observations about language

Baskalci 1

37 (GK) i tì zè dә go izmètaš

you’ve taken to twisting [your speech] about.

Bela 2

15 (VZh) da pò drùgo li govòrat tàm

Yes. Do they speak differently there?

16 (a) pò drùgo o turlàški

Differently. Oh – [they speak] Torlak.

18 (VZh) za kvò si zabelèzala da e razlìčno ot tùka od bèla nèkoja

What have you noticed that’s different from here, from Bela? Some –

19 (a) pa mì smo ofčarè pa tè tekà

Well, we are shepherds (Torlak sound of word), and they –

20 (VZh) à bàš kato turlàci si

Ah, exactly like Torlak [speech]!

21 (a) bàš si kato turlàcite dà

Exactly like Torlak [speech], yes.

22 (VZh) hə a skòml’a skòml’a kato koi

Aha. But Skomlya? [Is] Skomlya, like –

23 (a) skòmja kato nàze̥

Skomlya [is] like us.

24 (VZh) kato kato vàze

Like – like you.

25 (a) kato nàze da skòmja tùka dɤ̀lgo.polè tìja

Like us, yes. Skomlya here, Dŭlgo Pole, those –

26 (b) tùk od blìskite sàmo kalùger i orešec govòrat turlàški drùgite si

Of the areas close by, only Kaluger and Oreshets speak Torlak. The others –

Belica 2

86 (a) emi žìto sàmo z žìtu čenìca kojò e za esèn'o

Well, wheat. Only grain (“zhito”); the wheat (“chenitsa”) that’s for autumn,

90 (MM) žìto i pšenìca ednò i sɤ̀što li e

Are “zhito” and “pshenitsa “ the same thing?

91 (a) ne è

[Ah] no, [they] aren’t.

92 (MM) koè e žìtoto koè e

Which is “zhito” and which is –

93 (a) žìtoto se kàzva rɤ̀š

“Zhito” is what [you] call rye.

95 (a) a čenìcatà e drùgo

And “chenitsa” is something else.

96 (MM) znàči na na rɤštà vìkate vìe žìto takà li

So that means you use the term “zhito” for rye, is that right?

97 (a) e žìtoto e za rɤštɤ̀ a čenìcata si e pčenìca baškɤ̀

Yes, “zhito” is for rye, and “chenitsa” is wheat. [It’s] different.

Drabišna 1

96 (a) s'ètne òšte trì sɤ̀nə spɤ̀t

and then they will sleep three more “sleeps”.

97 (GK) trì sɤ̀nə

Three “sleeps”.

Gela 3

13 (VZh) nè nè sàmo se interesùvame ot stàri ot stària rodòpski ə ezìk

No, no. We’re only interested in the old-time Rhodope language …

14 (GK) kàk se govòri tùka u gelà

How you speak here in Gela!

15 (VZh) kàkto se govòri v gelà

… how you speak in Gela.

16 (c) abe nìe da ti kàža bajɛ̀ gudìni živèeme f smòl'an

Ah, well to tell you [the truth], we’ve lived many years in Smolyan,

17 (c) ta go sme màlku ubɤ̀rkali

so we’ve messed up [our Gela speech] a bit.

34 (c) nèma ə čìstu rudòpsku li m guvòriš

Ah no, aren’t you going to speak pure Rhodope [speech] to them?

35 (GK) čìsto rodòpsko ni tr'àbva

We need pure Rhodope [speech].

36 (VZh) čìstu rodòpski dà

Pure Rhodope [speech], yes.

38 (d) [laughter] tò čistu i às ne znàm ve [laughter]

[laughter] “Pure” – even I don’t know that any more! [laughter]

39 (c) lì t kàzvəm nì go sme umɛ̀sɤlɤ nàšijas ezìk ezgà

Like I’m telling you, we’ve mixed up our language now.

Godeševo 4

11 (VZh) [Впрягаш или впрьогаш?]

[(When you say ‘you harness [it]’, do you say) fpryagash or fpryogash?]

12 (b) gu fpr'àgəš i gu fpr'ògəš sè si e ednò

Whether you say “fpryagash” or “fpryogash” – it doesn’t matter!

13 (a) fpr'àgəš

[It’s’] “fpryagash”

14 (b) n'àki təkà əmə n'àkuj gu pək kàzvə še gu fpr'àgə

Some [say] this [“fpryogash”] but another will say he’ll harness it, “fpryaga”.

15 (b) mə pučtì še gu fpr'àgəš kàzvət

But mostly it’s – you’ll harness it, “fpryagash” - [that’s what] people say.

Golica 3

18 (VZh) tvà kàk se vìka

What do you call this?

19 (c) hùrka

[A] distaff.

20 (VZh) tovà

[And] this?

21 (c) kədèl'ka

The wool on the distaff.

22 (VZh) kədèl'ka a tvà

[OK, that's the] wool on the distaff, and this?

23 (c) vrit'èno

[A] spindle.

Iskrica 3

109 (c) təkɤ̀u kəčùlkə əmə nìe mu vìkəmi jəmurlùk ut tvà tùrskə dùmə

Like hoods, but we call it “yamurluk” (cloak). That’s a Turkish word –

110 (c) tuvà jəmurlùk izglèždə è t’à tə zəvìvə səs n’ègə c’àlu

it seems that “yamurluk” is [Turkish]. And it covers you up completely,

Kralevo 2

62 (a) dɤ̀rvenu d’è kàk se kàzvəše bè

… wooden, what was that called, huh?

63 (VZh) centrafùga li go vìkat tovà

Do they call that thing a centrifuge?

130 (b) ìmə krànč’e də pùskəš vɨ̀nutu

There’s a spigot to release the wine

131 (a) kàk sə kàzvə be

What’s that thing called?

136 (VZh) krànčeto kàk gu kàzvate

A little spigot? How do you call it?

138 (a) əm kɤ̀k krànč’e kɤ̀k zə sə kàže

Well, just a little spigot. How [else] would you call it?

Kralevo 3

10 (a) tvà kəvàk məl’è kəvàk tupòlə

this “Kavak” (poplar) district. “Kavak” means “topola” (poplar).

17 (a) mɨ sə čìn mɨ sə čìnvə tvà sə krɤ̀k

It seems to me that this is – “kɤrk” –

18 (a) četirìjse l’ bèše be lènče

[that] means “forty”, doesn’t it, Lenche?

19 (VZh) kɤ̀rk e četìrese takà li

[Yes,] “kŭrk” is “forty.” Right?

20 (a) četɨ̀rese

Forty.

21 (c) da takà e

Yes, that’s right.

Mogilica 5

1 (b) əmi vìš segà əku še mu rèkə čòrbəžì l'udèsu sə glàdni

So look now. If I'll say to [the boss], "Hey boss, _these here_ people are hungry" ...

2 (GK) l'udèsu sə glàdni

_These here_ people are hungry.

3 (b) znàči hòrətə sə glàdni

... that means that the people are hungry.

5 (b) nèmə li də dədèš də sə nəjədɔ̀t ili də sə nəjədèm

"Aren't you going to give them [enough] to eat their fill?" – to eat our fill?

7 (b) li əku às učàstvəm f t'àh znàči də sə nəjədèm

Or if I'm a participant in that group, I'd say “… [for us] to eat our fill.”

8 (GK) dà ə nè ako tr'àbva də də kàže glàdnite kədè gi pugrìbate

Yes. Well, no. If someone needs to say “Where do you bury the hungry ones?”

9 (GK) kàk še gu kàže i tòj e meždu tìja glàdnite

how will he say it, if he [himself] is among these, the hungry ones?

10 (b) glàn glàdnise kədè še gi pugrebèm

Hung – [he'd say] “Where are we going to bury _these here_ hungry ones?”

11 (GK) [laughter] znàči glàdnise i zaštò go upotreb'àva sɤ̀

[laughter] So then, “_these here_ hungry ones.” But why does he use _these here_?

12 (GK) zaštò kàzva glàdnise i ne kàzva glàdnite

Why does he say “_these here_ hungry ones” and not [just] “_the_ hungry ones”?

13 (b) glàdnise zəštòtu f mum'èntə sə glàdni

“_These here_ hungry ones” because at the moment [of speech] they are HUNGRY!

14 (b) əku sə umrɛ̀li tugàvə glàdnite kədè še gi pugrebète

If they've died, then where are you going to bury _the_ hungry ones?

16 (b) i tɤ̀j vəf mumèntə se izvɤ̀ršvə vrème segàšno vrème

So there. It's the time that's happening now. [It's] the present tense.

18 (b) a glàdnite e vəf mìnəlu vrème

and “_the_ hungry ones” is in the past tense.

22 (b) glàdnise segàšno glàdnite e f mìnalo

“_These here_ hungry ones”: the present. [But] “_the_ hungry ones” is in the past.

23 (GK) a glàdnine

And “_those there_ hungry ones”?

24 (b) glàdnine znàči bɤ̀dešte

“_Those there_ hungry ones” means the future.

25 (c) tò gi nèmə

They are not here.

26 (b) n'àmə gi

They're not here.

27 (c) tò gi nèmə ukulu nàs glànine

They're not here around us, “_those there_ hungry ones”,

28 (c) i zatvà [unintelligible] glàdninè

and that's why [unintelligible] “_those there_ hungry ones”.

30 (c) znàči tè ne sɤ̀ səs nàs

That means they aren't [here] with us.

32 (b) tè sə utsɤ̀tstvət

They're absent.

33 (GK) a ne mòže li də se ub'asnì təkà

But can't you explain it by [saying]

34 (GK) če tòo kòjtu govòri e čàst ut ut tijə hòra

that the one who is speaking is one of, of these people,

35 (GK) i zatovà sə upotreb'àvə sɤ̀

and for that reason he uses -s- [“these here”]?

36 (b) če mòže be

Sure, you can [if you want].

37 (GK) às mìsl'ə če zatovà se upotreb'àvə glàdnisè a nè glàdnitè

I thought that's why it's “_these here_ hungry ones”, not [just] “_the_ hungry ones.”

38 (b) glàdnite znàči tì ne učàstvəš

[Saying just] “_the_ hungry ones” means you're not part of them.

40 (b) a gla glàdni

And [the word] hungry…

41 (GK) se

[with] _these here_ [added]

42 (b) sè pàk mòže də ne učàstvəš

[with] _these here_ [added], it's still possible that you're not part of them.

43 (GK) kàk

In what way?

44 (c) sè štòm kàzvəš glàdnisè

[by adding] _these here_, because you're saying “_these here_ hungry ones”.

45 (GK) znàči sa do nègo nèjde

It means they are near him somehow.

46 (b) glàdni sà ne sè glàdni sà

It's ARE (they are hungry), not _these here_. [Saying] “They are hungry”

47 (b) znàči tì ne učàstvəš əku kàžeš glàdni smè

means you're not part of the group. If you say “We are hungry”

49 (b) znàči učàstvəš

then you are part of the group.

50 (GK) əhə če ednà bàba vìka ə sedìm nə nə pɤ̀t'ə ili

Aha. Well, [say] an old woman says – we're sitting by the road or

51 (GK) tàm f kɤ̀štətə i às ìdva drùga bàba

there in the house and I – and another old woman comes.

52 (GK) às stàvam ut stòla i t'à mi vìka a sèdi si

I get up [to give her my] chair and she says, “No, [go on and] sit there.

53 (GK) sèdi màlko màlko l'ude uvažàvat stàrise hòra

Sit a bit. Very few people respect _these here_ old ones.”

54 (GK) štò go kàzva stàrise hòra a ne stàrite ili stàrine

Why does she say “_these here_ old people” and not “_the_ old” or “_those there_ old”?

Main menu

observations about language

Baskalci 1

Bela 2

Belica 2

Drabišna 1

Gela 3

Godeševo 4

Golica 3

Iskrica 3

Kralevo 2

Kralevo 3

Mogilica 5

Pages

Main menu

You are here

observations about language

Pages