www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall common words and definitions

Thank you Keith. You know, the thread is "Common Word and Definitions" and it has been mostly kept to Church terms. Why not start one pertaining to things like this? People might find it interesting. Any takers? We can have some differences (pirohi or pierogie) but that's easy to deal with. Correct spellings can still be given, despite the differences I just pointed out.

I think most are familiar with "dupa"--back end

here's one I don't know the spelling for but sure did hear when I was a kid--I'll spell it phonetically--"shmut-uh-cut-uh." Which was always used as "smart aleck" only with another "a" word instead of aleck.

Then there was "gutchie" for underwear. I don't have diacritical marks on my keyboard, so I'm spelling it phonetically. Anyone know where I can get diacritical marks on my keyboard? (I have an Apple, by the way.)

Tim

On thinking about it, there's a famous Slovak fold song called Duze Moja. Or did I spell that wrong, as well? It means "my soul." That was my nickname from one of my baba's (the one of elevnth street by the playground and levee), since I was always getting into trouble and she would just look at me, shake her head and say with a big sigh "duze moja!" (Usually I was playing in the coal bin or something like that.)

After a while my elder siblings started calling me that---"we can get going as soon as 'duze moja' over here gets his dupa in gear." Thant kind of thing. Please correct me, I want to get it right.

Tim

I just did a quick translation search and "soul" is spelled "dusa" but with a diacritical mark on the s. So you are correct.

Tim

word otec /my father/it is rather do not use in regular daily speach ,in ukrainian /ruthenian /old ukrainian use /used/ -- tato/ тато/, tatko /татко/, tatusyu/татусю/as Godfather njano/няньо/ ,njanko/нянько/, also in modern ukrainian - batko/батько /
Otec/ отець/, Otche /отче/- we use to our heavenly father and also to priest

Is not Njan'o (Father,Dad) borrowed from the Hungarian language?

Ungcsertezs

yes it is commonly used in Zakarpattya region , close to Magyar

For some reason, this begins to remind me of Hiawatha: "by the shores of gitchie guummie". Was Longfellow a Carpatho-Russian in disguise?

Fr. Serge

Неню ж ти мій, неню, вчинь ми таку волю - Йди за мене служить на ту войну

Sorry, Ung-Certez, have to disappoint you, but the very word "nenyu' you can find in Volyn region and even in southern Belarus (Biarescie-"Brest" region), i.e. approximately same distance as Pittsburgh from Minneapolis and no Hungarian or Carpatho-Ukrainian influence whatsoever.

No dissappointment. I was always told Njan'o was a Hungarian word, just as betchar and balamuta are in the Rusyn lowlander dialects.

Ungcsertezs

as Ungcsertezs told njan*o is originally from Hungary
I knew people from Zakarpattya region , but my friends from Volyn region never used this word as father

We use Nenko, nyenyu (zvorotny case) same as tato-or tata, bac'ko, etc. in Pinsk, Belarus. It is definitely not as widespread as it is in Ukrainian Carpathians, but still... And we have no magyars walking our streets.

Lots of good words. I thought "Otce" was the word used for father as in "God" and therefore by extension, one would use this as a word for priest. (Otce Nas...) While otec was father as in one's parent and a familiar term would be otecko. Always looking for the right answer, so don't worry about offending.

Tim

"For some reason, this begins to remind me of Hiawatha: "by the shores of gitchie guummie". Was Longfellow a Carpatho-Russian in disguise?

Fr. Serge"

What a sense of humor. Everyone knows he was Ukranian! Silly Archimandrite.

Timbo the bimbo

Since the DL is now gender inclusive, I guess we should follow along like good little sheep (kidding!) and give the female side of the family the respect they truly deserve.

Matka--mother
Baba--grandmother
Starababa--old lady (usually used as in "he drives like a starababa!")
staraotec--grandfather

And for some reason I'm blanking on sister, Aunt and mother in law. Ideas?

Tim

Hey, Tim!

I'll bite on your suggestion...

As a youngster, I grew up in an extended-family household where many relatives lived and many languages were spoken. Dad was Rusyn; Mom's Croatian. Here are a few of the words I recall from many, many years ago, spelled phonetically as best I recall (not sure which are from my Rusyn side and which are Croatian):

dupa - **as previously defined**

dupiosh (DU-pie-osch) - one who acts like a dupa
...as in "Did you see that dupiosh pull right out in front of me?!?"

gubatsz (GOO-botts) - mouth
... as in "Shut your gubatsz, child!"

gotchies (GA-cheese) - underwear
...Yeah, Tim, I wore gotchies, too!

popek (PO-pek) - belly-button
...haven't got a clue why I remember this one!

somad (SO-mahd or so-MAHD-e) - jackass

pivo (PEE-vo) - beer

ocaladi (o-kah-LAH-dee) - eyeglasses

stremfli (STREM-flee) - socks

fica (FY-ka) - smoking pipe

Staretz (sta-EETS) - name we referred to a very old, bachelor uncle of my Mom's by (whom I feared greatly!)... his given name was Joseph but we all called him "Uncle Staretz"

svenja (SCHVEEN-ya) - pig

shunka (SCHOON-ka) - pig again, only this time dead and laying on the table in the form of ham

krava (KDA-va) - cow

bundudiki (bun-DOO-di-kee) - potato
...my wife and kids still use this one!

soprodnica (so-prod-NEETS-ah) - a witchy woman who allegedly possessed an "evil eye"... the whole neighborhood feared our local soprodnica (guess every neighborhood had one!)

virchina (VUR-chee-nah) - chamber pot
...yes, my childhood does, in fact, pre-date indoor plumbing!

Anybody else??

Al (a pilgrim)