Mauritian Creole Song About The Days Of The Week

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about Mauritian Creole and information about the non-profit community group, ABAIM. Mauritian Creole is the most widely spoken language in Mauritius, an island nation in Southern Africa.

This post also showcases a video song in Mauritian Creole about the days of the week and includes the des the song's lyrics that are given as subtitles in that video.

I've also included my transcription of the Mauritian Creole words. That transcription is largely based on information that I gleaned from an online page that is included as an Addendum to this post. That page list the etymology of the French word "semens" (English translation: "week"), lists various French Creole words for the English word "week", and also provides the French words for the days of the week.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, linguistic, and educational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in this video and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
Thanks to ABAIM for their work with Mauritian children and youth.

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INFORMATION ABOUT MAURITIAN CREOLE
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauritian_Creole
Mauritian Creole or Morisien (Mauritian Creole: Kreol morisien) is a French-based creole language spoken in Mauritius. In addition to the French base of the language, there are also a number of words from English and from the many African and South Asian languages that have been spoken on the island.

[...]

Sociolinguistic situation
Mauritian creole is the lingua franca of Mauritius. Mauritius, formerly a British colony, has kept English as its only official language, although French is more widely spoken. Mauritians tend to speak Creole at home and French in the workplace. French and English are spoken in schools. Though a large percentage of Mauritians are of Indian descent, they primarily speak Creole, which is their ancestral tongue in the sense that their ancestors along with those of African, European and Chinese descent helped create the creole language together centuries ago, when Mauritius was the meeting place of peoples from different continents who together founded a nation with its own culture and history. Today, around 1 million people speak the language."...

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INFORMATION ABOUT ABAIM
From https://www.blogger.com/profile/04879472809568439259
"Industry Non-Profit
Location Beau Bassin, Mauritius

Introduction Abaim is a non governmental organisation founded in 1982. It proceeds from the setting-up of a support front during a heroic strike of the Blind Persons at the Lois Lagesse Centre in 1982. Abaim is a registered association. The association is based in Beau-Bassin and operates at the ex-Colonel Maingard Government School. Through its Saturday care project and its movement education and keep fit project, it is now fuly integrated to the local community."

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: ABAIM : Zoli Letan Pou Zanfan : Lindi mo al lekol



Thefriendsbe, Published on Nov 25, 2013
-snip-
Music: "Bann Zour Lasemenn" by ABAIM


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LYRICS: LINDO MO AL LEKOL
Lindi mo al lekol
mardi mo al leson
mekredi ena enhancement
zedi mo vinn repetition
Vandredi mo zwe playstation
samdi mo vinn abaim
dimans mo al promne
apre la semen fini

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Saturday Sunday
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
and then the weekend comes in

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Saturday Sunday
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
and then the weekend comes in
-snip-
These lyrics are given as subtitles in that video.

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ENGLISH TRANSCRIPTION* - MONDAY I GO TO SCHOOL

(Mauritian children's song by ABAIM)

Monday I go to school
Tuesday I get lessons [homework?]
Wednesday I get enhanced lessons [more difficult lessons; homework]
Thursday I repeat [review?] the lessons/homework I have received]
Friday I'm allowed to play with [my] playstation [video games]
Saturday I go to Abaim
Sunday I go to program [church?]
And then the week is finished

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Saturday Sunday
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
and then the weekend comes in

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Saturday Sunday
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
and then the weekend comes in
-snip-
*Transcription by Azizi Powell from the video.

I don't know any language except English. Therefore, the part of this transcription that is from Mauritian Creole to English may be incorrect. Additions and corrections are very are welcome.

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ADDENDUM - EXCERPT FROM AN ONLINE PAGE ABOUT THE WORD "WEEK" IN FRENCH AND IN FRENCH CREOLE LANGUAGES
From https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/semaine https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/semaine

"Semaine

Etymology
From Old French semaine, from Late Latin septimāna (“week”), from the Latin septimānus (“related to the seventh element of a series”, adjective), derived from septimus (“seventh”).

[...]

Noun]
semaine f (plural semaines)
week


Descendants

Antillean Creole: simenn
Esperanto: semajno
Guianese Creole: simenn
Haitian Creole: semèn
Karipúna Creole French: simén
Louisiana Creole French: smèn
Mauritian Creole: semen
Seychellois Creole: lasemenn, semenn, smenn
Tayo: semen

See also
(days of the week) jours de la semaine; lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi, dimanche (Category: fr:Days of the week)"

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