Close your eyes!

I learned how to say "close your eyes" in Pulaar.
Rugi: Pateh, close your eyes.

Pateh closes his eyes. Rugi starts to tell me something, but notices that Pateh has opened his eyes.

Rugi: Pateh! Close your eyes.

Pateh closes his eyes and covers them with his hands. Rugi whispers something unintelligible to me before Pateh uncovers his eyes and opens them.

Pateh: Binta, close your eyes, I will tell Rugi something.

I close my eyes. Pateh whispers something to Rugi.


At first I was not sure the unknown word, "muno," meant "close your eyes." For one thing, it seemed odd that the command to close one's eyes would be so short and simple, as if it were a command like "stop" or "help" that might need to be communicated quickly. For another thing, people do not usually need to close their eyes when nearby people wish to exchange mumbled communication. However, the next day different kids also instructed each other to "muno," and again eyes were closed, this time without the confusion of whispered secrets.