Dialect of Pomero info/key sentances

[Art Ludwig]

Dear Nahuatl Fans:

I have the opportunity to help make a simple workbook for learning
Nahuatl, Pomero dialect.  The workbook will be aimed at helping teachers
and schoolkids of various ages learn/remember their language. I have a
good idea of how to do the workbook and am fairly proficient at Spanish,
but don't know much Nahuatl as yet.

Supposedly the Pomero indians (southwestern Michuacan, on the coast) are
the largest group of Nahuatl speakers there is. In the interior Nahuatl
is strong, but on the coast (where I'll be working) fluency in Nahuatl
is a bit sketchy.

1) Does anyone have suggestions for resources which could help us, as a
backup to the help I'll be recieving from native speakers?  I have not
being able to locate anything specific to this dialect.  Most helpfull
would be an extensive word list, ideally Spanish-Nahuatl.

2) Can anyone help me with translations for the following specific key
phrases?  In Nahuatl, as well as other languages I've studied, I've
spent a great deal of energy spinning wheels trying to get over the
conceptual and liguistic hurdles necessary to resolve questions like
"how do you say how do you say this in Nahuatl?"  Below are key
sentances from my study of Spanish, to help show what I'm after, and a
few of the fragments I've picked up in Nahuatl:

KEY SENTANCES-----------------------------------------

Format:
English
Spanish
Spanish directly translated into english word for word
  Best guess as to equivalent Nahuatl phrase, if I have one
  Best guess direct word for word translation
-----------------------------------------------------

I (still) don’t understand.
(Todavia) no entiendo.
Still no understand[I].

I don’t know.
no se.
no know[I]
  Amo nigmate
  not known

What does ____(this/that) mean?
Que quiere dicir____?(eso/ella)?
What wants[it] to say ____(this/that)?
  Kiname itoca (in)?
  Como se nombre (este)?

How do you say/spell/write ____(this/that) in Spanish?
Como se dice/deletrea/escrive____(eso/ella) en español?
How does[one] say/spell/write ___(this/that) in Spanish?

Could you say that again, (please)?
Otra vez, (por favor)?
Other time, (please)?
  Si chile opce huelta

Could you please explain/give an example/draw a picture/act it out?
Por favor se puede explicar/dar un ejemplo/mostrar me un dibujo?
For favor is possible explain/give an example/show me a picture?
  Xitsupini in amal
  write it paper

Ah! now I understand!
Oh! ahora entiendo!
Ah! now understand[I]!
  Si nigmate
  Yes understand(I)

What is the opposite of____?
Como se dice el opuesto de____?
How one says the opposite of ____?

Could you please speak (a little) more slowly/clearly/loudly/simply?
Por favor es possible que puedes hablar (un poco) mas
despacio/claro/alta/basicamente?                              ??? please
speak (one little) more slow/clear/higher/basically?



Pampadios!

Art

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Art Ludwig
Oasis Design
Ecological Design publishing & consulting
5 San Marcos Trout Club, Santa Barbara, CA 93105-9726, Fax: 805 967-3229
Phone: 967-9956
<http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/odesign>        <odesign at sprynet.com>

I'm back in the office for at least a few months & will be checking e
mail every other day.
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