This came in from a student via the feedback form for E1 of the “Basic Bambara Podcast”
I ni ce Coleman! This is nice to listen to as a complement to the other
resources. I think I noticed in this clip you greeted with “Aw ni tuma”.
Literally, am I right thinking it is “you and time”? How does its use differ
from “Aw ni fama”?
For reference for others, here’s my reply:
Yes, “Aw ni tuma” means “you and time” and it’s basically a way to say “Hello” when you don’t know when someone is listening or you are talking to someone in another time zone and you aren’t sure what time it is for them
The expression and related ones (“I ni ɲɔgɔn/ɲaan-tuma”; see this Forum post) are common in broadcast/media situations.