Ossitan Chamorro Marianas


Last month I spent an afternoon working with Sinot Louie Wabol, un ma'estron Chamoru giya Guahan and a major in the Chamorro Studies program at UOG. Over the Christmas break we worked on a project together titled "Ossitan Chamorro Marianas" and with the help of my TA Nathan Topasna, we recorded two hours of Chamorro jokes and humorous stories. (I nobia-hu Isa provided hanom yan fina'mames na sinapotte). At first I tried my best to keep myself from cracking up after each joke, but eventually gave up as his performance deserved a laugh track.

In all he shared more than 50 jokes, some of which I'll be using in future research. For now, though I'm glad one joke that he included is the Juan Malimanga standard about public urination.

(Juan Malimanga is peeing against the wall in an alley)

Polisia: Hoi! Para! Kao un tungo' na kontra i lai enao i bidada-mu?

Juan: Ahe', ti kontra i lai Sinot! Kontra i liga!

***************

Esta mas ki 40 na majors gi prugraman-måmi (Inestudian Chamorro) gi UOG. Meggai manmalåte' yan manmaolek na estudiante giya Hami. Estague si Siñot Louie Wabol unu ni' gof ya-hu. Gof na'chalek gui' (miessitan!) yan gof geftao gui' lokkue'. Fihu hu ripara gui' umayuyuda i manlahoben i majors ni' che'cho'-ñiha, ko'lo'lo'ña anai ti kabales i tiningo'-ñiha put Fino' Chamoru. I otro na taotao gi este na litratu, i nuebu na a'ayuda-hu gi Inestudian Chamorro, si Nate Tops. Gof maolek na estudiante gui' achokka' ti major gui' gi prugraman-måmi. "Minor" ha' gui'. Lao ti bei alok na "minor" i ayudu-ña nu Guahu.

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