As mentioned before there are several new things happening today, this month and this year at Gadling. Guessing from the title of this post in particular you’ve probably already figured out this feature is one of them. It is my hopes that you’re just as excited as I am to expand those miniature dictionaries in our brains dedicated to foreign language into a world of useful vocabulary to use or not to use while traveling. Over time I’ll do my best to insert words in their original Japanese, Russian, Arabic, etc. text, but for right now we’ll use only the phonetic spelling. In addition to the word I’ll supply online learning links and books for continued language learning. Have a word you’d like to share? Slang, tribal lingo, and dead languages are always welcome, but let’s try to keep it clean.
Now the first word is a Persian word from the Farsi language used in Iran.
be salamati – Good health! Cheers!
Many of you probably made toasts to the new year, shouted cheers, and messages of good health, continued wealth and success from now and forever. Well, next time you find yourself in Tehran or West Los Angeles don’t be shy, shout it out in Farsi! Be salamati! Be make sure to use this one during the Persian New Year which occurs at spring in March.
Excellent sites for learning Persian online include a personal favorite called Easy Persian and Farhangsara. Both sites have an excellent beginner’s guide into the language and use images, sound and music to assist you in the process. Check out Lonely Planet’s Farsi (Persian) Phrasebook for a shorthand guide at the ancient lingo.