Meshterski
| South Slavic languagesand dialects |
|---|
Meshterski(Bulgarian:мещерски) orMeshtrenski(мещренски) was acant,or secretsociolect,of the southBulgarianbuilders,bricklayersandmasons.[1]The name comes from the word мещраmeshtra,"master", fromLatinmagister.Meshterski served a linguistically isolating purpose, enabling the builders to communicate in secrecy, and a socially isolating purpose, emphasizing the builders' perceived supremacy over their contractors.[2]
Distribution and vocabulary[edit]
The sociolect emerged among the Bulgarian masons in southwesternMacedonia,adjacent to theAlbanianlands. As a result, it includes a large number of Albanian loanwords, e.g. букаbuka,"bread", frombukё;гяхтаgyahta,"cheese", fromdjathë;мерамmeram,"to take", frommarr.There are much fewer loans fromGreek(e.g. лашмаlashma,"mud", from λάσπηlaspi;кареклаkarekla,"chair", from καρέκλαkarékla) andTurkish(e.g. пиринчpirinch,"rice", frompirinç;сакалsakal,"beard", fromsakal).[3]Later, the language spread through migration to northeastern Macedonia (the region ofGotse Delchev), theRhodope MountainsaroundSmolyan,and the areas ofAsenovgrad,Kazanlakand thesub-Balkan valleys.[2]
Although loanwords often remained semantically unchanged, the Bulgarian vocabulary in the sociolect was substituted with nativemetaphors,metonymsand words from different roots, so as to conceal the true meaning to outsiders, e.g. мокраmokra( "wet", fem.) for водаvoda,"water"; гледачgledach( "looker" ) for окоoko,"eye", облоoblo( "round", neut.) for яйцеyaytse,"egg".[3]The lexis of Meshterski included not only professional terms and basic vocabulary, but also other words, including religious terms, such as СветливSvetliv,"Luminous", referring toGodor asaint.[4]
Meshterski also spread to other social areas: it was borrowed bytinsmithsin at least one village in the Rhodopes, although with a much reduced vocabulary and renamed toGanamarski.[5]Albanian words mediated through Meshterski have also entered informal Bulgarian; these included кекавkekav,"weak, sickly" (fromkeq); кинтиkinti,"money, dough" (fromqind,"hundred" ), скивамskivam,"to see, to take a look" (fromshqyrtoj), келешkelesh,"squirt, mangy fellow" (fromqelesh).[6]
Examples[edit]
| Cyrillic | Latin | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meshterski | Bulgarian | Meshterski | Bulgarian | English |
| Ветай, райчо, ветай![2] | Върви, слънце, върви! | Vetay, raycho, vetay! | Varvi, slantse, varvi! | Go,Sun,go! |
| Шуле, доветай балта![2] | Момче, донеси кал! | Shule, dovetay balta! | Momche, donesi kal! | Boy, bring [some] mud! |
See also[edit]
- Banjački,the cant of bricklayers inPodrinje,westernBalkans
- Purishte,Albanian language sociolect spoken by masons of the Opar region
Footnotes[edit]
- ^"Наследство според типа: Дюлгерство"(in Bulgarian). Културните коридори на Югоизточна Европа. 2006–2008.Retrieved2008-11-29.
- ^abcdНиколов, "Глава I".
- ^abНиколов, "Глава II".
- ^Кузманова, Даниела; Константин Рангочев."Религиозна лексика в тайните дюлгерски говори"(in Bulgarian). Асоциация за антропология, етнология и фолклористика „Онгъл”.Retrieved2008-11-29.
- ^Николов, "Глава III".
- ^Бобев, Боби; Тома Кацори (1998)."Албанците в България"(in Bulgarian).Retrieved2008-11-29.
References[edit]
- Николов, Павел (1979)."Наблюдения върху тайния зидарски (мещренски) говор в селата Гела и Момчиловци"(in Bulgarian). ВТУ "Кирил и Методий", гр. Велико Търново, Филологически факултет, катедра "Българско езикознание".Retrieved2008-11-29.
External links[edit]
- Short dictionary of Meshterski(in Bulgarian)