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July 18, 2004

Fulfulde greetings

Before you bless people, or even comment on their cows, you need to greet them. Amongst the Fulani, greeting is more than a formality – it is a ritual that keeps society going. Paul Riesmann wrote about this in detail in his definitive anthropological study Freedom in Fulani Social Life.

As in most languages, the initial greeting depends on the time of day.

5am – 11am Jam waali? (lit. Did you pass the night in peace?)
11am – 2pm Jam weeti?
2pm – 6pm Jam nyalli?
6pm – 11pm Jam hiiri?

The response to all of the above is Jam tan (Peace only) or Jam ni (Peace only). Even if you passed the night in sleepless malarial delirium, you still say Peace only. It would be rude not to.

The greeter then launches a barrage of follow-up questions, to ensure that every aspect of your life is peaceful. Parry these by alternating Jam tan and Jam ni.

Jam waali? (Did you pass the night in peace?)
Jam tan
Jam wuro waali? (Did your household pass the night in peace?)
Jam ni
A δaaneke? (Did you sleep?)
Jam tan
Noy korreji maa? (How is your family?)
Jam ni
Kori baasi fuu walaa (I hope there are no problems)
Jam tan, baasi fuu walaa
Aδa selli, naa? (You are in good health?)
Jam ni
Noy abba maa? (How is your father?)
Jam tan.
Al hamdilillalay (Praise God)

As soon as your assailant pauses for breath, you can get some questions of your own in:

A δaaneke? (Did you sleep?)
Jam tan
Noy wuro maa? (How is your household?)
Jam ni, baasi fuu walaa.
Noy sukaaбe maa? (How are your children?)
Jam tan.

When asked how your wife and children are, do not say ‘non-existent’, say Jam tan.
When asked how your mother is, do not say ‘five thousand miles away’, say Jam ni.
When asked how your health is, do not say ‘the campylobactor seems to be better but now I have red-eye’ – say Jam tan, baasi fuu walaa!

You get the picture.

Real conversation comes later, but this is the greeting sequence. We are proclaiming peace over difficult and depressing situations and thereby poking a finger in the eye of a hostile universe. At least, that’s my take on it. For a more intelligent interpretation, read Riesmann.

Posted by sahelsteve at July 18, 2004 05:05 PM