engagement agreement

Dolno Ujno

258 (GK) i màjka tàtko

And the mother and father?

259 (a) e pa koì ìdat ta pitùvat gi kojà ne ìska da

Well, some people go to ask [their permission], and if a girl doesn’t want to –

260 (a) də trèbe da znàe majka i tat i baštà i trèbe ìde

[if she wants] her mother and father to know that, then he has to go

261 (a) ta ja pitùjat a ìnače ot ə sobòro zaminàvat si i

and they have to ask for her. Otherwise they leave from the celebration and –

262 (GK) tìja ne sɤ̀ li sɤ̀rdia stàrite

They – don’t the older ones get angry?

263 (a) ema kòj kòj gi pìta [laughter] sà pìtaa li

Well who – who asks them? [laughter] Do they ask now?

272 (RA) nalì pràvat ə gudèš glavèš nèšto takà

Don’t they do [something] for the engagement?

273 (a) e pa pravìlo se e

Yes, they did.

275 (a) pravìlo se e

They did.

276 (RA) emi kàk se pràvət kòj kòj kòj du do kogò xòdi

And how is that done? Who – who – who goes to whom?

277 (a) e pa dòjdat ot stàrite i pìtat ə

Well, [people] come from the parents and ask,

278 (a) i pòslem si se pribìrat drùgo kakvò da vi kàža

and then they go home. What else [do you want] me to tell you?

279 (GK) nèšto nòsia li nòsixa li kato ìdat u

Did they bring something – did they bring something when they came to –

280 (a) rekìa si nòsat da si pìjnat

They bring some brandy to have a bit of a drink with.

282 (a) i onàa momàta ako gi arèsa ako arèše momčèto zèmat ə

And that girl, if she likes them, if she liked the boy, they take –

283 (a) zème nèšto pràti podàrək kakvò kakvò e bilò

she takes something, she sends a gift, whatever there was.

Drjanovec 2

55 (a) àjd’a tò t’ičә̥ɤškɤ̀tɤ bàču dàj inò kilò rɤkìjɤ mɤ dàduw

So then my brother came up running and said, “Give us a kilo of rakia!” I gave [them]

56 (a) inò kilò rɤkìjɤ bùlkɤtɤ kàj ž dòdi prigòtv’əj sə prigòtv’əj sə

a kilo of rakia. “The bride,” he said, “will come. Get ready! Get ready,

57 (a) bùlkɤ šə dod’ tɤ̀z vèčer i ut’ìduwa è tùkɤ dun’èsuɤ bùlkɤtɤ

the bride will come this evening.” So they came and brought the bride,

Garvan 1

1 (a) pək svàdbətə nɤ̀l' ti kàəm ut p'ètək

Well, the wedding, as I was telling you, [it starts] on Friday,

2 (a) kət pòčniš zàsefki sə kàzvə, təkòzvəš

when you begin this sort [of ritual] called “zasefki” (formal betrothal) –

Iskrica 1

30 (a) dòjdaa svatòvnicite̝ dunèsaa sèdem òsem altɤ̀na na ednò però

The [future] in-laws came, and brought seven or eight gold pieces on a feather –

31 (a) kìtkə l’ə bèše però li bèše d’è də znàm

it was either a bouquet or a feather, how should I know –

32 (a) pìtaə mə tì ìskəš li gu ìskəm gu sètn’a pìtət i n’ègu

and asked me, “Do you want him?”. “I want him”. Then they asked him as well,

33 (a) i tòj vìkə i às ku ne gɤ̀ ìskəm n’àmə də dòja

and he said, “If I hadn’t wanted her I wouldn’t have come.”

34 (a) i hàjde àjde čestìtu svàtoe čestìtu svàt tòj rəkòsət sə

So OK, let’s go, congratulate the [new] in-laws, shake the hand of one of them,

35 (a) čestìtət i nàs i s’àdət vèke nìj sm’ə vèke užèneti slàgət tugàə

They congratulate us too, and sit down. Now we’re married, and then they set out

36 (a) də vičèr’ə tàm idɤ̀t gɤrm’ɤ̀t či vèke bùlkətə sə užènilə i

the food for supper. People eat and make noise, because the bride is now married.

Kovačevo 1

7 (GK) gudèš kàk stàvaše godèša vìkəxte

[So engagement is] “godezh”. How did the engagement, as you call it, happen?

8 (GK) kàk sa xarèsvaxa mòmata mumčèto ta gudèša ta svàdbata

How did the boy and girl come to like each other, get engaged, get married –?

16 (b) əm purèt tugà duxàdaa stròjnici

O.K., in order. The matchmakers would come

20 (b) i sigà əku ja xarèsvə mumìčitu mumčètu stàva nəpràvilə kìtka

Now if the boy likes the girl, then it happens. A bouquet is made,

21 (b) nakìčuva stròjnicìte i stàva si na pòsle

and [used] to decorate the matchmakers. And things move on to the next stage.

22 (c) slet tùj pàk gudèš kət si gi dòat za gudežə

After that, another engagement, when they come to [mark] the engagement.

23 (b) ufic’àlen gudèš

The “official” engagement, …

24 (GK) a pò sètne

Ah, that’s later.

25 (b) ftòri gudèš

… the second engagement.

60 (b) [laughter] tə te təkà

[laughter] And that’s how [it was].

61 (c) tugà beše vèselu

Back then it was happy.

62 (a) aa

Ah.

63 (b) tugà bè vèselu dvè gudìni gləvèn də sì i tòa kàže

It was indeed happy then. If you’re engaged two years, [your father] will say

64 (b) òu tì mari kàa dvè gudìni k’ì gu čàkəš

“You better watch out! You’re going to wait those two years for him?!”

65 (b) i k’i gu čàkəm k’i gu čàkəš əmə tàtku səz dilàve

And I’ll wait for him. “[Yes,] you’ll wait for him, but Dad [is here] with the tongs –

66 (b) [laughter] k’i izmèriš dilàf

[laughter] “You’ll [feel] the measure of these tongs [on your back]!”

69 (c) ta təka təkà bèše

Yes, that’s how it was.

70 (b) dèt kàže tàm

Whatever he says goes.

72 (b) emì kət k’ì rešì tàtko či k’i mə dadɤ̀t nòsi

Well, he carries [it so that] when my dad decides he’ll give me in marriage –

Markovo

116 (GK) tɤ̀j dobrè i kət se arèsat dvàmə mlàdi kakvò stàva pòsle

So, OK. Once two young people take a liking, what happens after that?

117 (a) əmi əkù tə dəd’è bəstàtə nə tòu kòjtu

Well, if your father gives [consent] to the one who [asks for you]

118 (a) šə sə užèniš əku n’è n’àmə

you’ll get married. If not, then you won’t.

119 (GK) i kɤ̀k stàva

And how does that happen?

120 (a) kət ričè n’àmə tòj ni è nəm’èr’ət mu kusùr’

If he says, “That’s not the one,” or find some fault with him,

121 (a) tòj ni è zə t’èbi tì n’àmə də gu z’èmiš

[and says] “He’s not for you, you’re not to marry him,”

122 (a) i žə gu vɤ̀rniš i mu kàeš či n’àmə ə tə z’èmə

then you’ll send him back and you’ll say to him, “I’m not going to marry you.”

123 (GK) i kakɤ̀v kusùr mu namìraxa nàj čèsto

And what sort of fault would they most usually find?

124 (a) emi də pìj n’èštu də

Well, that he drinks, or else …

125 (GK) də bìj

he’s a wife-beater,

126 (a) də bìj [laughter] d’èt kàzvəš

… that he beats people [laughter], as you say,

128 (a) də bìj ə pək ə mòjə bəštà kətu̥ kài tòj tvà mumčè

he beats people. Well, my father says, “Here’s this young man,

129 (a) ustənà biz bəštà i si kàrə ràbutə ùbo i ni ni pìj

his father is no longer living, he works really well, he doesn’t drink,

130 (a) ni pùši dù səgà nè e srɤ̀mnəl n’ètu pəg də pùši̥

he doesn’t smoke – up till now hasn’t touched a drop, nor has he taken a puff.”

171 (a) i t’a kətu gu prièmi i v’èči ə gud’èni

And when she accepts [the betrothal], then they’re engaged.

172 (a) wòd’ət gud’èni s’ètni nəpràət svàdbə

They go about now as an engaged couple, and then they do the wedding.

173 (GK) ama čàkaj segà kažì godèžə kakvò predstavl’àva

Wait a minute! Tell [us] about the engagement, what is that?

174 (a) əmi kò ìdət u t’àh u mumàtə dàvət tàm pərì bol

Well, what? They go over to the girl’s house, they pay lots of money.

175 (a) nàj nəpr’èš bubàək bònk’e nəlì dàvəə

First they’d pay a “wedding tax.” Right, Bonka?

177 (a) bubàək mu vìkaa pərì dàvət nə bəštàtə

They called it “wedding tax”, the money they give to the father.

183 (a) jɛ̀ dàvət bubàək mu vìkət ə dv’è ìl’ədi l’èvə pəzərùvət

Yes. They pay [what] they call a wedding tax. It’s about 2,000 levs, [that] they bargain

184 (a) tàm pəzərùvət [laughter] znàm či inò vr’èmi gà zə m’èni

[for] there, they haggle [over it]. [laughter] I know that back then when [they bargained] for me –

185 (a) ə čìču ìmə idìn čiču i t’èə ìmət svòj čuv’èk d’è

I have an uncle and my uncle [took my side], and they have their man, you know?

186 (a) tìj že pəzərùvət tìj ìkət à nàštə svìrkə je ùbəvə

And they’ll do the bargaining. They say, “Well, our ‘flute’ is very nice.

187 (a) nìj ìskəmi ə tòlkus pərì əkù dəd’èti ža a dəd’èm

We want so much money for it. If you pay, then we’ll give it to you.

188 (a) ku n’è [laughter] n’àmə mi təkà b’èši inò vr’èmi

And if not, [laughter] then we won’t.” And that’s how it was back then.

189 (GK) a tè kvò

And they – what …

191 (GK) odgovàrjət drùgite

… do the others answer?

192 (a) ə màjkətə i bəštàtə mɤl’čɤ̀t i unìjə sv’èkərə i svikɤ̀rvə

The mother and father stay quiet, and those others, the father-in-law and mother-in-law,

193 (a) unìjə i t’è mɤl’čɤ̀t tìe že pəzər’ɤ̀t

those ones stay quiet too, while they (= the matchmakers) bargain.

195 (a) kətu rikɤ̀t à stìgət tìjə pərì tìe vìkət

And then they say, “OK, that’s enough,” they say.

196 (a) a tòlku̥s pərì žə dəd’èm e tòlku̥s pərì žə dəd’èm òšti dəd’èm

“We’ll pay this much. We’ll pay this much – this much more.”

197 (a) kutu dubìtək d’è dubì’təkə kək pəzərùvaa

It’s like for cattle, you know? Just like they would bargain for cattle,

205 (b) [laughter] à nè dàvaxa ja

Ah, no. They would give her.

206 (a) mi ə kàzvaa ami vìkət à nì gə dàvəmi

Well, they’d say that. They’d say, “We’re not giving her up,

207 (a) nì gə dàvəmi tùkə̥ n’eštu nəm’èrət kusùr’ nì gə dàvəmi

we’re not giving her here.” They’d find some fault – “We’re not giving her up” –

208 (a) i t’è sə vɤ̀rnət bɤ̀rzət si ìdət mumàtə i si izl’èvət

and they go back, they’re in a rush to get away. The girl [stays], and they leave.

Skrŭt 2

8 (GK) kàk stàva godèža

How does the engagement happen?

9 (b) gudèžo dòjdat tìa stàrite tùka ta pròsat à momàta

[For] the engagement, the elders come here to ask for the girl.

10 (b) dva tri vèčeri k’i dòat kandisàa vike k’à a vòdat

They come for two or three evenings. They finally agreed that they’ll take her.

11 (b) ja nìa za tovà a tùka gudìme nàšta snaà odìme

So when we went to arrange the engagement, to get our daughter-in-law, we went

12 (b) teràme a ut tàtkutu ut màjkə̥ta ubeštàa ga

and sought her from her father and mother. They made the promise, and

13 (b) praìme godèš slet tovà na pazàro i pràvo

we concluded the engagement. After that, to the market, and then straight

14 (b) ottàm si̥ tùkə̥ svàdbata

from there over here – [to] the wedding.

15 (GK) koj òdeše de ja tèra momàta

Who went to seek the girl?

16 (b) emi jà mòa čovèk odì drùgi nèkoj [laughter] nìa si odìme stàrite

Well, then – my husband went, some others [laughter]. We went, us old ones!

Srebŭrna 1

53 (a) am wòd’ə̟t màjkətə i bəštàtə prikàzwət

Well, they bring the [bride’s] mother and father [to his house] and they talk.

54 (a) màjkətȁ i bəštàtə še prikàzwət zə mumàtə

The mother and the father will talk about the girl (the bride) -

55 (a) kàk šɤ bɤ̀di i ə kugà še jə dɤdɤ̀t

how it [the wedding] will be, and when they will give her [in marriage],

56 (a) kàk šə sə zɤ̀mət še e dədɤ̀t li

how they will get married, will they give her [in marriage].

57 (a) štòm sə səglàsni i dvàmətə də sə zɤ̀mət i vednàgə

As soon as they’ve agreed that the pair can get married, immediately

Trŭnčovica 1

2 (a) kogà pràim svàdbə [cough] pɤ̀rvu hòdim vè̟čer krɤ̀snikə sv’è̟kərə

When we put on a wedding [cough] in the evening we first go – godfather, father-in-law,

3 (a) i dèver aku ìmə utɨ̀vət səz bɤ̀klicə səs vɨ̀nu

and brother-in-law (if there is one) – they go around with a canteen of wine

Main menu

engagement agreement

Dolno Ujno

Drjanovec 2

Garvan 1

Iskrica 1

Kovačevo 1

Markovo

Skrŭt 2

Srebŭrna 1

Trŭnčovica 1

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engagement agreement

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