More and More Kazakh.

The other day, after over a year in Kazakhstan, I finally learned how to say phrases like "I want him to speak". It goes like this:

Men oning soilegenin kalaimen.
Men(I) oning(his) coile(speak)gen(past participle ending)i(3rd person posessesive)n(3rd person possesive accusative) kala(choose)imin(first person verb ending)

It's frustrating asking Kazakh speakers for help sometimes. You see a sentence, and if you don't know the special functions of certain common words, you read something like: "I at having gone to school with you to speak mine coming perhaps exits" And you ask a Kazakh what it means, and they say it oh, it means "on my way to school I might want to speak with you." And you may ask what on earth that has to with the words in the sentence, but usually people seem unable to explain it bit by bit, only the whole meaning. (In this case, simultaneous action is formed by the past participle and a locative ending, thus "at having gone to school", desire is indicated with a form that looks a little like dative, the first person possesive ending, and then the verb to come, thus "to speak mine coming", and uncertainty can be used expressed with the word to exit with the uncertain future tense ending added on, thus "perhaps exits".)

I've been more interested in Kazakh lately since I am going to Uralsk for a repeat of last years Kazakh language camp festivities in Kyzylorda. Saltanat is even going to make the 120-hour round trip to teach us again! Expect pictures from Kazakhstan's chunk o' Europe.