ቡሩክ ለይቲ
Buruk Leyti
The English phrase "good night" is translated into Tigrinya as ቡሩክ ለይቲ (Buruk Leyti).
ቡሩክ ለይቲ is used as a farewell phrase when saying good night to someone.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase means 'blessed night'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form ቡሩክ ለይቲ is the feminine singular form. This is used because the Tigrinya word for night, ለይቲ, is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
Buruk Leyti
Did you know?
- The Tigrinya script used to write ቡሩክ ለይቲ is called Ge'ez, one of the oldest writing systems still in use in the world today.
- The word ለይቲ is part of a large family of related words across the Middle East, including the Hebrew לַיְלָה (layla), meaning they all share a single ancient root.
- In traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean cultures, saying 'good night' is often preceded by a series of inquiries about the person's health and family.
Example conversation
Ma'ar and Samuel are saying goodbye before going to bed.
- መዓር Me'arሳሚኤል፡ ቡሩክ ለይቲ።Samuel, buruk leyti.Samuel, good night.
- ሳሚኤል Samuelቡሩክ ለይቲ፡ መዓር።Buruk leyti, Ma'ar.Good night, Ma'ar.
- መዓር Me'arጽቡቕ ትንቀሳቀስ።Tsibuq tinqesaqes.Sleep well.
- ሳሚኤል Samuelንስኺ እውን።Niski iwin.You too.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ለይቲ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
