Celebrating diversity – UN Mother Language Day
How many different languages are spoken within Unitec? Help us to find out – contribute a phrase to our display!
Monday 21 February is UN International Mother Language Day.
“Every two weeks a language disappears taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage.
Languages are of strategic importance for people and planet. Yet, due to globalisation processes, they are increasingly under threat, when languages fade, so does the world’s rich tapestry of cultural diversity, traditions, memory, unique modes of thinking and expression.
At least 43% of the estimated 6000 languages spoken in the world are endangered.
International Mother Language Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.
Multilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages which transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way”.
Be part of this day by celebrating your own mother tongue! How fortunate we are to be working and studying in a place in which we are allowed to speak in any language that we choose. And this is because we are protected by the values of Te Noho Kotahitanga, specifically Ngākau Māhaki.
A big white paper will be placed at two both campuses, so please contribute by writing a saying or phrase in your mother language (or the language of your parents, grandparents or ancestors). Add the English names of that language and your place of origin.
Mt Albert: In Te Puna, B180
Waitākere: In the student common space
For example:
“La gota que derramó el vaso” (Spanish – Australia)
“Lechyd da!” (Welsh – New Zealand)
In Cantonese – “Lei ho ma?”
In Mandarin – “Ni hao ma?”
In Fujian – “Lu ho boh?”
In Hakka – “Ngi how mow?”
In Malay/Bahasa Indonesia – “Apa khabar?”
Fakaalofa lahi atu in vagahau Niue.
Alii in Palauan.
Hafa Adai in Chammoro (Guam).
‘Iorana in Rapanui (Easter Is)
Halo olgeta in Pidgin (Solomon Is)
Tu Tagaloa e Monuina.
Pagpalain ka ng Maykapal! (Tagalog)
Just realized my contribution was incomplete! Resending.. =D
Pagpalain ka ng Maykapal! (Tagalog or Filipino – Philippines)
Asalam u alikum (Urdu-Pakistan)
Hey Mary Ann Onduna and Io Aleke Fa’avae ! woah! are these all the languages that you speak? And Asma – when we are back on campus, please could you go to the poster in Te Puna and write it up?
Yes Maja, Tagalog (or Filipino) is my mother tongue. (^_^)
Te Reo Maori: Kia kaha
Nederlands: Hou je sterk
Liewe Almal, wat ‘n oulike idee om iets te deel in ons moedertaal. Ek hoop dit gaan goed met almal tydens grendeltyd. Sterk staan! Antoinette
Liewe (Dear) Almal (all), wat (what) ‘n (a) oulike (cute/nice) idee (idea) om (to) iets (something) te (to) deel (share) in (in – surprise!) ons (our) moedertaal (mother language). Ek (I) hoop (hope) dit (it) gaan (is going) goed (well) met (with) almal (all) tydens (during) grendeltyd (latch time). Sterk (stong) staan (stand)! (kia kaha) Antoinette
Qui veut voyager loin, ménage sa monture. (French)
universala lingvo plej bonas (esperanto)
Kem Cho; Namaste; Kia ora
Kem Cho: Gujarati (India)
Namaste: Hindi (India)
Kia ora
Dzień dobry moi przyjaciele – (good morning my friends) Polish
La vita è bella – (life is beautiful). – Italian
Солнечный день и счастливы лица – (Sunny day and happy faces) Russian
Arbeite langsam, langsam und nicht zu schnell – (Work slow, slow and not too fast). German
Vamos a la playa a bailar – ( Let’s go to the beach for a dance) Spanish
…