# Long drawn out almost tribal greeting chant in Parisian subway **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-drawn-out-almost-tribal-greeting-chant-in-parisian-subway/793669 "2017-08-14T20:39:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nansbread1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Nansbread1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nansbread1)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-drawn-out-almost-tribal-greeting-chant-in-parisian-subway/793669/1 "2017-08-14T20:39:02Z")
I was in a Parisian metro when the following happened. I was standing by the door of the train when an African gentleman got in at a stop and stood next to me. He looked around and another African man greeted him. What then followed was a series of words and grunts spoken by each one in turn as if in a chant or tribal form of greeting. One man said a word the other spoke another word and it went on for about a minute or so. It was not in french and the words were barely audible or recognisable. The men did not look at each other when they said these things. But it was obvious that they were following some pattern of speech and knew their cue to say something. It was also very rapid as if well practiced. One of them appeared higher ranking as the other man appeared very meek and submissive. When the exchange ended they spoke in french just normal pleasantries. I dont know french accents well enough to know where they were from. Just before one of them got of the train they engaged in another shorter version of the interaction. Both men looked like they were recent immigrants to France. What did I witness and which country would they have been from. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-drawn-out-almost-tribal-greeting-chant-in-parisian-subway/793669/2 "2017-08-14T20:52:22Z")
Did it sound anything like [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrZlWw8Di10)? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-drawn-out-almost-tribal-greeting-chant-in-parisian-subway/793669/3 "2017-08-14T23:47:09Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Did it sound anything like [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrZlWw8Di10)? Please hold off on less serious responses in GQ until after the question has been addressed factually. Once in a while is no biggie, but this is the second time in about a week that I’ve had to give you a note for this. If this continues to be a problem, the next step is an official warning. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-drawn-out-almost-tribal-greeting-chant-in-parisian-subway/793669/4 "2017-08-15T00:53:39Z")
One possibility: a friend of mine who lived a few years in Mali said that it was usual for men, even casual acquaintances, to greet each other with something like: How are you? I’m doing fine. How are you? I’m fine. And your family? They’re fine. And yours? and so on, with the wife (or wives), the job, etc. Some will pepper this with _inch’Allah_ for each reply. The quotes in [this blog post](http://malioctobre.blogspot.ca/2010/10/examen-de-conscience.html) (in Bambara, translated into French) are similar. [This one](http://nicolas.saulnier.free.fr/2003Mali/mali.htm) too (in French). ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-drawn-out-almost-tribal-greeting-chant-in-parisian-subway/793669/5 "2017-08-15T01:04:51Z")
> [@Nansbread1](#): > > as if in a chant or tribal form of greeting. How does one tell the difference between a “tribal form of greeting” and a non-tribal form of greeting? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-drawn-out-almost-tribal-greeting-chant-in-parisian-subway/793669/6 "2017-08-15T02:36:03Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > **Moderator Note** > > Please hold off on less serious responses in GQ until after the question has been addressed factually. > > Once in a while is no biggie, but this is the second time in about a week that I’ve had to give you a note for this. If this continues to be a problem, the next step is an official warning. Okay, the serious answer is that it isn’t an answerable question. There are scores to hundreds of likely and hundreds to thousands of unlikely languages or dialects that they could have been talking to each other in that aren’t French or English. ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-drawn-out-almost-tribal-greeting-chant-in-parisian-subway/793669/7 "2017-08-15T12:47:34Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > How does one tell the difference between a “tribal form of greeting” and a non-tribal form of greeting? the black people do it, it is tribal because the black people. Otherwise no… ---
**Author:** ![busterpickle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@busterpickle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/busterpickle)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-drawn-out-almost-tribal-greeting-chant-in-parisian-subway/793669/8 "2017-08-15T14:17:28Z")
Maybe this one as it can go on for several minutes: > **[The Art of Traditional Greeting in Benin](https://unseenbenin.wordpress.com/2014/05/02/the-art-of-traditional-greeting-in-benin/)** > > Greeting is Benin is a special unique art that one must understand to comprehend it significance. You can greet people as you normally would. However, the traditional greeting one will come to witn… Did they have any type of clothing that could help identify their specific culture? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-drawn-out-almost-tribal-greeting-chant-in-parisian-subway/793669/9 "2017-08-15T14:37:43Z")
> [@Heracles](#): > > One possibility: a friend of mine who lived a few years in Mali said that it was usual for men, even casual acquaintances, to greet each other with something like: > > How are you? > I’m doing fine. How are you? > I’m fine. And your family? > They’re fine. And yours? > > and so on, with the wife (or wives), the job, etc. Some will pepper this with _inch’Allah_ for each reply. > > The quotes in [this blog post](http://malioctobre.blogspot.ca/2010/10/examen-de-conscience.html) (in Bambara, translated into French) are similar. [This one](http://nicolas.saulnier.free.fr/2003Mali/mali.htm) too (in French). I read the same thing about Mauritanian\* customs, except using Arabic. \*(another former French colony.) In Mauritania they clasp hands and don’t let go of each other until the whole megilla is gotten through. They easily spend several minutes like that. A custom belonging to a world less hurried than ours where you can slow down and take the time to relate to fellow human beings. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-drawn-out-almost-tribal-greeting-chant-in-parisian-subway/793669/10 "2017-08-15T14:57:52Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > the black people do it, it is tribal because the black people. Otherwise no… As a long-ago co-worker from Nigeria would say when the world “tribe” was mentioned… “Ethnic group, mon!! Ethnic group!” ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-drawn-out-almost-tribal-greeting-chant-in-parisian-subway/793669/11 "2017-08-15T16:45:12Z")
They could have been from any number of countries in Africa where this type of greeting is common. What was actually said was probably a series of questions followed by a standard reply. In Ghana, e.g., it might go something like this: A; Greetings B: Reply greeting A; How is your work? B: It is well A; How is your family? B THey are well A; And your farm? B It is well …slight pause B And also your work? A It is well B And your children A They are well … Substantive conversaion begins… If one was submissive, it might be that he was a nephew or much younger than the other, or that the other had a status within traditional society. like a chieftancy. ---
**Author:** ![mind\_the\_gap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@mind\_the\_gap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mind_the_gap)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-drawn-out-almost-tribal-greeting-chant-in-parisian-subway/793669/12 "2017-08-15T19:56:16Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > They could have been from any number of countries in Africa where this type of greeting is common. What was actually said was probably a series of questions followed by a standard reply. > > In Ghana, e.g., it might go something like this: > > A; Greetings > B: Reply greeting > A; How is your work? > B: It is well > A; How is your family? > B THey are well > A; And your farm? > B It is well > …slight pause > B And also your work? > A It is well > B And your children > A They are well > … > Substantive conversaion begins… > > If one was submissive, it might be that he was a nephew or much younger than the other, or that the other had a status within traditional society. like a chieftancy. This. Years ago, my daughter’s mom and I spent a fair amount of time in Nigeria. I picked up some of the local language of Hausa (daughter’s mom grew up speaking it) to help get by. There was a custom of long greetings, especially to elders. I once went to get our visas extended and at the gov’t office there was a bench full of old guys in front. Before I went in to the office for the visa, I greeted each one in turn, while shaking hands 3 times and touching my heart in between each. I got double the extension I was seeking, and admiration for my knowing how to respect. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-drawn-out-almost-tribal-greeting-chant-in-parisian-subway/793669/13 "2017-08-15T21:25:55Z")
But are there cases where this kind of ritual greeting is done _without the greeters looking at each other_, as the OP described? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-drawn-out-almost-tribal-greeting-chant-in-parisian-subway/793669/14 "2017-08-15T23:36:28Z")
> [@Heracles](#): > > One possibility: a friend of mine who lived a few years in Mali said that it was usual for men, even casual acquaintances, to greet each other with something like: > > How are you? > I’m doing fine. How are you? > I’m fine. And your family? > They’re fine. And yours? > > and so on, with the wife (or wives), the job, etc. Some will pepper this with _inch’Allah_ for each reply. > > The quotes in [this blog post](http://malioctobre.blogspot.ca/2010/10/examen-de-conscience.html) (in Bambara, translated into French) are similar. [This one](http://nicolas.saulnier.free.fr/2003Mali/mali.htm) too (in French). Exactly right. And the Bambara greetings are pretty much what I learned. It’s ritual, but it’s important to establish tribal relationships, or to at least be polite. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-drawn-out-almost-tribal-greeting-chant-in-parisian-subway/793669/15 "2017-08-16T05:14:42Z")
Did it start Jambo Hwana, and ending Hakuna Matata. Seems that what they did was childishly repeated, like a song, as they didnt seem to be excited to do it. Just did it because they expect everyone to. So a song like this ? [4. Swahili - Learning through songs - Jambo Song - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK0wPpLryc4) Kenyans have a look that you might recognise. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-drawn-out-almost-tribal-greeting-chant-in-parisian-subway/793669/16 "2017-08-16T16:30:29Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > Did it start Jambo Hwana, and ending Hakuna Matata. > > Seems that what they did was childishly repeated, like a song, as they didnt seem to be excited to do it. Just did it because they expect everyone to. > > So a song like this ? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK0wPpLryc4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK0wPpLryc4) > > Kenyans have a look that you might recognise. Americans do the whole “Hey, how you doin’?” “Good, how you doin’?” “How’s your wife and kids?” thing (or some variation). It’s what’s expected, but nobody gets excited about it.