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The Kayan language is one of the major languages of Borneo. It is spoken not only in Sarawak, Malaysia, but over a much larger area in Indonesian Kalimantan. Unlike some other Bornean languages, Kayan retains a large measure of uniformity over all this area.

Pronunciation guide

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Kayan is an easy language to learn. Kayan language contains a lot of loanword from Malay, English, Chinese, Iban and many other local languages. There are tones or gender to be observed in daily conversation with the Kayans. In Malaysia, the Kayan Baram and Kayan Rejang dialect are nearly unintelligible with one other. Generally, Kayan would be referred to as Kayan Baram. This phrasebook is dedicated solely to Kayan Baram dialect.

Vowels

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a
like 'a' in "father"
ê
like 'e' in "vowel" (schwa)
e, é
like 'e' in "bed"
i
like 'ee' in "beet"
o
like 'ow' in "low",without the "w" sound
u
like 'oo' in "hoop", in open positions,such as in final "uh" and "uk" combinations.

Consonants

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b
like 'b' in "bed"
c
like 'ch' in "China"
ch
old spelling of c
d
like 'd' in "dog"
f
like 'ph' in "phone"
g
like 'g' in "go"
h
like 'h' in "help"
j
like 'j' in "jug"
k
like 'c' in "cat"; at ends of words, a glottal stop like the stop some people use to pronounce "something" as "sump'n."
kh
like 'ch' in "loch" or 'c' in "cat."
l
like 'l' in "love"
m
like 'm' in "mother"
n
like 'n' in "nice"
p
like 'p' in "pig"
q
like 'q' in "quest" (most commonly with "u", and only in Arabic borrowings)
r
like 'rh' in "rheumatism"
s
like 'ss' in "hiss"
sy
like 'sh' in "sheep"
t
like 't' in "top"
v
like 'ph' in "phone" (rarely used)
w
like 'w' in "weight"
x
like 'cks' in "kicks"
y
like 'y' in "yes"
z
like 's' in "hiss", like 'z' in "haze", like 'dg' in "edge"

Common diphthongs

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Phrase list

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Basics

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Hello.
Kenun dengah. (ka-NOON-dunk-AH )
Hello. (informal)
Nun dengah. (NOON-dunk-AH )
How are you?
Sayu ka ika' ya? ( ?)
Fine, thank you.
Sayu ka akui,. ( )
What is your name?
Kenun aran ka du? ( ?)
My name is ______ .
______ aran kui. ( _____ .)
Nice to meet you.
Sayu kenep deng pepsuk dahim. ( )
Please.
Tulung. ( )
Thank you.
Trimak kasih/Sayu kenep men ikak/ikam lim/kelo. ( )
You're welcome.
Sayu kenep ka mn ika lahuh. ( )
Yes.
Ie. ( )
No.
Nusik/Usik. ( )
Excuse me. (begging pardon)
Akei asi. ( )
I'm sorry.
Akei asi kui. ( )
Goodbye
Pepsuk la'an. ( )
Goodbye (informal)
Bai. ( )
I can't speak Kayan [well].
Nusi kui jam/haman duan dahun Kayan[lan-lan ]. ( [ ])
Do you speak English?
Jam ika' duan dahun urang puti du? ( ?)
Is there someone here who speaks English?
Tek hi hi hak inih jam duan dahun urang puti du? ( ?)
Help!
Tulung! ( !)
Look out!
Jaga! ( !)
Good morning.
Selamet jehima. ( )
Good evening.
Selamet ngedau. ( )
Good night.
Selamet malem. ( )
Good night (to sleep)
Selamet malem. ( )
I don't understand.
Nusi kui jam. ( )
Where is the toilet?
Ha' hino' jaben du? ( ?)

Problems

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Leave me alone.
Meng kasau akui. (...)
Get lost!
Lap im! ("...")
Don't touch me!
Meng gem akui! (...)
I'll call the police.
Akui seng bara pulis anih. (...)
Police!
Pulis! (...)
Help!
Tulung! ("...")
Stop! Rapist!
Meng lap! Kelunan buling ketamak! ("...")
Stop! Thief!
Meng lap! Kelunan nakau! (...)
I need your help.
Akui pelu lan ikak tulung akui. (...)
It's an emergency.
Hen dekaya anih..mesti salet. (...)
I'm lost.
Lingok kui. (...)
I lost my bag.
Padek beg kui. (...)
I lost my wallet.
Padek beg sin kui. (...)
I'm sick.
Perah kui. (...)
I feel dizzy.
Perah kahung kui. ("...")
I've been injured.
Ga' kui. (...)
I'm bleeding.
Daha kui. ("...")
I need to see a doctor.
Akui pelu jupak duktun. (...)
Can I use your phone?
Deng akui pakei/pijam telifon ika' ya? (...)

Numbers

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0
Kusung
1
Ji
2
Duak
3
Telok
4
Pat
5
Limak
6
Nem
7
Tusu
8
Sayak
9
Pitan
10
Pulu
11
Puli ji
12
Pulu duak
13
Pulu telok
100
Ji atuh
110
Ji atuh pulu
111
Ji atuh pulu ji
1,000
Ji libuk
10,000
Pulu libuk
11,000
Pulu ji libuk
100,000
Ji atuh libuk
1,000,000
Ji juta
10,000,000
Pulu juta
100,000,000
Ji atuh juta
1,000,000,000
Ji biliun / Ji libuk juta
number _____ (car, bus, house etc.)
(kelita', bes,uma ) lubun _____ (...)
half
ji hunang (...)
less
kurang (...)
more
lebih (...)
roughly (more or less)
lebih kurang

Time

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now
kerei nih (...)
later
na'a (...)
before
em pian (...)
after
uh / uh anih (...)
morning
jehima
afternoon
belua dau
evening
levi
night
malem

Clock time

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one o'clock AM
pukun ji jehima (...)
two o'clock AM
pukun dua' jehima (...)
noon
belua dau (...)
one o'clock PM
pukun ji levi (...)
two o'clock PM
pukun dua' levi (...)
midnight
belua malem (...)

Duration

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_____ second(s)
_____ siken (SEE-khen)
_____ minute(s)
_____ minit (MI-nit)
_____ hour(s)
_____ jam (jahm)
_____ day(s)
_____ dau (DHAW)
_____ week(s)
_____ migu (MEE-goo)
_____ month(s)
_____ bulan (BOO-lahn)
_____ year(s)
_____ duman (dhu-MAHN)
_____ hour(s) and _____ minute(s)
If the minute is in numbers, _____jam _____ minit. If the minute is expressed as a fraction of the hour e.g two and a half hour: dua jam ji unang.

Days

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today
dau anih (...)
yesterday
dahlem
the day before yesterday
dahlem dahlem dih / dau em pian men dahlem dih
tomorrow
jima
the day after tomorrow
jima jima / jima atih / dua' dau la'an
three days after today
telo dau la'an
this week
migu anih
last week
migu areh
next week
migu atih
Sunday
Dau Migu / Dau Tusu
Monday
Dau Ji
Tuesday
Dau Dua'
Wednesday
Dau Telo'
Thursday
Dau Pat
Friday
Dau Lima'
Saturday
Dau Nem

Months

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January
Bulan Ji
February
Bulan Dua'
March
Bulan Telo'
April
Bulan Pat
May
Bulan Lima'
June
Bulan Nem
July
Bulan Tusu
August
Bulan Saya'
September
Bulan Pitan
October
Bulan Pulu
November
Bulan Pulu Ji
December
Bulan Pulu Dua'

Writing time and date

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Writing time
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1.00
pukun ji
1.01
pukun ji ,ji minit
1.15
pukun ji ,pulu lima minit
1.20
pukun ji ,dua' pulu minit
1.30
pukun ji ji unang / pukun ji telo' pulu minit
1.40
pukun ji pat pulu minit
1.45
pukun ji pat pulu lima' minit / Pulu lima' minit jeleng pukun dua'
As in Malay, the hours are written from zero to 12. So 06.00 PM is written as 6.00PM.
Date
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First one should write the day, after that the month and then the year, as in Malay

September 3rd 1986
3hb September 1986 : 03/09/1986 ; 3/9/1986

Colors

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Kayan have limited names for color. For example the word "Nyemit" can mean either blue, yellow or green.

black
pitem ( )
white
puti (POO-te)
red
bela ( )
blue
nyemit lagit ( )
yellow
nyemit ( )
green
nyemit uro' ( )
orange
urin ( )
purple
nyemit uvek lan / papel ( )
brown
lah tana ( )

Transportation

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Bus and train

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How much is a ticket to _____?
Kuri legah tiket tei ha' _____? ( )
I want to buy one ticket to _____.
Akui ngenep bele' ji tiket tei ha' _____. ( )
Where does this car/bus go?
Kelita' / Bes anih tei ha' ino' du? ( )
Where is the car/bus to _____?
Ha' ino' kui deng ala kelita'/bes tei ha' _____ du? (...)
Does this car/bus stop in _____?
Tren/bes anih ngeta' ha'_____ du? (...)
What time does the car/bus leave for _____?
Pukun kuri kelita'/bes anih leka' tei ha' _____ du? (...)
When will this car/bus arrive in _____?
Pukun kuri kelita' / bes anih ateng ha' _____ du? (...)


Directions

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How do I get to _____ ?
Nuno seng tei ha'_____ ? (...)
...the bus station?
...padang bes?
...the airport?
...padang bilun? (...)
...downtown?
...pasen? (...)
...______ house
... uma ________ ? (...)
Where are there a lot of...
Ha' ino' te' kahum... (...)
...hotels?
...hutil / ngavan melo'? (...)
...restaurants?
...kedei kuman? (...)
...sites to see?
...ngavan aleng sayu en lawat / nyineng / tei? (...)
Please show me on the map.
Nujo' men akui ha' kelatet anih. ( )
street
alan (...)
Turn left.
Tei pedah ta'o. (...)
Turn right.
Tei pedah hulei. (...)
left
ta'o (...)
right
hulei (...)
straight ahead
tutau (...)
towards the _____
jeleng _____ (...)
past the _____
lipes _____ (...)
before the _____
em pian _____ (...)
Watch for the _____.
Nyineng _____. (...)
intersection
sipang (...)


Taxi

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Lodging

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Money

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Sin

Eating

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eat=kuman

Bars

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Shopping

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Driving

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Authority

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Learning more

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This Kayan phrasebook is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!