by Lyz Russo
The Essential
Solar Wind / Shooting Star
Glossary
by Lyz Russo
& various online and paperback translators
P’kaboo Publishers
© Lyz Russo, 2016
ISBN: 9781311703262
Preamble
Though I shamelessly use words from foreign languages as is, in situ in the text of the two series, I always try to make them self-explanatory from the context. Nevertheless, seeing that there are terms from Spanish, Romanian, Romani Jib (often), Gaelic (very rarely), Zulu and various other languages, I have been considering for a while including a glossary. However, since most of the first series is already published and internationally in circulation, the most practical way is to make this glossary available for free in various places so that people who really want to know, can add it to their book as they grab their copy.
Please note that none of these words are made up, as opposed to “neothixotropalene lubri-squatch” (motor grease), “compounding” (a widely-used plastic-like substance, vaguely organic with slightly uncanny overtones) and so on. The words in this glossary are used in languages today; the translation given is as at February 2016; should any of the words acquire politically abrasive meanings after this date, I do apologize for failing to see the future.
Here it is, hopefully complete enough to serve the intended purpose.
Romani terms:
Many thanks to my friends from Gypsychat who explained quite a bit of Romani to me. I miss you guys & girls. We had a lot of fun!
Gadje, gadjo, gadchey: Refers to a non-gypsy (plural, male and female respectively). Slightly derogatory association.
Gadzo, gadzi – Latin Rom: Ditto.
Kathal: Go well, go gently; can also mean farewell
Yoy, ih yoy: Exclamation of astonishment or annoyance, also of stress.
Romipen: The concept of a gypsy’s “gypsyness”, refers to the collective traditional values and codes. The Romipen is a fascinating concept and worth reading more about. Please feel free to consult Dr Google.
Drom: The roads. Also, the gypsy traditions and values and the eternal restlessness that lives in a gypsy’s blood.
She’enedra: Sister
Jelenedra : Little Sister
Hai: Yes
Hai shala: Do you understand? / Is that clear?
Ni: No
Shukar: Super!
Isda: Look!
Shay: Girl
Shebari: Young woman / bride
Shovihani / Shovani: witch
Manya: A clairvoyant woman
Voyda, voyvote: A clan leader (male)
Rom baro: “Big Man”, also a clan leader
Familia: The clan or tribe of gypsies that travels together; usually one single family.
Kumpania: A tribe of gysies, or a gathering of various familias.
Vesta, vetsa, vitsa: A family (as connected by name & blood, e.g. the Costellos). Sometimes a family from a specific location.
Con son: Who are you?
Mi sim a... : My name is...
ande...: from (place)... (e.g. “Mi sim a Paean, ande Irlandia.”)
Hokano baro: Big hoax. Refers to a prank a gypsy plays, usually on an unsuspecting gadjo.
Lalay: Alas!
Vyusher: Wolf
Shesti: Nonsense
Celtic terms:
Mo chroi: My darling
Ceilidh: (actually the Welsh spelling, Irish people tend to prefer Ceili): A musical event, usually with many amateur musicians joining in; also simply a party
Clarsach: Small Celtic harp
Bodhràn: Irish style portable drum
Bagpipes: Okay, you all know it’s been defined as a weapon of war. There was a family from whom 5 bagpipes were stolen. First suspects were the neighbours.
Tryst: While not a Celtic word (ancient English), it is outdated enough to be included here. A wedding or betrothal.
Failte: Welcome
Banshee: The Irish fairy that washes the clothes of the dead in a stream. She is said to sing – or wail, or even screech, but usually sing – under the window of a house in which there will be a death that night. A woman can be labelled a “banshee” if she has a habit of being difficult, fighting or screeching a lot.
Hungarian terms:
Da: Yes.
Igen: No
Romanian terms:
Atenţie: Alert; pay attention
Nu: No
Minunat: Excellent!
Poliţia: Police, policeman
Dulciuri: Sweeties, candy
La revedere: See you later / until we meet again
Nimic: Nothing. (Federi relies on others not to understand too exactly what he’s saying when he throws his languages around. It’s part of his personal hokano baro – teasing the gadje without them ever realizing it.)
“Southern Frisbean” (Southern Africa):
Ijuba: A home-brewed liquor
Mampoer: Another home-brewed liquor
“Ma brew”: My brother
Ubuntu: The concept of community and doing things for each other and for the good of the community.
Ishaya wena: I’ll “klap” you.
Klap: A resounding smack in the face, usually well-deserved.
Hamba khaya: Go home to your measly impoverished hut!
Buurtwag: Neighbourhood watch
Shongololo: A millipede – also a favourite nickname
Vlinder: Butterfly
Spanish / Latin-American terms:
Hola: Hello
La viuda de: The widow of
Payaso: Clown
Baboso: Idiot
Estupido: Stupid
Imbecile: Imbecile
Caramba: Exclamation of astonishment / disgust
Carajo: Strong exclamation of disgust
Gata: Cat (overtones of loose woman)
Pronto: Quickly, promptly (but you knew that!)
Basta: Interjection: Enough!
Hacienda: A mansion
Siesta: Midday break, often involves a nap.
Loco: Crazy. Locos: Crazy, referring to oneself (adjectives and names get an -s added to them when a person uses them to refer to himself. “I am locos Carlos.” - “Oh, hello, Carlo. Why are you loco?”)
Perdita: Name; meaning: Lost.
Perdonne: Excuse me
Habla Espagñol? Do you speak Spanish?
Hasta la vista: I’ll see you when I’ll see you / See you later.
Arrivederci: See you later.
Capitano: Captain
tortilla: Loose woman
cucaracha: Slave, undertones of harem girl
Felicidades: Congratulations
la superviviente de los Sanchos: The survivor of the Sanchos
bambino, bambina: Baby
Adios: Farewell.
Chale! : A fairly scathing term to show disagreement or disapproval of something or some idea. “No way!”, “Oh my God!”, “Yeah right!” and “whatever” can all be meant depending on situation and intonation.
cara mia: My beloved
Diablissimo: A Perdita-style twisting of “diablo” into an extreme form.
Diablo: Devil (exclamation means more or less “by the devil!”).
Madre: Mother
Madre de Diablo: Mother of the devil. Contrary to all intuition, if something is “madre” in Latin slang, it is disgusting, terrible and dirty. “Madre” is as bad a swearword when applied in context as some of our worst genital expressions in English. (Perdita really swears like a sailor!)
Miscellaneous:
“Sl
oosh”: A twisting of “Schluss”, German – meaning vaguely the same as ‘basta’.
“Oobermunsch”: A twisting of “Übermensch”, Hollywood term for a super-human, usually with reference to German gene tampering allegedly to have happened in the 3rd Reich.
Petites: (French) Little ones
Nyet (Russian): Nope!
Arrivederci (Italian): See you later.
Ave: Ancient Latin, meaning “I greet you”.
Bon apetit (French): Enjoy your meal. (“Wishing you a healthy appetite.”)
Sans (French): Without
“Figaro qua, Figaro la…” : Reference to the Rossini opera “Il Barbiere de Seville”. Figaro, the barber announces himself as the most important personage in the city (“Largo al factotum della Citta”) and sings how he jumps around meeting everyone’s demands (“Figaro here, Figaro there...”). (Go and listen to the aria. It is really worth the time. :-D )
Scheherazade: The Legend of 1001 nights. A young girl is captured and wed by a Mogul who is in the habit of wedding girls for only one night and decapitating them in the morning. This girl, Sheherazade, starts telling him stories and leaves the last one unfinished, so that in the morning, instead of decapitating her, he decides he needs to hear the ending of that story and lets her live for the next night. She repeats her strategy, and in fact repeats it for 1001 nights, after which the Mogul is thoroughly in love with her and has no more intention of killing her. Rimsky-Korsakov wrote the story into a lyrical orchestral piece by same name, with the first violin “telling” the part of the girl, Sheherazade. Of course Paean will have found it in the Sherman files and will be practising it.
