Learn: Farsi

Yay! Farsi Friday happened, and all I had to do was show up! I got my feet wet again after a long absence.

I finished the first Live Mocha lesson for Farsi, and while there seem to be some mistakes in the lesson, I think I can still learn what I need to from submissions feedback.

I’ve got to come up with a good way to learn vocabulary that goes beyond writing.

I’ve reviewed and made some charts of simple past tense, and I cut cards for making vocabulary flash cards next Friday. It seems to go so slowly, but I am beginning at the VERY beginning. Even as a kid, growing up in Texas, I could count to ten in Spanish, but there wasn’t much opportunity to pick up the odd word in Farsi.

My brain is tired.

The word /du:sti:/ means friendship.

Gorg means wolf. If I ever get that book written, and if there’s a wolf in it, I’m totally going to name it Gorg. It’s a great wolf name.

Today’s word is /sefr/ which means zero. It is spelled /sa:d/, /fe/, /re/ with a diacritical mark below the /sa:d/. Generally, it’s easier for me to pick out derivitives of Latin origin, and the only Sef- word in my dictionary is the name of a Greek, but if I had to guess, I’d say this word may relate to the word cipher, as in codes and figures.

Sweet! I just looked it up, and I’m right. It goes back to the Middle English word ‘cifre’. Before the Middle Ages, I guess they just used donuts for zeros. Greek donuts.

This, also, is part of my WOTD routine. I search my small Farsi dictionary for a new word and write it on my small dry erase board near my computer. I learned the alphabet online and can read words if I go slowly. More of my language-learning energy goes to Spanish, but I’m nearing such a good comfort level with it that eventually it won’t take so much time, and there’s something truly magical about writing in a new script.

I also study grammar online every week with my “Farsi Fridays” routine. It’s just a beginning.