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Textsort descending Dialect Group Tokens Length Lines  Synopsis of Thematic Content
Arčar 1 Northwestern / Vidin-Lom 345 1:59 56 

personal narrative about details of farm work and hiring Romanian workers to help

Arčar 2 Northwestern / Vidin-Lom 192 1:10 42 

differences between local and imported potatoes and grapes (for wine)

Babjak 1 Western Rupic / Razlog - Babjak 244 1:26 31 

bread-baking procedures

Babjak 2 Western Rupic / Razlog - Babjak 265 1:32 33 

threshing procedures • details of threshing implements

Babjak 3 Western Rupic / Razlog - Babjak 247 1:31 30 

specific customs associated with the celebration of St. George's Day

Babjak 4 Western Rupic / Razlog - Babjak 247 1:27 29 

personal narrative about the possibility of being freed from army service to train as an opera singer

Bangejci 1 Northeastern: Central Balkan 423 4:45 86 

personal reflections on the old days • agricultural practices

Bangejci 2 Northeastern: Central Balkan 352 4:30 80 

old-time spinning bees • spinning practices

Bansko Western Rupic / Razlog - Babjak 1654 13:24 307 

recipes for banitsa and "Bansko kapama" (stew) • slaughtering of a pig and making of sausages • personal narrative about the healing power of rendered pig fat • Christmas meals • details of weaving tasseled rugs

Baskalci 1 Southwestern / Petrič 1758 13:54 308 

Sheep-rearing, milking, shearing; names of sheep at different stages of growth; training of a lamb’s horns

Baskalci 2 Southwestern / Petrič 405 3:11 80 

marking ownership of individual sheep 

Bela 1 Northwestern / Vidin-Lom 1451 10:26 165 

humorous personal narrative about animal raising in retirement  

Bela 2 Northwestern / Vidin-Lom 145 1:31 41 

discussion of where Torlak dialect is spoken 

Belica 1 Southwestern / Ihtiman 756 5:44 137 

reaping practices as a migrant worker • personal narrative about one reaper's inability to keep up with the others

Belica 2 Southwestern / Ihtiman 937 8:09 190 

threshing practices • sowing practices • different sorts of grain • baking of different breads

Belica 3 Southwestern / Ihtiman 733 5:30 140 

how cheese and butter are made

Bosnek 1 Southwestern / Kjustendil 678 10:53 143 

reminiscences of childhood and early days of marriage • wedding rituals • narrative of travels to Europe and hosting visitors from there • observation of cultural differences

Bosnek 2 Southwestern / Kjustendil 312 7:18 53 

Christmas customs

Bosnek 3 Southwestern / Kjustendil 349 5:41 76 

christening a child • wedding customs • complaints about theft of grave adonrments

Breste 1 Northwestern / Bjala Slatina - Pleven 719 6:26 136 

housework, details of spinning and weaving 

Breste 2 Northwestern / Bjala Slatina - Pleven 489 4:00 100 

interpretation of the weather; work in the fields, threshing and winnowing

Breste 3 Northwestern / Bjala Slatina - Pleven 568 4:05 96 

work bees; spinning by moonlight; distinction between work bee and work party

Brŭšljan 1 Eastern Rupic / Strandža 750 6:12 99 

sheep-keeping in the days of collective farms • other animals kept • musical instruments played by shepherds • how sheepfolds are made, and how sheep are fed in the winter

Brŭšljan 2 Eastern Rupic / Strandža 75 0:34 8 

how water buffalos wallow in puddles • description of one particularly active water buffalo

Brŭšljan 3 Eastern Rupic / Strandža 302 2:11 46 

seasonal work in the fields • merry-making on days of rest

Brŭšljan 4 Eastern Rupic / Strandža 383 3:08 67 

swaddling a child after birth • which trees mistletoe grows on • musical instruments played by shepherds • swinging on a carousel in Burgas

Černovrŭx Northeastern: Central Balkan 370 3:52 67 

composition of a wedding procession • organization of the wedding feast

Čokmanovo 1 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 372 2:58 39 

observation of holidays in the old days • threshing practices • wedding customs

Čokmanovo 2 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 182 1:42 23 

gathering mushrooms • work in the fields • carrying loads

Dolna Sekirna 1 Transitional / Trŭn 241 2:58 67 

how children’s names are chosen • humorous tale about the christening of a child 

Dolna Sekirna 2 Transitional / Trŭn 858 7:52 152 

founding of collective farms and other socialist regime elements and their subsequent destruction; narration of the informant’s sister’s experience as a maid in Sofia and her own as a migrant field worker

Dolna Sekirna 3 Transitional / Trŭn 660 5:51 123 

milking goats and sheep, making cheese; hunters and their prey; village celebrations 

Dolno Draglište 1 Western Rupic / Razlog - Babjak 327 2:15 38 

wedding customs • birth customs • work bees

Dolno Draglište 2 Western Rupic / Razlog - Babjak 121 0:43 13 

Easter celebrations

Dolno Draglište 3 Western Rupic / Razlog - Babjak 261 1:39 41 

bread making • roasting lambs for celebrations

Dolno Ujno Southwestern / Kjustendil 1028 9:48 314 

baking banitsa • processing wool, spinning, knitting socks, weaving • work bees • old-time lamps • dancing at village celebrations • engagement customs

Drabišna 1 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 529 4:42 103 

personal narrative of injury • old days vs. now • details of silkworm-keeping

Drabišna 2 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 1184 8:45 181 

recited text of a folk song • narration of a folktale

Drjanovec 1 Northeastern: Moesian 690 5:43 77 

personal narrative about the death of informant's mother, her father's remarriage, and the family's adjustment to life with a stepmother

Drjanovec 2 Northeastern: Moesian 661 4:41 69 

personal narrative about a woman’s difficulties in marrying off her son, and satisfaction with her eventual daughter-in-law

Eremija 1 Southwestern / Kjustendil 661 6:22 150 

schooling (or lack of) as a child • discussion of field work practices • herding animals as a child • problems of the current drought

Eremija 2 Southwestern / Kjustendil 288 2:40 51 

rain dances, prayers, and other customs connected with rain-making • discussion of the current drought

Eremija 3 Southwestern / Kjustendil 355 3:17 78 

herding animals as a child • details of bread-making

Eremija 4 Southwestern / Kjustendil 327 2:55 61 

attempts to protect domestic animals from attack by [European] polecat

Eremija 5 Southwestern / Kjustendil 749 6:25 129 

personal narrative of life with late husband • desire to join him in the other world

Eremija 6 Southwestern / Kjustendil 377 2:37 95 

details of threshing • humorous narrative of scolding by mother

Garvan 1 Northeastern: Moesian 1201 8:56 215 

wedding customs • unsuccessful attempts to pass on dowry items to younger more modern girls

Garvan 2 Northeastern: Moesian 186 1:16 33 

narrative about the theft of iron girders near the village

Gela 1 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 463 3:25 73 

recollections of sheepherding as a child • differences between children then and now • humorous narrative about a visitor’s confusion due to dialect words (dried fruit vs. icicles)

Gela 2 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 853 6:23 107 

differences between then and now, primarily as concerns children and food • swaddling practices • narrative about bringing a child “a treat” back from town • fears about the future • the value of blueberries for preservation of sight • narrative about a doctor bringing a sight-impaired child to the village because of the healing power of its blueberries

Gela 3 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 504 3:38 90 

sheepherding practices • personal narrative about summering in the village and wintering in Smoljan and a highly educated daughter’s attachment to the village

Gigen 1 Northwestern / Bjala Slatina - Pleven 142 1:28 16 

hardships in time of war (1912-1918) • reaping practices

Gigen 2 Northwestern / Bjala Slatina - Pleven 254 2:05 36 

workbees and courtship in the old days • length of wedding celebration • corn-harvesting and sheep-keeping • Easter and village celebration

Glavanovci 1 Transitional / Trŭn 1062 7:18 132 

bread from different grains • reaping, threshing & winnowing practives • construction of "wattle-harrow" • memories of childhood  

Glavanovci 2 Transitional / Trŭn 518 3:10 84 

village priests then and now • christening practices • men’s and women’s work in the fields • maintenance of mowing implements

Glavanovci 3 Transitional / Trŭn 495 3:15 70 

head-coverings to protect against sun • personal narrative of thunderbolts killing sheep • folk practices both to ward off hail and storms, and to bring on rain

Godeševo 1 Western Rupic / Čeč 142 0:57 20 

description of a woman’s work day

Godeševo 2 Western Rupic / Čeč 70 0:29 8 

swaddling practices, and perceived success (children are tall healthy men)

Godeševo 3 Western Rupic / Čeč 133 0:53 20 

discussion of who in the village knows most about the old days • threshing practices

Godeševo 4 Western Rupic / Čeč 152 1:03 21 

threshing practices • absence of vineyards in the region

Golica 1 Northeastern: Eastern Balkan / Erkeč 77 0:40 12 

lament about old age

Golica 2 Northeastern: Eastern Balkan / Erkeč 161 1:30 45 

size of houses in the old days • discussion of field team having come to the village on foot over a sizeable distance in the heat

Golica 3 Northeastern: Eastern Balkan / Erkeč 781 5:18 177 

spinning practices • curiosity about field work • prayer in the old days vs. now • lively discussion between two village women about rain and rain-making prayers

Golica 4 Northeastern: Eastern Balkan / Erkeč 107 1:04 17 

discussion of God’s role in the presence or absence of rain

Golica 5 Northeastern: Eastern Balkan / Erkeč 1095 7:55 106 

complex narrative about the kidnapping of a group of Bulgarian workers in Libya and their liberation, and the ability of a local fortune teller to predict this liberation

Golica 6 Northeastern: Eastern Balkan / Erkeč 227 1:54 40 

narration of personal history and difficulties of living alone in old age

Gorna Krušica 1 Southwestern / Petrič 826 6:26 164 

how weddings were held in the old days, the foods served, the custom of gifting, and customs observed when a bride comes to her new home • customs of christening • discussion of other possible informants in the village

Gorna Krušica 2 Southwestern / Petrič 171 1:12 40 

baking bread in the old days • personal narrative of how children worked from an early age

Gorna Krušica 3 Southwestern / Petrič 202 1:29 51 

personal narrative of weaving for marriage dowry and not being able to finish for lack of wool, and of riding a mule into town for the first time

Gorno Vŭršilo 1 Southwestern / Ihtiman 416 2:49 55 

contrast of then and now as to work in the garden and fields • type of animals kept • bread-baking practices followed by brief narrative about bringing home-baked goods to the collective farm • wedding customs

Gorno Vŭršilo 2 Southwestern / Ihtiman 525 3:50 77 

garden work • threshing practices • personal narrative about husband, children and grandchildren • sowing practices • animal husbandry

Gradec 1 Northwestern / Vidin-Lom 1008 6:05 129 

lively personal narrative about severe illness caused by allergy to a medication, the complications of recovery, and the distrust of modern medicine

Gradec 2 Northwestern / Vidin-Lom 324 2:05 44 

humorous narrative about another’s attempt to kidnap a child and the reasons why the attempt failed

Graševo Central Rupic: Rhodope: Velingrad 415 5:02 135 

personal history • how girls worked in the old days • preparation of a dowry • processing of wool once sheep are shorn

Huhla 1 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 590 4:11 86 

hard times in the old days, including eating bread made from broom branches and going to school barefoot • the contrast of food then (simple but healthy) and now (chemically treated) • gardening practices

Huhla 2 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 770 5:32 112 

continuation of contrast between then and now • narrative about an errant schoolteacher • discussion of whether parents allowed girls to go to school and what they did when not at school • spinning practices

Huhla 3 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 568 3:40 61 

narrative about reactions of particular villagers to the imposition of collective farms

Huhla 4 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 282 2:07 36 

sowing practices • discussion of current drought

Huhla 5 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 310 2:35 44 

fasting practices • Easter customs • beliefs about why certain foods are avoided during fasts

Huhla 6 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 535 2:51 109 

lively argument between two village women about current politics and who is at fault for the rise in costs following the fall of the socialist government

Hvojna 1 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Hvojna 486 3:06 56 

milking sheep and making various products from the milk • "zaguveznite" customs (prior to beginning of Lent) • wedding customs

Hvojna 2 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Hvojna 368 2:38 42 

sowing and harvesting of lentils and of grains • threshing practices

Hvojna 3 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Hvojna 100 0:38 11 

threshing practices

Iskrica 1 Northeastern: Sub-Balkan 672 6:04 75 

personal narrative of wedding • wedding and betrothal customs • 

Iskrica 2 Northeastern: Sub-Balkan 658 4:19 66 

rich people vs. poor people • tobacco growing and processing • schooling in the old days

Iskrica 3 Northeastern: Sub-Balkan 1122 8:18 116 

personal narrative of childhood and becoming shepherd • details of sheepherding and of lambing • St. George’s Day customs • treating sick animals • shepherds’ traditional clothing

Izgrev/Car Eastern Rupic / Strandža 112 1:26 20 

work bees and the types of recreation that followed them

Izgrev/Var 1 Northeastern: Eastern Balkan / Erkeč 176 2:09 23 

personal narrative about work in the collective farm, loss of husband due to death in a fall, and resulting problems with pensions

Izgrev/Var 2 Northeastern: Eastern Balkan / Erkeč 235 0:47 14 

threshing practices • description of a day’s work

Kolju Marinovo 1 Northeastern: Sub-Balkan 364 2:46 84 

bread-making practices

Kolju Marinovo 2 Northeastern: Sub-Balkan 300 2:11 97 

reaping and threshing practices • invitation to members of field team to try for themselves

Kolju Marinovo 3 Northeastern: Sub-Balkan 295 2:16 73 

continuation of description of reaping and threshing practices

Kolju Marinovo 4 Northeastern: Sub-Balkan 420 4:08 81 

description of threshing practices and implements • showing a swaphook to the field team

Kolju Marinovo 5 Northeastern: Sub-Balkan 410 3:29 85 

preparation of food for village celebrations • lament about current drought • discussion of water sources and fetching of water by hand in the old days

Kolju Marinovo 6 Northeastern: Sub-Balkan 317 2:51 65 

bear trainers, how they capture and train up bears and use them to raise money in visits to various villages

Kovačevo 1 Western Rupic: Goce Delčev 975 7:02 223 

highly detailed description of engagement practices, and bridal decorations • location of dance area in the village and description of traditional dance occasions.

Kovačevo 2 Western Rupic: Goce Delčev 288 1:58 56 

animals raised in the old days • current price of eggs and difficulty of keeping even chickens.

Kozičino 1 Northeastern: Eastern Balkan / Erkeč 848 7:30 166 

difference between now and then as concerns earning a livelihood, making vs. buying fabric and clothing, quality of food; insects (lack of fireflies due to insecticides vs. ubiquitous presence of mosquitoes) • sleeping in the fields during harvest and being bit by mosquitoes • making of goat-hair rugs • fulling of the thick homespun used to sew men’s trousers.

Kozičino 2 Northeastern: Eastern Balkan / Erkeč 143 1:12 15 

construction of tasseled vests, from the time the sheep are shorn to the completely woven (and tasseled) vest.

Kralevo 1 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 720 3:41 93 

experiences in the collective farm • current economic difficulties • tobacco farming

Kralevo 2 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 680 4:21 138 

making bread and banitsa • churning milk • differences between now and then, especially socializing and coffee drinking • keeping wine at home in particular barrels

Kralevo 3 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 420 2:26 71 

narrative of legend related by speaker’s grandfather concerning how the village got its name

Kruševo 1 Western Rupic / Čeč 664 4:32 116 

personal narrative about caring for an elderly woman in the village, and discussion of the merits of welfare benefits

Kruševo 2 Western Rupic / Čeč 220 1:30 47 

humorous narrative about healing a limp by the application of heated cow manure

Kruševo 3 Western Rupic / Čeč 572 5:17 181 

spinning practices • sources of natural dyes • shearing of sheep and carding of wool

Kruševo 4 Western Rupic / Čeč 510 4:05 125 

holiday preparations • banitsa recipe • feeding migrant workers at harvest time • gardening

Leštak 1 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Zlatograd 567 4:12 88 

high prices and cost of transport • personal narrative about life as a truck driver • high prices for food • roasting animals on the spit

Leštak 2 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Zlatograd 362 4:42 98 

coming of the collecting farms • sowing, reaping, threshing practices • metaphysical observations about life

Leštak 3 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Zlatograd 1096 16:08 422 

detailed discussion of farming vocabulary • reaping and threshing practices • description of particular implements (grate, sickle, swaphook) • plowing practices • detailed discussion of the structure of a traditional plow and names of its parts

Malevo/Asg 1 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Hvojna 616 5:03 105 

sowing and harvesting of lentils • threshing practices • cooking lentils • recipe for yogurt • Easter customs • old-time “paraliya” tables for children • reaping practices • shearing sheep

Malevo/Asg 2 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Hvojna 842 9:06 97 

personal narrative about wood-carver’s craft: harvesting wood from different trees, loading it to bring back • churning milk • reaping practices • threshing practices • mowing practices • dancing as a young man • making staves for barrels

Malevo/Asg 3 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Hvojna 338 2:13 55 

difficulties of a woman’s life: making all the food at home before (and after) traveling long distances on foot (to harvest or to fetch water)

Malevo/Hsk 1 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 1645 15:05 283 

narrative of how the village was settled • good relations with Turks • personal narrative about father and grandfather • earlier name of the village • arrival of Pomaks after collectivization • work distribution among sexes in older days • sowing practices • raising and selling cotton • reaping practices • threshing practices • storing grain in the barn • bread baking • churning milk

Malevo/Hsk 2 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 607 3:28 106 

conversation between several village women about differences in women’s lives between now and then

Markovo Northeastern: Sub-Balkan 981 8:37 208 

personal narrative about construction and ownership of speaker’s house • life of young people in the old days • work bees and courtship during them • engagement practices, matchmaking

Mogilica 1 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 464 4:16 111 

spinning practices • types of wool depending on part of sheep’s body • former names of neighboring villages • personal narrative about marriage, widowhood, remarriage, and children

Mogilica 2 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 117 0:55 18 

food preparation, especially banitsa

Mogilica 3 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 572 4:55 118 

sowing practices • threshing practices • recipe for sugar-beet molasses • collectivization then vs. inadequate property restitution now • feeding and milking cows

Mogilica 4 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 269 1:57 36 

Bayram customs • religious beliefs

Mogilica 5 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 447 5:12 167 

discussion of language issues (usage of three-way definite article) with examples

Mogilica 6 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 303 4:56 91 

making, baking, and storing bread • plowing • transport of goods by mule-cart

Momčilovci Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 215 1:52 23 

personal narrative of life as a migrant worker

Nasalevci 1 Transitional / Trŭn 955 9:38 283 

wedding customs • humorous discussion of beards and shaving • birth customs and caring for babies • traditional women’s dress

Nasalevci 2 Transitional / Trŭn 641 5:55 184 

humorous discussion of hair coloring • Christmas customs, including traditional breads and carolers ("koledari")

Oborište 1 Northeastern / Western Balkan : Panagjurište 749 6:08 178 

kneading and baking bread • making quickbreads in the baking dish ("podnitsa") • hearths in older houses • two-floored older houses • sheep pasturing • cheese making • butter making

Oborište 2 Northeastern / Western Balkan : Panagjurište 504 4:40 130 

role of young girls in celebration of Palm Sunday (as “Lazar singers”) and Easter • rain-making customs including singing of songs by “vaydudulki” • criteria for selecting the “vaydudulka singer”

Oreše Western Rupic / Čeč 406 3:11 60 

personal narrative of losing father in Balkan Wars • interpretation of Biblical prophecy as referring to Communism

Pavelsko 1 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Hvojna 259 2:06 36 

reaping in the fields, songs sung while reaping • threshing and winnowing customs

Pavelsko 2 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Hvojna 279 2:25 54 

making yogurt • shearing sheep • sowing and harvesting of lentils and beans

Pavelsko 3 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Hvojna 139 1:08 22 

Easter customs • names of weekdays in Holy Week

Pavelsko 4 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Hvojna 719 4:03 112 

personal narrative about plowing lentils in the mountains, and difficulties when a boy fell from his mule and bad weather came up • yogurt making recipes • looking after livestock • reaping and threshing practices • preparation of hemp

Petrov Dol 1 Northeastern: Moesian 804 5:54 104 

description of stage performance of the custom “throwing away babies” (leaving a baby at the crossroads for someone to find, christen, and nurture, and then to return it healthy to its mother) • discussion of the meaning of this custom, and the choice of names for the christening • lively reenactment of certain lines from the performance

Petrov Dol 2 Northeastern: Moesian 709 5:47 155 

St. George’s Day customs, preparation of breads and of roast lamb • communal celebrations outdoors by several families • blessing of the lamb before it is slaughtered

Petrov Dol 3 Northeastern: Moesian 922 7:30 167 

lively, detailed discussion of harvesting customs • threshing and winnowing then and now

Petŭrnica Northwestern / Bjala Slatina - Pleven 544 4:31 55 

narrative about a woman who was able to tell of one’s past from the way a thread from clothing settled in a glass of water • lively personal narrative about riding a fractious horse as a child

Prestoj Northeastern: Central Balkan 479 3:43 81 

detailed description of the making of fruit leather

Rajanovci 1 Transitional / Belogradčik 747 5:55 90 

personal history of life before and during collective ownership 

Rajanovci 2 Transitional / Belogradčik 844 6:54 96 

cheese-making, pride in recipe for making cheese

Rakovski Central Rupic: Rhodope / Pavlikani 400 3:09 46 

personal narrative about coming to settle in the region as migrant workers • humorous narrative of an how an outsider discovered that belief about Bulgarian Catholics – that they are cannibals – was mistaken • counting from one to ten • personal narrative about marriage and in-laws

Repljana 1 Transitional / Belogradčik 991 6:15 129 

lively personal narrative about being nearly gored by an ox as a child • personal narrative about helping grandparents in the summer pasture and curing a sick lamb

Repljana 2 Transitional / Belogradčik 793 5:21 118 

preparing food for village celebrations • personal narrative about a strike when officials of a neighboring region were brought in to forcibly change the structure of traditional St. George’s Day celebrations

Repljana 3 Transitional / Belogradčik 353 2:48 65 

setting up the loom to weave homespun, fulling it, and taking it to the tailor who makes various garments from it • weaving of woolen bags • shearing of sheep

Repljana 4 Transitional / Belogradčik 290 1:18 49 

discussion of names of local rock formations and holes in them, and narrative about one villager’s mishap there

Salaš Transitional / Belogradčik 1935 14:45 292 

personal history - agriculture practices - health issues 

Široka Lŭka Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 369 2:42 50 

recollection of working the fields as children • courting at spinning bees • recitation of courting song text • mention of harvest songs • personal narrative about life as a new bride and mother

Skrŭt 1 Southwestern / Petrič 1186 8:01 220 

narration of a folk tale, to an audience including vocal children • recitation of a cumulative tale

Skrŭt 2 Southwestern / Petrič 932 8:42 182 

detailed overview of engagement and wedding customs

Skrŭt 3 Southwestern / Petrič 610 5:10 100 

Christmas celebrations • fasting at time of other holidays • contrast with then and now • mummers at New Years

Srebŭrna 1 Northeastern: Moesian 780 6:44 118 

discussion of ducks in the yard and a carcass hung to dissuade magpies from taking eggs • detailed discussion of betrothal rituals

Srebŭrna 2 Northeastern: Moesian 1102 7:29 171 

processing of wool from shorn sheep • weaving of reed mats • structure of looms • houses in the old days vs. now

Stakevci 1 Transitional / Belogradčik 497 3:45 81 

humorous personal narrative about a bus trip to the wrong destination, the way the speaker learned of the mixup, and the apology of the bus conductor

Stakevci 2 Transitional / Belogradčik 271 1:40 38 

humorous personal narrative about how the speaker, visiting her mother in another town, could not gather a particular herb in the garden because she did not recognize the local name for it

Stakevci 3 Transitional / Belogradčik 404 2:45 56 

humorous personal narrative about how the speaker insists on speaking her own dialect when she goes to visit her grandchildren in another town, and how one of these children challenged his teacher to come up with a definition for a word from that dialect

Stakevci 4 Transitional / Belogradčik 590 5:13 134 

discussion among locals of whether snakes are still abundant in the region • description of how folk shoes ("opŭnci") are made • sowing and harvesting of hemp, and making of fabric from it • women’s and men’s traditional clothing

Stalevo 1 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 791 9:44 177 

washing, carding and spinning wool • preparation of thread for weaving • structure of the loom, and process of weaving

Stalevo 2 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 342 5:00 89 

drying fruit, and cooking for fast days • explanation of the reasons for fasting (or not)

Stalevo 3 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 199 2:28 45 

storing cheese in a whole animal skin • the difference between milk from cows, sheep, and goats

Stalevo 4 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 367 3:09 56 

narrative of a runaway bride

Stančov Han 1 Northeastern: Central Balkan 705 7:23 119 

carolers at Christmas • fate of local mines and factories • old-time clothing • structure of home looms • dyes from local plants • composition of a bride’s dowry

Stančov Han 2 Northeastern: Central Balkan 181 1:58 29 

personal recollection by the speaker of having pleasantly surprised her mother-in-law by knowing how to weave well

Stančov Han 3 Northeastern: Central Balkan 347 2:30 47 

lament about current poor economic situation and unemployment

Stikŭl 1 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 971 8:07 128 

personal narrative about a neighbor who predicted television and modern dress • working the land and caring for livestock in the old days • current problems of grain and bread distribution

Stikŭl 2 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 807 6:40 140 

gathering and exporting mushrooms • difference between grafted and ungrafted cherry trees • making fruit preserves • separating the herds on St. Dimitri’s Day

Stikŭl 3 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 986 8:41 167 

washing rugs at the local washing pool • raising of a monument to war dead at the fountain • narration of a legend about how a life will be lost if a sacrificial offering is not made at a local chapel, and of an instance where a non-local was electrocuted at that spot • discussion of the term “turla” used in reference to the hill near the chapel • discussion of pictures in a particular book about the region

Stikŭl 4 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 319 2:53 64 

discussion with local resident about land taxes • discussion of whether to photograph speaker or not

Stoilovo 1 Eastern Rupic / Strandža 217 1:39 38 

Easter customs • women’s dress in the old days

Stoilovo 2 Eastern Rupic / Strandža 474 3:00 86 

Details of threshing and winnowing

Stojkite 1 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 259 2:00 27 

personal narrative of courtship and meeting prospective husband’s parents • meeting with women friends • gathering mushrooms

Stojkite 2 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Smoljan-Široka Lŭka 203 1:51 21 

reaping practices • recipe for Rhodope banitsa

Šumnatica 1 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Tihomir 347 3:31 98 

time differences between Bulgaria and America • recollections of the war and the role of Russia and the U.S. helping Bulgarians against the Germans

Šumnatica 2 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Tihomir 335 2:43 54 

discussion of how “democracy” has brought very high prices • personal recollections of wartime and forced labor building railway lines

Šumnatica 3 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Tihomir 1026 7:41 264 

recipes for banitsa, bulghur, stuffed grape leaves • discussion of women’s work • bread-making • processing meat and hide after an animal is slaughtered • washing, carding and spinning wool

Šumnatica 4 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Tihomir 63 0:33 12 

lament over unemployment due to factory closures

Sŭrnica 1 Central Rupic: Rhodope: Velingrad 765 4:53 213 

personal narrative of trips taken with husband • custom of blood brotherhood • prohibitions on intermarriage between kin by blood brotherhood • ritual marking of blood brotherhood • personal narrative of daughter’s suckling another woman’s child, and consequence relationship of blood brotherhood between “suckling siblings”

Sŭrnica 2 Central Rupic: Rhodope: Velingrad 866 6:06 207 

work in the forest • washing wool after sheep are shorn • dyeing practices, and sources of natural dye colors • weaving of coarse homespun and taking it to the fuller • weighting the homespun afterwards to make it hang smooth

Sŭrnica 3 Central Rupic: Rhodope: Velingrad 623 4:30 174 

reaping practices • discussion of which grains grow in the region • customs of St. George’s Day, especially prohibition on women’s work

Sŭrnica 4 Central Rupic: Rhodope: Velingrad 464 3:29 89 

structure of old-time houses • the hearth as source of both light and heat • cooking in the hearth

Sveta Petka 1 Central Rupic: Rhodope: Velingrad 606 4:38 162 

shearing sheep, carding and spinning wool • dyeing wool, and how patterns for dyeing are determined • parts of a loom, and who builds it

Sveta Petka 2 Central Rupic: Rhodope: Velingrad 286 2:40 108 

sources of light inside houses prior to electricity • bedcovers brought as part of dowry

Sveta Petka 3 Central Rupic: Rhodope: Velingrad 606 6:24 133 

names for corn • where oxen were stabled • stables and houses built not by locals but by craftsmen from neighboring region • threshing procedures

Tihomir 1 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Tihomir 935 9:59 274 

dress and footwear in the old days • work bees • grinding of flour • structure of ritual pre-wedding gatherings (“corn parties”) • betrothal customs • weaving and the parts of the loom • weaving of multicolored heavy rugs and of fabrics • details of spinning • dyeing of the spun thread

Tihomir 2 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Tihomir 726 7:20 221 

bread baking • recipes for banica and other pastries ("kashnitsa" and "trahana") • pasta that is purchased • reaping customs and instruments • threshing customs

Tihomir 3 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Tihomir 341 2:45 73 

feeding a bull • keeping hens and livestock • plowing and threshing • types of mushrooms • structure of mousetraps

Trjavna Northeastern: Central Balkan 1005 7:36 257 

goat-keeping • names of individual goats • making cheese from goat milk • marking of goats for eventual slaughter • forage for the goats • goats as intelligent animals

Trŭnčovica 1 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Pavlikani 449 4:30 55 

description of a traditional wedding

Trŭnčovica 2 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Pavlikani 972 5:51 97 

personal narrative of how speaker as a young girl begged her uncle to let her plow, and subsequent experiences • personal experiences of mowing with uncle and cousin

Tŭrnjane 1 Northwestern / Vidin-Lom 204 2:34 59 

history of the village’s name; reaping and threshing 

Tǔrnjane 2 Northwestern / Vidin-Lom 299 3:43 92 

growing and processing hemp; swingling, carding fulling, and weaving; weaving according to patterns 

Vasiljovo 1 Northeastern / Western Balkan: Teteven 921 6:54 105 

description of a song sung during the First Balkan War • work bees • traditional Christmas breads * fortune-telling at New Year’s * customs at other holidays • growing corn and spreading the wealth among those less fortunate

Vasiljovo 2 Northeastern / Western Balkan: Teteven 268 1:52 31 

how the village was settled • celebration of holy days and musical accompaniment to dancing on such occasions

Vladimirovo 1 Northwestern / Vidin-Lom 489 4:45 121 

village celebrations, family saints • cultivating vineyards • custom of “catching” a saint’s day for a child using a three-legged stool

Vladimirovo 2 Northwestern / Vidin-Lom 585 5:16 136 

village celebrations • making of peasant shoes from pigskin and leg wrappings • Christmas foods • dyeing of Easter eggs

Vladimirovo 3 Northwestern / Vidin-Lom 483 4:36 112 

description of women fishing in the river with woven fabric, and using polenta scraps in a pot for bait • names of fish and methods of cooking them • soup recipes • growing and harvesting of beans

Vŭglarovo 1 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 587 3:38 147 

bread making in communal ovens

Vŭglarovo 2 Eastern Rupic / Thracian 653 4:34 172 

reaping and threshing practices • storing of grain

Vŭrbina 1 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Zlatograd 378 2:53 54 

threshing practices • keeping of sheep in summer pasture • how far away village men went to get outside work

Vŭrbina 2 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Zlatograd 430 3:10 69 

sowing, harvesting and cooking lentils • cows and their young • plowing • personal narrative about baking bread for the municipality

Vŭrbina 3 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Zlatograd 721 5:07 107 

banitsa recipe • planting potatoes • men’s work vs. women’s work • lament of physical inability with age • planting, harvesting, and stringing tobacco • description of a wooden plow • structure of old-time houses

Vŭrbina 4 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Zlatograd 1126 9:06 136 

founding of the village • sowing practices • plowing • reaping practices • threshing practices • work transporting cargo • sowing and harvesting lentils • use of barley as grain and as heating packs • sheep herding • customs when building • local trees as forage for animals • local celebrations • wedding customs

Vŭrbovo 1 Transitional / Belogradčik 533 5:27 65 

narration of a folktale

Vŭrbovo 2 Transitional / Belogradčik 288 2:27 64 

superstitions about local magic

Vŭrbovo 3 Transitional / Belogradčik 214 1:52 32 

narrative about proposed marriage between local girl and a Turk which was prevented by ambushing the wedding party

Zabernovo Eastern Rupic / Strandža 297 2:00 43 

how fences are made • threshing practices

Žitnica 1 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Pavlikani 110 0:44 10 

how hard one worked in the old days

Žitnica 2 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Pavlikani 103 0:52 11 

gardening practices

Žitnica 3 Central Rupic: Rhodope / Pavlikani 220 1:15 22 

personal narrative about how speaker’s son was failed in school because she did not have enough grain to pay as tax

Text copyright © 2011-2016 Ronelle Alexander and Vladimir Zhobov. Texts and other parts of the website may be copied only for non-commercial, research, or educational purposes, provided the source of the material is cited accordingly. Cited material may not include the entire website or substantial portions thereof.
Comments and questions may be addressed to bdlt@berkeley.edu.

Recommended Model for Citations

Bulgarian Dialectology as Living Tradition [2016] (http://www.bulgariandialectology.org, visited on 1 March 2016)
Babjak 1: 13-15. In: Bulgarian Dialectology as Living Tradition [2016] (http://www.bulgariandialectology.org, visited on 1 March 2016)

by Dr. Radut