Decoding Arumbaya
The Arumbaya is a fictitious language, like Syldavian, concepted by Hergé, and can be found in a couple of books.
The Arumbabya in the English language editions is the creation of Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper and Michael Turner, Tintin's English translators.
Lonsdale-Turner and Bell's creation is really 'perfect phonetic Cockney', the language spoken by locals of Deptford, the cast of EastEnders (popular BBC soap opera), and practically every school child in the United Kingdom.
Translating Arumbaya
Translating the fictional Arumbaya language in Tintin—especially as it's rendered in the English versions—is an exercise in decoding phonetic Cockney English. The translators, Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper and Michael Turner, crafted Arumbaya as "perfect phonetic Cockney," meaning it mimics the pronunciation and style associated with the working-class London dialect.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to approach translating Arumbaya:
1. Listen for Familiar English Words
Arumbaya phrases often sound like distorted English sentences. Try reading them out loud to identify recognizable words or phrases. For example, "oozfa" can sound like "who's for," and "sek 'unds" could resemble "seconds."
2. Understand Cockney Conventions
Cockney has unique characteristics:
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Dropped consonants: Especially “h” at the beginning and “t” at the end of words. For example, “what” becomes “wha’.”
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Swapped sounds: Sounds may get swapped or pronounced differently, like “th” becoming “f” or “v.”
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Abbreviations: Words are often shortened or clipped, such as “seconds” becoming “sek 'unds.”
So, “I’m going to” might become “I’m goin’ ter,” and “It’s lovely weather” could sound like “I’s luvly wea’er.”
3. Identify Common British Slang
Some Arumbaya phrases are actually well-known British expressions or idioms. For example, "Oh, what a lovely bunch of coconuts!" refers to a famous British music hall song. Familiarity with British idioms can help with recognizing phrases that might seem nonsensical otherwise.
4. Piece Together Context
Since the phrases appear in a fictional context, knowing the situation or characters can provide hints. In The Broken Ear, for example, Arumbaya phrases often relate to introductions, greetings, or humorous expressions fitting the adventure context. Look at the surrounding dialogue or scene to guide the meaning.
Click On The Speech Bubbles To Translate !
Given below are some comic panels representing the Arumbaya dialect used by the Arumbayas and Professor Ridgewell. Navigate between these comic panels by pressing the arrow buttons present at the extreme sides of the screen. Click on the Arumbaya text in the speech bubbles to get a translation of the sentences to finally reveal what it means !
5. Practice with Examples
Let's break down a few examples to illustrate the approach:
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Phrase: “Ahw wada lu’vali bahn chaco conats! Ha! Ha! Ha!”
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Translation: “Oh, what a lovely bunch of coconuts! Ha! Ha! Ha!”
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Explanation: Saying it aloud, you can hear “lu’vali” as “lovely” and “bahn chaco conats” as “bunch of coconuts.”
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Phrase: “Owar ya? Ts goota meecha mai ‘tee.”
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Translation: “How are you? It’s good to meet you, matey.”
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Explanation: “Owar ya?” mimics “How are you?” and “Ts goota meecha” sounds like “It’s good to meet ya,” with “mai ‘tee” as “matey.”
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The Arumbaya Decode Challenge !
Given below are some phrases encoded in Arumbaya. Sort the English words to make a meaningful translation !
