Foreign
Words
by Peter Lang
Translation by Brad Schwebler
The Donauschwaben
also used foreign words completely naturally, which they
have partially taken on in the original homeland from the
French and in the southeast from the people there.
The words from the French were always easier to interpret
which is why I did not want to mention them for lack of
space. Instead I also want to cite German words
which have taken on another meaning by us.
Aldumasch (Hungarian aldomas = blessing), a communal drink
after a large purchase at the market.
Backsimpel
= baking basket made from corn husks (Liesch).
Barch (from Barge), Bär = boar, also the richtige
Bär (hulking brute of a man).
Barchet,
Barchent = flannel.
Batschi (Hungarian bacsi = older brother, the younger is
called öcs) = uncle and every older man.
bereits = almost, nearly, instead of perfect.
Betchar (Hungarian
betyar) = scoundrel.
Bitanger (Hungarian
bitangember), the first two parts of the
word comes from begging crusaders (please, thank you),
ember = man, homeless man. (Petöfi: Schonai bitangember, ki most, ha
kell, halni nem mer =
A homeless man, who now has the need, will not die
cozy.) But the term Bitanger went much further, one
could use it for all bad habits (petty theft, burglary,
robbery, sexual offenses, and so forth) that a homeless
person engages in.
blöd
= shy (also comes in a church hymn in the sense of
shyness).
Bunde (Hungarian
bunda) = fur coat.
Dolina (Serbian dole = under) = depression in the karst
region, taken on in high German.
Ewenke (Serbian or Turkish
evenka) = wine grapes hanging up
to dry on a nail covered pole.
Grenze (Serbian
granica) = taken on in high German.
Gatchr,
Gatcherhose (Hungarian gatya) = very wide underpants
which were bound with a Gatcher ribbon through a
string. Fits all sizes. Because of lovely
fantasies the ladies did not speak of Gatchers in fine
society.
heidi,
heide (Serbian hajde) = we go.
Hambar (Hungarian) = corn comb.
Hotter, Hutter, Hotterhüter (Hungarian hatar) = Gemarkung,
border, corridor.
Hutsch,
Hutscher, Hitschche = foal, Füllchen.
jo
jott = variant of yes, just not as nice = no, no
Kanitzel = copper sulfate.
Kapeerdeck (probably from the French factory called
Chabert) =
uppermost bed cover of linen, one side covered with
patterns (colored).
Kapper,
Kappert = dill pickles, never capers.
Katsch (Hungarian
kacsa) = duck (Katsch with long aa =
community Katsch).
Kickritzel (Kükrützel)
(Serbian kukuruz) = finely ground corn,
which was placed in a sieve and under the flame where it
increased tremendously in volume (one dessert spoonful =
one to two liters). It was provided on
Good Friday. The sieve must be covered, otherwise
the kernels fly a meter high. (popcorn?)
Klumbe (Hungarian
klompa) = wooden shoes made from one
piece, which were very similar to Dutch wooden shoes,
produced in Apatin. For young boys they were a
dream because one could slide on the ice with them, flew
into the curves and had many other advantages.
Krelle (from
coralle) = pearl necklace (not real).
Kritsch (Latin cricetus ) = hamster.
Kummre, Umarke, also Umorke (Hungarian uborka) =
cucumber.
Logl = small wooden drink water barrel about 40
centimeters in diameter and about 20 centimeters
deep. Advantages: unbreakable, keeps water
cool. Only taken along to field work.
logeln
= excessive drinking, boozing. nunerlogle = drink under the table.
Los,
Mehrzahl (several) Lose = breeding sow(s).
maje
= go on a visit.
Malei (Hungarian
málé) = thin corn cake
Kulje (Serbian) = corn porridge.
Minkelche,
Minglche (from mini?) = small morsel of bread or
bacon.
nee
nett = an improvement of, or comparison to, no no.
Neni
(Hungarian: the older sister, the younger is called
hug) = aunt and every older woman.
nötigen
= offer.
Ober (Serbian) = pig pen.
Ohnen
= awns or beards.
Palatschinken,
Palatschinge (Hungarian palacsinka) = Fladen
(large, flat, round cake made from barley flour), baked
in fat and made from thin dough from flour, milk, eggs,
and sugar. It was filled with cinnamon, sugar, or
marmalade (Pekme-) and rolled together. The dough
was like Kaiserschmarren (pancake pulled to pieces and
sprinkled with powdered sugar and raisins.)
Patschker,
Pätschkerche (Hungarian: bocskor) = light
leather shoes somewhat like Opanken (Serbian = taken over
in German writing), also painted shoes with felt soles.
Patrense = hip high hay piles, with two Patrensen
poles (bean poles) pushed under them to carry the
haystack. 20 Patrensen = 1 hay wagon.
Pekmes (Turkish
pekmez) = puree; squash, Weichsel (Vistula)-, apricot- pekmes.
Platschkukrutz
= see Kickritzel.
Pockerl (Hungarian:
pulyka) = turkey hen; Pocklhohn =
turkey tom.
possen = vaccinate by grazing the skin.
Sarmen =(Hungarian:
szarma) = Kraut wurst wrapped in
sauerkraut leaves.
Schap spoken Schaap (French) = original head
decoration made from flowers or precious stones (tiara),
and also ribbons. Used by the Donauschwaben until
in the end there were only ribbon decorations under the
heads of the dead. Des war domols, wie mei
Großvater uf m Schap gele hot (That was at
the time when my grandfather had laid on the Schap.)
In
Germany the word is still preserved only in the Black
Forest as Schäppele and only as a head
decoration for living women. Besides in
Grimms 24 volume dictionary in large format it is
not listed in any etymological dictionary and it was
preserved by us until the people fled. Also the
names Schaber, Schawer, and Schafer may have come from
Schap and not from schaben or Schaf!
schepp = crooked.
Schiewer = open-sided barn, haystack, Triste?
Schlappe = slippers.
Schlockerfaß
= A container in which the whetstone for the scythe,
together with water, was stored hanging on the belt
during the work. It was often a horn of a
cow. (Thanks to the contribution of Walter Nehlich)
schonbald (schunbal) = nearly, almost.
Sprau = husks.
suttern
= run, trickle.
Tata (Serbian:
otac) = father.
teschek (Hungarian:
tessek) = is pleasing, attractive.
Teps = cooking sheet (metal).
Tschardak (Turkish Laube (arbor, summerhouse) = slat framework
for corn.
Umarke,
Umorke = cucumber.
Ulaker (Hungarian: Ujlak = village name) = primitive pocket
name, produced in Ujlak. Also small boys were so
named.
Wicke (Hungarian
bika) = bull.
weiland
= the deceased.
[Published at
DVHH.org by Jody McKim Pharr, 2005]