛ tinu, wumu tɛ be bukoŋ le Nte . Wu Nte wuni te gi tɛɛmi kintoŋ ŋge n kwikwi u bee bo lɛkuŋ le bee ji biee. Boŋ bamu baa bikine niwubee tee jobɛchimu bebombee ji biee se bee ti ji kindoŋ bɛɛ kwiŋ. Wiŋ kibɛ ki toki Nte ki gɛɛŋ bɛ wu libo nuŋ ki tɛ gi tɛɛmi kintoŋ ŋge. Mbifu 1. A noo wu tɛgi tɛɛmi kintoŋ ŋge? ______________________________________ 2. A la te toki Nte ? _______________________________________________________ 3. A noo wu tɛ bee bɛɛ boŋ bee? _________________________________________

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Exercise 5 Read the following story. Translate the underlined Saari words into English in the spaces provided below.

Si Bɛ Fɛti Mɛɛŋ Bɛ bɛɛ bɛ saa be teŋ biaŋ yi yeri. Bɛ too bɛ koo bɛ yi fe kuŋ. Bɛ kachɛ bɛ gɛ yi to. Bɛ tsaa, bɛ too bɛ geŋ bɛ yi fɛsɔ. Bɛ dɛɛ yi tsi fɛ taŋ. Ɛ bu woo, bɛ soo bɛ buu lɛ sɔ, bɛ sɔŋ. Ɛ yi kwi bɛ kwɛyɛ dzɔɔ bɛ buu le. Bɛ tsotsɛ, bɛ buu tse bɛ chigwinti. Bɛ kɔɔ mɛɛŋ, bɛ gɛ lɛ kaa bɛ dɛɛ fɛtaŋ. Ɛ me be bɛ tsaaki bɛ kɔɔ bɛ yiri lɛ kibutaa bɛ ko bɛ me. 1. ______________ 4. _______________ 2. ______________ 5. _______________ 3. ______________ 6. _______________

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Exercice 6 Read the story and answer the questions that follow.

Kɔkɔ bɛ Nyɔ Kɔkɔ tɛ la kiŋ lɛ kikɔ kimu bɛ nyɔ yi tee, nuŋ tee tɛ faŋ le kini ni lɛti bɛ nyɔ ye kɛ. Jobɛ chimu wu yi nyɔ yilu wu la kiŋ lu le n wu bee gɛɛŋ wu ŋɛɛŋ yɔ, wu bie wu too nyɔyilu letini. Mbifu 1. Kɔkɔ tɛ la fɛŋ fee? _________________________________________________________ 2. Tɛ yi nyɔ yi noo? __________________________________________________________ 3. Ɛ la tɛ gɛɛŋ wu ŋɛɛŋ? __________________________________________________ Exercise 7 Read the following Saari proverb and translate it into English. Write the meaning on the second line. 1. Ɔ fuki ɛ ɔ to wiwo ntsi. ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________

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Lesson Six: New Letter - Ɛ ɛ The vowel “ɛ” is not on the English alphabet but is frequently found in Saari. It is sounds like the “e” in the English word ‘met’.

wɛ ‘farm’ Exercise 1 Read the following pairs of contrasting words aloud from left to right. Note the contrast between the sounds “ɛ” and “e” . ɛ e gwɛ ‘chin’ gwe ‘partridge’ wɛ ‘farm’ we ‘bitter leaves’ tɛɛ ‘three’ tee ‘tell’ lɛ ‘enter’ le ‘oath’ kimbɛ ‘side of something’ kimbe ‘towards’ bɛ ‘come’ be ‘they’ Exercise 2 Read the following words aloud, taking note of the sound “ɛ” . 1. gɛnɛ ‘go’ 2. yɛsi ‘greet’ 3. bɛ ‘come’ 4. bɛchi ‘start’

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10. chikuu ‘squirrel’ 11. bwɛɛŋ ‘upper arm’ 12. chɛɛŋ ‘truth’ 13. tɔɔshɛ ‘spread out’ 14. nyɔɔchɛ ‘praise’ Exercise 3 Fill in the missing letter(s) in the following Saari words, using either long or short vowels. 1. b____yɛ ‘weed’ 2. k____ntɛ ‘squeeze’ 3. k____m____ ‘hold’ 4. j____b____ ‘dim’ 5. kib____ ‘sky’ 6. k____nyɛ ‘scrap’ 7. nd____r____ ‘corn’ 8. ns____ ‘leather drum’ 9. n____t____ ‘be happy’ 10. l____ŋ ‘stand’ 11. l____s____ ‘eye’ 12. nts____ŋ ‘quarrel’ 13. mb____ ‘camwood’ 14. lɛdz____ ‘stream’ 15. t____t____ ‘always’ Exercise 4 Make your own sentences using these Saari words with long vowels. baayɛ - ‘weed’, buuŋ – ‘mosquito’, kwii – ‘moon’, shee – ‘sit’, yoo – ‘ten’ 1. __________________________________________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________________________________________ 3. __________________________________________________________________________ 4. __________________________________________________________________________ 5. __________________________________________________________________________

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Lesson Eleven: Vowel length By long vowels, we mean those whose sound is longer than that of normal vowels. Doubling a vowel in a Saari word has the e ect of lengthening the vowel, or making it to be pronounced longer than when it is a single vowel. For this reason we call them long vowels. This is not like English where the doubling of the same vowel changes its sound.

aa, ee, ii, oo, uu, ɛɛ, ɔɔ Exercise 1 Read the following pairs of words aloud from left to right. Note the short and long vowel sounds. short vowel long vowel tsaŋ ‘headpad’ tsaaŋ ‘money’ be ‘they’ bee ‘us’ ji ‘eat’ jii ‘hoe’ ko ‘grow’ koo ‘incubate (eggs)’ butu ‘night’ buu ‘take out’ gɛŋɛ ‘razor’ gɛɛ ‘put’ kɔ ‘take’ kɔɔ ‘catch’ Exercise 2 Read the following words aloud, taking note of the long vowel sounds. 1. gaamɛ ‘tear’ 2. saa ‘judge’ 3. deemi ‘lengthen’ 4. yeeŋ ‘thigh’ 5. kwii ‘moon’ 6. iki ‘turn’ 7. doori ‘draw’ 8. bugoo ‘marriage’ 9. buuŋ ‘mosquito’

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5. yɛni ‘to shame’ 6. fɛlii ‘forehead’ 7. kabɛ ‘sell’ 8. ntɛ ‘load’ 9. sɛsɛ ‘shake’ 10. tefɛ ‘speech’ Exercise 3 Write the letters “Ɛ” and “ɛ” ten times on the lines below. Ɛ___________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ ɛ___________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Exercise 4 Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list of Saari words. (ŋgwɛ, gɛŋɛ, bɛ) 1. Mboŋ sɛwɛ kwaŋ bɛ ______________________________. 2. _____________________ beme koŋ mi li bikaali. 3. _______________________ tɛ bo waŋ. Exercise 5 Fill in the missing letter(s) in the following Saari words, using either “ɛ” or “e.” 1. k____ ‘bowl’ 2. k____n____ ‘proverb’ 3. job____ ‘watch’ 4. b____ ‘clay pot’ 5. l____t____ ‘run’

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Exercise 6 Match the following Saari words with the correct English meaning. 1. banchɛ a. tooth 2. bɛchi b. begin 3. chimɛ c. crab 4. fanjɛ d. above 5. soŋɛ e. pack 6. ntɔnyɛ f. pretending 7. kige g. clay 8. kikamɛ h. loosen 9. lɛwe i. pain 10. mfɛruye j. pay Exercise 7 Read the story and answer the questions that follow. Bukɛŋ bayiba bɛnduru. Be jii ba munsoŋu. Be titi ba bie be kitii. Mbifu 1. Ɛ la bukɛŋ bani feti? ___________________________________________________ 2. Ɛ la be bayi bɛnduru be gi? __________________________________________ 3. Ɛ la be jii li tiŋ? _________________________________________________________

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Nsa: Heee eehee wɛŋ nyuŋ bee nyɛ mi bɛnchuki mbaaŋ shiɛ, mi ŋgochɛ boŋ bɛŋ bie bi kerechimɛ mo bi kiya kifɛɛŋ. Mbeŋ ŋgo bikpɔ kani ki fɛ, mi ŋgo ndú shiɛ shiɛ, giiŋ bɛbabi bɛ tiinu, bɛ biɛ bi mbasii mɔ bi kiya kifɛɛŋ. Mi wɛ bɛ shée shiɛ li kereshimɛ bɛ shée ɛtu li kiya kifɛɛŋ. Foki: Ha! Fedɛŋ nuwɛ nsɛ bi. 1. _______________________ 2. _______________________ 3. _______________________ 4. _______________________ 5. _______________________

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Exercise 4 Match the following Saari words with the correct English meaning. 1. kiŋ a. hoes 2. muka b. bu alos 3. jíi c. rewood 4. so d. pots 5. yɛ ́ e. leather drums 6. bɛtasa f. cups 7. nsó g. reside 8. sháŋ h. rats 9. bikpɔ i. dishes 10. bikunu j. shoes Exercise 5 Write the following Saari sentences again, but this time change the underlined word into the plural form. 1. Shee kaayɛ boŋ. ___________________________________________________________ 2. Bi jiyɛ bɛnduru. ___________________________________________________________ 3. Ntsoko tonwɛ tsaaŋ. ______________________________________________________ 4. Nfoka nuntiyɛ mi. _________________________________________________________ 5. Ngela ŋwɛnto biɛ yɛ. _____________________________________________________ Exercise 6 Read the following dialogue. Give the English meaning of the underlined words in the spaces provided below.

Nsa bɛ Foki Sini Bikɛ ba Ndzɛ bɛ Nachi Se Kereshimɛ gi Nuŋ Foki: Hɛɛɛ buwobwɛ ni nsa sinɛŋ. Nsa: Haa Foki ŋwaanɛŋ buwobwɛ loo, ɔ geŋ bɛ kereshimɛ wu bɛɛ wini kwɛ wa? Foki: Mbɛ mbo liyi bɛ bɛnchuki yoo bɛ nyumɛŋ bɛ nyɛ mi. Mi mbɔɔnyɛ bikirika bi muŋkpan bi muŋkpan li bɔŋ beeŋ. Fikwachu shɛ mi bɔ niiŋ, mi ŋgo giiŋ yi bara bɛ bie bi senti lɛ mbasii ki bo kwa wa.

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Lesson Seven: New Letter – Ŋ ŋ The letter “ŋ” has the same sound as the English “ng” , like in the English words ‘sing’ and ‘wing’.

naŋ ‘cow’ Exercise 1 Read the following pair of words aloud from left to right. Note the di erence between the sounds “ŋ” and “n.” ŋ n kikuŋ ‘horse’ kikunɛ ‘rat’ ŋuŋɛ ‘smell’ nunɛ ‘bite’ kibɛŋɛ ‘calabash’ kibɛnɛ ‘arm’ ŋko ‘box’ ntoŋ ‘news’ Exercise 2 Read the following words aloud, taking note of the sound “ŋ.” 1. naŋ ‘cow’ 2. kikuŋ ‘cloud’ 3. kintɔŋ ‘ear’ 4. kimbaaŋ ‘walking stick’ 5. ŋgɔmbe ‘plantain’ 6. ŋkaa ‘basket’ 7. kimbaŋ ‘rock’

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Exercise 3 Write the letters “Ŋ” and “ŋ” ten times on the lines below. Ŋ_________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ŋ__________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ Exercise 4 Fill in the missing letter(s) in the following Saari words, using either ‘ŋ’ or ‘n’ . 1. kinta____ ‘insect’ 2. kiku____ ‘cloud’ 3. ki____koo ‘ram’ 4. ____ko_____ko ‘elephant grass’ 5. ____koko ‘grandmother’ 6. ____e ‘score’ 7. ki____kɛ ‘half’ Exercise 5 Translate the following English words into Saari. 1. cow ____________________ 2. see ____________________ 3. plenty ___________________ 4. baby ____________________ 5. chick ____________________ 6. canoe ____________________ 7. suggest ____________________ 8. problems ____________________

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biɛ ‘hut’ bíɛ ‘huts’ Exercise 2 Read the following pairs of words aloud from left to right. Note the di erences in sound and spelling between the form of the singular and the form of the plural. singular plural yi ‘house’ yí ‘houses’ shee ‘fowl’ shée ‘fowls’ nyɔ ‘cutlass’ nyɔ́ ‘cutlasses’ bi ‘goat’ bí ‘goats’ nyiŋ ‘toe’ nyíŋ ‘toes’

ɛ ‘ratmole’ fíɛ ‘ratmoles’ yɔ ‘snake’ yɔ́ ‘snakes’ biaŋ ‘palmnut’ bíaŋ ‘palmnuts’ tsaaŋ ‘monkey’ tsáaŋ ‘monkeys’ dziiŋ ‘pig’ dzíiŋ ‘pigs’ Exercise 3 Give the plural form of the following Saari words. 1. yu ‘termite’ ________________________ 2. ndu ‘cloth’ _________________________ 3. bio ‘ra a bush’ _________________________ 4. shɛɛŋ ‘broom’ _________________________ 5. nsuŋ ‘ sh’ _________________________

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Lesson Ten: Singular and Plural In English, the di erence between one noun/thing (singular) and more than one (plural) is shown in a few di erent ways. Most of the time an ‘s’ is added. E.g. ‘road’ becomes ‘roads’. Sometimes an ‘es’ is added. E.g. ‘box’ becomes ‘boxes’. And there are a few words that show the di erence in other ways. E.g. ‘mouse’ becomes ‘mice’. In the Saari language, we have a number of di erent ways of showing the di erence between singular and plural. As you read through the list in Exercise 1, you will also be able to think of many other words that show the di erence in the same way as the words given. Each word is an example of a group of words that show the di erence in the same way. Exercise 1 Read the following pairs of words aloud from left to right. Note the di erences between the singular and plural forms. singular plural naŋ ‘cow’ bɛnaŋ ‘cows’ mbaŋ ‘fence’ bɛmbaŋ ‘fences’ ŋgo ‘canoe’ bɛŋgo ‘canoes’ nduru ‘corn’ bɛnduru ‘corn’ tɛtɛ ‘stone’ ta ‘stones’

mbi ‘kolanut’ mumbi ‘kolanuts’ mu ‘cat’ mumu ‘cats’

wi ‘gun’ yi ‘guns’ lisi ‘eye’ lii ‘eyes’ kibɛnɛ ‘hand’ bibɛnu ‘hands’

nsoo ‘pepper’ muŋsoo ‘peppers’ ŋwaŋ ‘child’ bɔŋ ‘children’ kikoo ‘cocoyam’ bikoo ‘cocoyams’

The Saari language has one group of nouns that have the same spelling in the singular and plural form. In order to di erentiate them, put an upward slanting mark ‘ ́ ’ above the

rst vowel of the word as in the exercises that follow.

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Exercise 6 Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list of Saari words. (ŋwaŋ, ŋkoko, naŋ, ŋkaa, ŋwaŋshee) 1. ___________ ji wɛ ŋge. 2. Shimbe bee too ___________ lɛ dzaa. 3. Kindoŋ bee kii too ______________. 4. _____________ yɛɛntɔ laŋ. 5. Tatago fetɔɔ bɛɛ _______________. Exercise 7 Read the story and answer the questions that follow.

Ganaako Bɛ Bɛ Naŋ Bee Ganaako wu mu tɛ gii nuŋ Lisa bukuŋ le Bɔka. Denki bɛ bɛ naŋ li ŋkumɛɛ jo chichi be ji ŋge. Le to jo yiɛ shinshi, wu dzɔ bɛ naŋ wu li, li mami Nyabe wɛ. Kɛkɛ lɛ le, Ba Mbuŋwɛ te gi nuŋ lɛ bio li wɛ wu Mami Nyabe li chiŋ. Ba te too bɔka lɛ kwe bɔ. Dzɔ bɛnaŋ bɔɔ bɛbe fɛ kijiri bɛ fa fɛ mbaŋ wu kansoo. Mbifu 1. Bukuŋ bu gaanakoo winii tɛ be le no? ____________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Ɛ no wu tɛ buŋɛ bɛ naŋ li Mami Nyabe wɛ? ____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Ɛ la tɛ ka n wu tɛ ŋeŋ bɛ naŋ balu? ____________________________________________________________________________________ Exercise 8: Read the following Saari proverbs and translate them into English. Write the meaning on the second line. 1. Ŋkɛlɛ ti nuŋ ŋwaŋ wu lɛjiŋ. ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Gwini bɛ nsaŋ kɛ. ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________

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Lesson Eight: New Letter - Ts ts The consonant ‘ts’ is one of the letters in Saari that is not in the English alphabet. The two letters ‘t’ and ‘s’ come together to represent a single sound in Saari. They function as one letter and are considered as one consonant.

tsii ‘mole’ Exercise 1 Read the following pairs of contrasting words aloud from left to right. Note the contrast between the sounds ‘ts’ and ‘s’ . ts s tsɛkɛ ‘fast’ sɛɛsɛ ‘shake’ tsaaŋ ‘straight’ sɔŋ ‘young’ tse ‘palm kernels’ siiŋ ‘dry’ Exercise 2 Read the following words aloud, taking note of the sound ‘ts’ . 1. tsɛkɛ ‘near’ 2. tsaaŋ ‘monkey’ 3. tsɛ ‘baboon’ 4. tsooma ‘locust’ 5. tsɔnɔ ‘feast’

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Exercise 6 Read the following Saari song and learn to sing it by heart. Nsaa wu Nyɔ nu, kiti ki la, ki be ti kee kimakɛ le, nsaa wu Nyɔ nu! Solo – Nyɔ tɛ tɛ lɛ, ɛ mi Nyɔ ya wumu lu kɛ le.

- Kiti ki la ki bɛ ti kee kimakɛ le. Exercise 7 Read the following Saari proverb and give the translation. Write the meaning on the second line. Nyii nyi chi bɛŋkuŋ ti lɛɛ li biŋkooŋ. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Exercise 3 Translate the following English words into Saari. 1. pangolin _______________________ 2. peel _______________________ 3. dry season _______________________ 4. between _______________________ 5. honey bee _______________________ 6. birth pains _______________________ Exercise 4 Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list of Saari words below. nyiiŋ – ‘dry season’, nyakikii – ‘be high’, nyiri – ‘parrot’, nyaŋ – ‘meat’, nyuŋ – ‘man’ 1. Nsanfɔ bɛ tumi ________________ bɛ wi. 2. Bukɔŋ bu ___________________ wu bɛɛ wɛ nuŋ lɛ Wane. 3. Mbɛ li bikpɔ bi ____________________ beŋ. 4. Ba Buba be go _____________________ lɛ naŋ fe waŋ. 5. __________________ wuti yɛ. Exercise 5 Translate the following English sentences into Saari. 1. A parrot is singing. ______________________________________________________ 2. Give me a parrot. ________________________________________________________ 3. Dry season is approaching. ____________________________________________ 4. The wild animal is running. ___________________________________________

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Exercise 3 Fill in the missing letter(s) in the following Saari words, using either ‘ts’ or ‘s’ . 1. ____ii ‘mole’ 2. ____emukɛ ‘peace’ 3. ____ɔkɛ ‘bubbling’ 4. tsɛɛ____ɛɛ ‘eyelash’ 5. ____uku ‘school’ 6. ____sɛŋ ‘slippery soup’ 7. ____oŋɛbɔ ‘clap (hands)’ 8. ____ɔɔŋ ‘peace’ Exercise 4 Translate the following English words into Saari. 1. lift _________________________ 2. guinea fowl _________________________ 3. hip _________________________ 4. termite _________________________ 5. mole _________________________ 6. coconut _________________________ 7. wet _________________________ 8. hasten (hurry) __________________________ Exercise 5 Translate the following Saari sentences into English. 1. Mbɛ nji buneŋ bɛ tsii. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Sootɛ bi yie li kiti. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Bɔŋ beŋ bɛ chuchu li ba suku. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Kikoki kunto tse. _____________________________________________________________________________________

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Exercise 6 Read the following Saari proverbs and translate them into English. 1. Fibee yuusi ndɛŋ bɛ tsaki bɛ nchinyɛ. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Tsaaŋ ti duntiyɛ li kiti ki michɛ kɛ. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Tso yi li yi senti ŋgɛ. _____________________________________________________________________________________

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Lesson Nine: New Letter – Ny ny The consonant ‘ny’ is one of the letters in Saari that is not in the English alphabet. The two letters “n” and “y” come together to represent a single sound in Saari. They function as one letter and are therefore considered as one consonant. nyiri ‘parrot’ Exercise 1 Read the following pairs of contrasting words aloud from left to right. Note the contrast between the sounds ‘ny’ and ‘n’ . ny n nyɛfu ‘be blind’ njinfu ‘jump’ nyiŋ ‘bee’ niiŋ ‘few’ nya ‘gift’ naa ‘mother’ Exercise 2 Read the following words aloud, taking note of the sound ‘ny’ . 1. nyɔ ‘cutlass’ 2. nyaaŋ ‘eight’ 3. nyaŋ ‘animal’ 4. nyɛ ‘give’ 5. nyɛɛ ‘become blind’ 6. nyiikɛ ‘hide’