How to insult someone in Goun

Insulting someone in Goun, the language of my post, is tricky for Americans.  Labels that would be very insulting to Americans (Liar!  Coward!) aren’t actually very negative here.  On the other hand, labels that Americans would find laughably mild are deadly, deadly insults in Benin: Weak-willed.  Crazy.  And the worst of the worst: Impolite.

Yes – “impolite” is the worst thing you can ever call someone in Benin.  This is the insult that will cause people to gasp in disapproval at you no matter what the other person did to deserve it.  I couldn’t understand this during my first few months in-country, but my Goun lessons cleared it up after I arrived at post.  “Impolite” is actually an imperfect translation of the Goun/Fon word “jimakplon.”  “Ji” means “born,” “ma” means “not,” and “kplon” means “teach.”  What jimakplon really means is “born but not taught.”  You were born into this world but didn’t receive any social education.  In other words, you’re uncivilized.  You’re like an animal.  For one reason or another, this was initially translated as “impoli” (or “impolite” in English), and the translation’s stuck.

This word and almost all of the other terrible insults in Goun are serious because they’re actually insults against the parents of the person you’re talking to.  “Impolite” is a slur on the parents of the person you’re insulting, who didn’t give them a social education.  “You’re the son of your father!” is another popular insult.  These and all other insults that I’ve heard in Benin have been either in the local language or in direct French translations of the local language phrases.

I was fascinated by the Beninese’s choices of insults, and my Goun tutor was equally fascinated that labels like “coward” could be insulting to Americans.  This cultural difference in what makes an insult leads to a huge amount of stress for Peace Corps Volunteers in Benin, who find it very insulting to walk down the street and be called ”Yovo!  Yovo!”  (Or “Whitey!  Whitey!”)…For the Beninese, being referred to by a physical characteristic is normal.  Obviously, we can’t say the same for Americans.

Other than studying how to insult people, I’ve been wrapping up my work here in Benin.  I turned in my grades to the school at the end of last week.  I’m the one and only teacher at my school who’s actually finished.  (Yay for American efficiency!)  The others are still trying to give all their quizes and calculate all their grades. 

I’d expected to leave Benin in late September, but in a surprise plot twist, I’ll actually be taking off in late July – July 23, to be exact.  I just bought my plane tickets today.  I’m stopping off in London from July 23-August 6, so if you’re in the area, drop me a message.

As I begin to close my service in here, I have very mixed feelings: surprise at an end to my Peace Corps service that snuck up on me, anxiety about readjusting to the U.S., envy for the volunteers who are extending their service into other countries, and stress about finding a job in what the BBC World Service has called a “catastrophic” economic situation in the U.S.  But I’m also excited to be starting out on something new.  I’ll get to discover my own country as if I were a foreigner.

So…do any of you know of a good non-profit or government agency that’s looking to hire a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer with French skills and lots of experience working with youth and program administration?