Estorian Taotaomo’na: The Story of the Fragrant Woman

Another taotaomo’na story this week, from the island of Guam. Set in the village of Agat, this story is about a woman who is accompanied by a strong fragrance and a family who desire to know more about her. There seem to be several stories of the “white lady” or “fragrant woman” spread throughout our islands. Have you heard of a woman like this? This post includes the Chamorro text, English translation, and Chamorro narration by Jay Che’le. Happy reading! (UPDATED 10/14/2024 with discussion notes from our Saturday morning practice group)

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Break Free from Overthinking: 4 Key Study Habits for Natural and Fluid Chamorro Speaking

One of the biggest challenges Chamorro language learners face is speaking naturally and fluidly. Some in our community can understand Chamorro fluently but struggle to form sentences when it’s time to speak. Others grasp the complexities of grammar but freeze up when trying to apply those rules in conversation. Some are conversational, but their Chamorro isn’t as clear or fluid as they’d like. In this post, I’ll share four key study habits that I use to help my speech output become more fluid, natural, and confident. These study habits will be from my perspective as a learner who started from level zero, so please keep that in mind as these study tips may not apply to your learning situation. Happy studying!

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Estorian Taotaomo’na: Si Tangulu

Here is a taotaomo’na story from Luta about a taotaomo’na named Tangulu, which literally translates to “skull”. It’s a combination of the words to’lang (which means “bone”) and ulu (which means “head”). Have any of you heard of Tangulu? This story was completely brand new for me, so I’m excited for us to read this in our Saturday morning praktika this week.

This post includes the Chamorro text, English translation, and Chamorro narration by Jay Che’le. Happy reading!

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Kåntan Chamoru: Fahåni Hit Flores

As we kick off this new ‘season’ of our Saturday evening practice sessions, we’ll be focusing exclusively on the works of Chamorro singer-songwriter Daniel DeLeon Guerrero. His songs are invaluable for learners, rich in language and themes that span a wide range of topics. Known for his prolific output, Daniel’s music offers endless opportunities to deepen our understanding of the Chamorro language. Last Saturday, we transcribed the song Fahåhi Hit Flores by Daniel De Leon Guerrero, which is his Chamorro translation of an English original titled “Buy Me a Rose.” Below, you’ll find the Chamorro lyrics alongside an English translation. Happy listening!

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Legend: Taga’s Youngest Son

Here is another story about Taga, and this time it focuses more on his family relationships. We learn more about his youngest son, and also one of his daughters. This came from a book entirely about Taga, which we found in the UH Manōa Pacific Languages collection. In this post you’ll find a Chamorro audio narration of the story by Jay Che’le, the Chamorro text, and an English translation. Happy reading!

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