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serenata
Germany
1400 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Oct 2006 : 16:01:17
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| Oh yeah, up to the clothes of the casualty surgeon... |
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LEMON TIME
Afghanistan
1295 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2006 : 16:21:40
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| SereTATA i did not understand your above post. |
There is no god but Allah |
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serenata
Germany
1400 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2006 : 17:03:22
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Tata? What is it? I know a big Indian company called Tata, but unfortunately I am not a member of the Tata family. They are is VERY rich 
I meant that the clothes surgeons and nurses are wearing at operations usually are green, at least in Germany. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2006 : 18:55:11
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quote:
Originally posted by serenata
Tata? What is it? I know a big Indian company called Tata, but unfortunately I am not a member of the Tata family. They are is VERY rich
I meant that the clothes surgeons and nurses are wearing at operations usually are green, at least in Germany.
I think the family makes the TATA buses |
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LEMON TIME
Afghanistan
1295 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 03:02:26
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| Kon what is TATA in Mandinka and NATA? |
There is no god but Allah |
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Alhassan
Sweden
813 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 15:10:44
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quote:
Originally posted by LEMON TIME
Kon what is TATA in Mandinka and NATA?
Lemon,
Tata in Mandinka can mean to go away or a nickname. Tata dindin has got his nickname from Jali Burama(the man Tata was called after).
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serenata
Germany
1400 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 15:14:45
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I think Nyorta Lemon Time knew exactly what he was writing when he addressed me as SereTATA..  |
Edited by - serenata on 20 Oct 2006 15:16:09 |
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LEMON TIME
Afghanistan
1295 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 15:50:11
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| YOU GOT TO LAUGH |
There is no god but Allah |
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njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 17:08:31
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Serenata maybe he was being brotherly,
Tata is also a name for women. it means sister in sarakule i think. so you will find many women using it as a prefix like Ndey, Mam,. |
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serenata
Germany
1400 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 17:14:41
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| Oops, I didn't know. If it should have been the case I apologize. Lemon Time surely is too proud to correct me... Hm, we two seem to get into misunderstandings from time to time. Maybe this is the type of meeting of two characters where 'every embrace could end up in a brawl'... |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 18:21:39
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quote:
Originally posted by LEMON TIME
Kon what is TATA in Mandinka and NATA?
NATA in Mandingo means " i came", ANATA means, "he/she came". However, TATA has two meanings. One meaning is "gone" but the other is the name you call the eldest brother in the family. Unfortunately, many are only exposed to this name during circumcision rites in the bush. I mean the traditional settings where circumcised boys stay in the bush for three months learning survival skills without coming to the village.
Upon return, they are accepted as men and not boys and would for the last time enter the women's rooms or eat with them. KAY KUNDA (men’s quarters) becomes their new territory.
The eldest son of the family assumes the title of TATA. He would never be called by his real name more or less sealing his ultimate right to succeed the father. It prepared the ground for respect, and legitimacy whilst the father is still alive. In fact he makes a lot of decisions on family matters.
I went through this rite of passage. You learn how to behave in public, read signs in the bush left by others, and communicate without talking through signs even in public and most importantly, every boy learns how to dance the ceremonial "KIING DANCE". It has no relation with the word king. They just sound similar. You dance by jumping, twisting, and overlapping your legs one behind the other. Its very similar to the Celtic dance of the Scots with some differences. You had to know how to do this because every boy must dance at the village ceremony upon graduation and mothers would for the first time see their sons in 90 days. Lost of crying and happiness takes the village, chickens, goats are slaughtered and some given to the "KINTANGS" more like the Drill Sergeant who trains the boys in skills. They also have a lot of respect in the community and your KINTANG will forever be a big brother you can share your deepest secrets and he will never share it up to his grave.
This secrecy, which develops out of such relationships, is partly the reason why the saying: "when an old man dies in Africa, it’s like burning a whole library" came about.
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 18:23:54
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quote:
Originally posted by Alhassan
quote:
Originally posted by LEMON TIME
Kon what is TATA in Mandinka and NATA?
Lemon,
Tata in Mandinka can mean to go away or a nickname. Tata dindin has got his nickname from Jali Burama(the man Tata was called after).
Jali Burama must have been the eldest son, and as such, in mandinka society, he assumes the title of TATA meaning big brother. He would not be called by his real name by his younger siblings. |
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serenata
Germany
1400 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 18:33:08
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| Kondorong, thank you for your explanation. It gave me food for thought about some traditions that maybe faded away in my Gambian family. |
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Momodou
Denmark
11835 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 18:45:09
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| TATA is also used as a prefix for elder sisters in Mandinka. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 18:46:32
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quote:
Originally posted by Momodou
TATA is also used as a prefix for elder sisters in Mandinka.
You are right. Its a title for both eldest son or daughter in the family. |
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