ntenana - what does it mean?

Anyone know? LOL

To enlighten why I ask, I'll tell you a story.

After I got a Cameroonian boyfriend, several of my friends has started dating interculturally (as we prefer to call it, being a very politically correct bunch of people).That makes me extremely happy. Because it means that my children (when I have them) might have several other mixed children to play with. (half Vietnamese, half Afghanian, half Eritrean).

Well, yesterday I got a sms from a pal, who told me that he would like me to meet him and his new GF over dinner tomorrow. While sending sms'es back and forth aranging what time to meet, he threw in the word "ntenana" - when I asked what it meant he just replied with a sarcastic comment claiming that he had started to learn "African", and so should I ( Today I'm definetly telling him there are 2000 different African languages... learning to speak "African" makes even less sense than learning to speak "European" :roll: ).

Well, since he's started learning "African", I'm suspecting his new girlfriend is African. But I'm curious about what that word means. I know I'll find it all out tomorrow. But being a very curious person, I would rather find out already today ...

So does anyone know the word? I know it's not likely that you do. But I'll give it a try anyway

 

I have no idea, but this is really funny so far.... do keep us posted!

 

Pearlgirl you tease - I was looking in here to find out the answer!

 

It's in an Eritrean language. I don't remember wich one. It simply means "cheers"...

So now yet another friend has gotten an Eritrean gf. They met through the other couple I know, but they kept it a secret that they started dating. Don't know why. I'd never met her before, but she was really nice. My friend called me to let me meet her before anyone else know it's starting to get serious, since I'm their role-model.

:lol:

 

Thanks for letting us know!

 

I'm soo unfamiliar with any African language that isn't West African so i can't answer that.

 

It's not Eritrean language but very close

netenna is like saying courting some body; dating where at that level you really study the person, how he/she interacts with their friends, family and strangers. So the equivalent translation to that word is to study, observe and know your date. By the way it's amharic, an Ethiopian language...but still East African. I hope this helps.

Peace

 

Re: It's not Eritrean language but very close

netenna is like saying courting some body; dating where at that level you really study the person, how he/she interacts with their friends, family and strangers. So the equivalent translation to that word is to study, observe and know your date. By the way it's amharic, an Ethiopian language...but still East African. I hope this helps.

Peace[/quote]

Haha, then my friend told me wrong...
Great, he's alway so sure of himself