Word for the Travel Wise (09/04/06)

Turkmens.com is the Internet’s number one site on everything Turkmen. If you want to hear Turkmen pop music, Turkmen classical music, see Turkmen horses, Turkmen art work and Turkmen artists you’ve found the right link. This was one of those countries I expected to google online and find nothing about, but this site alone proves I’m wrong. Of some of the more fascinating links I would check out the Turkmen museum which features Dr. Farzad Marjani’s private collection of jewelry. Impressive pieces. I wouldn’t mind owning something like the items seen there. Anyhow…

Today’s word is a Turkmen word used in Turkmenistan:

näche – how much?

Turkmen is the national language of Turkmenistan with some 3,430,000 speakers within the country and 3,000,000 throughout parts of Iran, Afghanistan and Turkey. The language is more closely related to Crimean Tatar and Salar and less closely related to Turkish and Azerbaijani. Wiki has good background info including additional learning links. If you’ve some knowledge of the lingo already visit this tmchat forum to learn by hanging out and chatting with other members. Same rule applies if you’re going to stop by this Dersat Turkmens page which says you can learn and has samples, tests and conversation, but it’s difficult to understand without basic skills in place. Transparent.com has Turkmen language software and LP’s Central Asia phrasebook has only a small section of Turkmen.