እንቋዕ ናብ በዓል ኣሸንዳ ኣብጸሓኩም
enqua' nab be'al ashenda abtsehakum
The phrase "happy ashenda" in Tigrinya is እንቋዕ ናብ በዓል ኣሸንዳ ኣብጸሓኩም (enqua' nab be'al ashenda abtsehakum).
This phrase is used as a formal holiday greeting during the Ashenda season.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase እንቋዕ ናብ በዓል ኣሸንዳ ኣብጸሓኩም literally translates to "Congratulations on reaching the festival of Ashenda".
How do you pronounce it?
enqua' nab be'al ashenda abtsehakum
Did you know?
- The 'happy' part of the greeting is expressed through the verb ኣብጸሓኩም, which focuses on the act of surviving or successfully reaching the date of the event.
- The word በዓል in the phrase shares an ancient root with the Phoenician deity 'Baal', signifying a high-ranking lord or master.
- In many Tigrinya-speaking regions, the Ashenda greeting is part of a period of social liberation where girls take center stage in the community.
Example conversation
Dawit greets Risa during the Ashenda festival.
- ዳዊት Dawitእንቋዕ ናብ በዓል ኣሸንዳ ኣብጸሓኩም።Enqua nab be'al Ashenda absehakum.Happy Ashenda to you.
- ርእሳ Re'esaየቐንየለይ ዳዊት፣ ንዓኻ እውን እንቋዕ ኣብጸሓካ።Yekenyeley Dawit, ni'akha iwun absehakha.Thank you Dawit, happy Ashenda to you too.
- ዳዊት Dawitንዓኺ እውን እንቋዕ ኣብጸሓኪ።Ni'akhi iwun absehakhi.Happy Ashenda to you as well.
- ርእሳ Re'esaየቐንየለይ።Yekenyeley.Thank you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries በዓል, CC BY-SA 4.0.
