matchmaker visit

Dolno Ujno

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

31 (a) bòže tùj dɤ gu jìskɤ dɤ̀l’ šә̟ dɤ̀l’ šә̟ stàni ràptɤ

“Goodness, if I ask for her [as my son’s bride], will that come to pass?

32 (a) às šə si isɤbɤ̀ prìkɤskɤtɤ pɤk mòže i dukàrɤm pɤk m’ušt’erìi

[Even if] I squander my negotiating ability, still I could bring other ‘customers’

33 (a) dɤ kàɤt dònkɤ šɤ ìd zɤ snɤɤ̀ či nìj li

who’d say ‘If Donka can ask for her as a daughter-in-law, then what about us?

34 (a) n’àɤ dɤ ìjme tàm i kàzɤw na bàča tùj n’èštu pɤk

Why can’t we also go there?’ ”. So I told my brother about this, and what do you know?!

40 (a) ùbuu sɤ upuznàti̥ bàče š šɤ̀ nɤpràim in id idìn rìsk pɤk

Great – so they’re acquainted. “Brother,” I said, “let’s take the risk,

41 (a) kòtu̥ stàni vèke ut’ìduwmi ɤmɤ i cànkɤ̥tɤ pruòdijmi

since it’s come this far.” So we went, and took [my son] Tsanko along

42 (a) sɤz žinìjlit’ȅ àje i tì s t’àw nɤjnò dɤ č’ùiš tì bùlkɤtɤ

with the matchmakers. “You come along with them too, to hear what the girl

43 (a) kò š’ɤ kàžə š’ɤ tɤ ìšti l’ n’àɤ l’ tɤ ìšti

is going to say, whether she’ll want [to marry] you or not.”

44 (a) è tɤj ut’ìdi tòj sɤs nèjɤ nɤjnò sɤs t’àw nɤjnò bàče rekɤ̀l

So O.K. He went together with her – I mean with them. And my brother said,

45 (a) bà dìmo tì n’ì pìtɤš pɤk nìj zɤ kò dòduwmi

[to the girl’s father] “So Dimo, you’re not even asking why we came!”

46 (a) ɤ č šə kàžeš ama nìj dòduwmi zɤ bùlkɤ bà

[and Dimu responded] “Well, you need to say ‘We came for a bride –

47 (a) tùj màlku̥tu štò ne g dɤd’èš nɤ sɤ̥srɤ̀tɤ inɤ̀ bùlkɤ bɤ̀

why not give this young girl here to my sister as a bride?

48 (a) jèm zɤ dɤšter’ɤ̀ dɤ je jèm tɤkò bɤ ilìjo ustɤ̀j gu bɤ

Then she’ll be both a daughter to you and a bride to us.’ ”. “Ah Iliya, leave her!

49 (a) tò d’èti βèšti̥ kò təkò pɤk ə tòj rikɤ̀l bàču mu kàzɤl

She’s still a child. Why now?” So then my brother said to him,

50 (a) či tò tè tɤ n sì li t’ì tì

“It’s not you, is it – you aren’t the one [who]

51 (a) dɤ kàžiš tə t’à šə kài kɤlìnke kɤžì mɤ

needs to say it. She’s the one to speak. So then, Kalinka, tell me now:

52 (a) šɤ gu zɤ̀mniš li cànku il’ n’è šɤ gu zɤ̀mnɤ

will you take Tsanko [as a bridegroom] or not?” “I’ll take him.

53 (a) wòt’ n’àɤ gu zɤ̀mnɤ

Why wouldn’t I take him?”

Iskrica 1

21 (a) mi kətu stənà: v’èki mumà zə žènet’e mɤžɤ̀ mi dòjde

When I got to be of marriageable age, my [future] husband came

22 (a) vɤf s’èlo də mə ìskə i ə dòjdaa

to the village to seek me [in marriage], and they came –

23 (a) pràtia togàə i svətòvnici t’èə xòdea pu dvàmə trìmə čuvèkə

at that time they sent matchmakers, two or three people would come

24 (a) də kəndərdìsvət bəštɤ̀tə mumɤ̀tə t’à kojàtu ìskə

to persuade the father and the daughter. A girl who is willing –

Kovačevo 1

16 (b) əm purèt tugà duxàdaa stròjnici

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

18 (b) da tɤ̀rs’ət mumìčitu

to seek out the girl.

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.

71 (GK) e dobrè pràštat stròjnici i i stròjnicite nòs’at li nèšto

OK. Now they send the matchmakers, and do the matchmakers bring something?

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 –

73 (a) rakìja nòsi

He’s carrying brandy.

75 (b) šišèto

[It’s] a bottle …

76 (c) kət k’i dòət zə ùgləv vèk’e togàj dòəd i za

… when they come for the “uglav” (preliminary engagement), then they come for –

78 (b) šišèto a fəf pàzuvàtə nə svikərɤ̀

… a bottle that the father-in-law carries tucked into his shirt …

80 (b) kəto k’i kàžət àjde

… to say “Come on, …

82 (b) i àjde

.. come on!

83 (c) dàvət dùmə

They’ve given their word.

84 (b) dàvət dùmə i àjde k’i se nəpìjət svàtuvètu rəkìjə

They’ve given their word – let the wedding party get drunk on brandy! [laughter]

Markovo

157 (a) ar’èsət sə pràt’ət mumàri [laughter]

They take a liking to each other, [and] they send matchmakers [laughter].

158 (GK) kòj gi pràšta

Who sends them?

159 (a) pràštəə mumàri

They would send matchmakers.

160 (GK) kòj kàzva če ìskat də sə žènət

Who is it that says they want to marry?

161 (a) əmi kòj kàzuvə əm v’èč kətu ìmə

Well, who says?! Already when you’ve got …

162 (GK) momčètu

The boy?

163 (a) n’àkui wòrə ər’esəli n’àkuj mumìči i pràštət mumàri wòrə pràt’ət də pìtət

… some people who like some girl, and they send matchmakers. They send people to ask

164 (a) màjkə i bəšta i že gə dədɤ̀t li i tìj əku rikɤ̀t

the mother and father whether they will give the girl [in marriage]. And if they say

165 (a) še i gə dədɤ̀t tìj pràv’ət nišàn mu vìkaa

they’ll give her to them, then they conclude what they used to call the betrothal.

166 (GK) əhə̀ kakvò e tò

Aha, what is that?

167 (a) pràv’ət nišàn tùr’ət pərì tùr’ət tàm zlàtn’i ràbuti

They make the betrothal. They lay down money, and gold stuff,

168 (GK) pèru

[and] a feather –

169 (a) i gu zənesɤ̀t

and they take it away.

170 (GK) pèru

[and] a feather –

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

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

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

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!

17 (GK) ama kàk im vikaxa na tìja ne pràštaxa li speciàlni xòra

But how did you call them? Didn’t they send [some] particular people?

18 (b) spiciàlni òra kòj mi nìa si òdime i

What particular people? We [аre the ones who] go, and

19 (b) nèkoj komšìa nèkoj pò blìsok zakàrame

we take [along] some neighbor, someone closer [to us].

20 (GK) stròjnici nèšto da im vìkat ilì

Something – do they call them “stroynitsi” (matchmakers), or –

21 (b) mi sròjnici de sròjnici na tava se vìka sròjnici

Well, they do say “sroynitsi” for that, “sroynitsi".

22 (b) k’ ìat k’i brɤ̀kat pèpelo

[Those are the ones] that will go and mix the ashes.

24 (b) tàm k’i si znàat k’i sa sròjnici

So that people there will know that these are “sroynitsi”,

25 (b) s mašàta brɤ̀kat vof glamnìte

they poke around in the burnt logs with tongs.

26 (GK) kòj kòj bɤ̀rka pèpelo

Who? Who mixes up the ashes?

27 (b) mi tòa štò e ošèl da pròsi momàta

Well, the one who went to ask for the girl.

28 (GK) axà i po tovà se razbìra če

Aha, and that’s how they know that –

29 (b) če e prosèc ošèl tàm

That a seeker has gone there.

Tihomir 1

75 (GK) i kàk go kàk stàvaše glavèža

And how did – how did an engagement come about?

76 (a) ìšat ìšat ta

They go looking, go looking for –

78 (a) pravàdat ž'òna

They send a woman.

79 (GK) kàk se kàzva t'à

What is [such a] one called?

80 (a) tə dundurdž'ì

Uh – matchmaker.

82 (a) d'unurdž'ì wòd da paìšt'e mamɔ̀ta mamɔ̀ta e dadɔ̀t

The matchmaker. She goes to ask for the girl, they give the girl,

83 (a) i č'ɛ̀kat da kagᵊìta apredel'ɔ̀t da sa ž'ònet

and wait until it’s decided that they [will] get married.

84 (GK) nòsi li nèšto tàja

Does she bring something …

87 (a) mà màlko adnesɔ̀t za adɤ̀t

They carry a little, for the custom.

91 (a) na na trehàlka n'èkva fustàn'e n'èkva kə kač'ùlk'o sèj kɤt kɤt zakač'ùli

… some kind of fancy dress – dresses, an outer garment, like these they put on,

92 (a) nèkɤ t'erlìc'e pa màlko nòs'et da se znàjet da se nə abɔ̀rkavat

some slippers – they only carry enough to be recognized, not cause confusion.

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