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Kaliarda XXXI: Basic vocabulary
Next, I’m posting the function words of Kaliarda, and other classes of words that indicate how the language works:
Function words:
- altros
- other < Italian altro
- axatos
- this (Rom. kathe “here”; Greek a- “un-” + kate “that”?)
- emandes
- I, me, my (Rom. mande “me”); mandula (diminutive)
- esandes, suandes
- you, your (Rom. mande “me” + Greek esi “you”); sandula (diminutive)
- imandes
- we, us, our (< emandes)
- isandes
- you.pl, your (< esandes)
- karafundan
- roundabouts, in lower class suburbs (Turkish?)
- karbone
- together, both < Greek karbon “carbon copy” < French carbon
- kates
- that (Rom. kathe “here”)
- kate-dzorna, statuta-dzorna
- today: “this day”
- kontrodzorna
- tomorrow: “opposite day”
- pasioza-dzorna
- yesterday: “past day”
- katoplaka
- “down, to the ground” < “down” + plaka “slab; falling down”
- luaxatos
- that, that yonder (Italian/French là “there” + axatos?)
- me sik
- politely, gently (“with chic”); so, well
- dan
- he, pl. danakati “they.masc” (dan “he” + kate “that”?)
- duna
- she, pl. danakate “they.fem” (dan “he” + kate “that”?)
- duni
- it, pl. dunakata “they.neut” (duni + kate “that”?)
- dik!, dikos!, duak!
- look! < Romani
- dik
- opposite, next to; with definite article: “the one opposite” < Kaliarda dik! “look!” < Romani
- dikotos
- nearby < dik “look!” (i.e. “visible”)
- dopa
- after < Italian dopo
- dopa-kontrodzorna
- the day after tomorrow: “after opposite day”
- otros
- other < Spanish otro (if not French autre)
- uxu!
- hooray! bravo!
- upsa!
- hi! goodbye!
- paradik
- next to something opposite: para “next to” + dik
- pasioza-dzorna
- yesterday: “past day”
- prans
- nearby: French près “near”?
- privos
- mine < Italian privato “private”
- protoplaka
- up; first floor < “first” + plaka “slab; falling down”
- statuta-dzorna
- today: “this day”
- ta naka
- “don’t; without” < “the not”; e.g. ta naka brostoberde “without a deposit”, lit. “the not front-money”
- dzaka, dzakata
- as soon as, where, when, near, in front, here: Turkish çak “until”?
- dzus
- without < dzazo “to drive away, to go away” < Romani džav “to go”
- tsarðofatsa
- opposite: “house face”
- *kataxar
- opposite
- *katina
- down < unattested adjective katinos < kato “down”, formed by analogy with totinos “of that time” < tote “then”; hence also *katinotsarðo “down hut = brothel”, *katinoxaus “basement = down hole”
We have often mentioned how avelo (and its Dura Liarda variant vuelo) are characteristic of Kaliarda as light verbs. This is the full list of such verbs in Petropoulos:
- avele apokate
- come here!
- aveli ɡodorelia
- wind is blowing
- avelo etna, vuelo tnara
- to get a pimple
- avelo axalia
- to go on a diet
- avelo vakuloksekolupses
- to get divorced
- avelo violeta
- to give money, to pay
- avelo gazoza, vuelo gaza
- to have an enema
- avelo ɣorɣori
- to slap
- avelo ðantela
- to tie
- avelo ðiakona ston berde
- to beg, to ask for a loan
- avelo etruska
- to know Kaliarda (“to do Etruscan”)
- avelo kaniko
- to leave (“to do leg”)
- avelo kapi
- to feel up
- avelo katolia
- to cry
- avelo kloz
- to close < English close
- avelo kontieri, vuelo kontater
- to caress
- avelo kontratempo
- to press
- avelo kontrosol
- to kiss
- avelo kula,vuelo kul kul
- to defecate
- avelo kuselia
- to betray
- avelo kusumia
- to gossip, to badmouth
- avelo krakra
- to be thirsty
- abelo latsokazantia
- to be lucky (“to do good outcome”)
- avelo latso paɡro, vuelo tsopagra
- to comb (“to do good hair”)
- avelo luni
- to swim
- avelo marmaru
- to wait (“to do marble [statue]”)
- avelo musi
- to get angry (“to do beard/fake”)
- avelo bakalumo
- to ask
- avelo balomba
- to over-eat
- avelo baltadzu, vuelo baltes
- to be put to trial
- avelo berde
- to pay
- avelo berxama
- to argue
- avelo biesman, avelo biesmando
- to feel up
- avelo blado
- to have one’s period (“to do blood”)
- avelo bua
- to beep a car horn
- avelo but bairaktari
- to punish severely (“to do very Bairaktaris”, the notorious police chief of Athens)
- avelo but bon
- to explain (“to do [say] very well”)
- avelo boxikos
- to stink
- avelo bratelo, vuelo brates
- to feel up (“to put hand”, calque of Greek vazo xeri)
- avelo brostoberde
- to pay in advance
- avelo napses
- to gossip, to chat
- avelo niseste
- to have one’s period (“to have clothes”, calque of Greek exo ta ruxa mu)
- avelo normal
- to fall prone
- avelo dania
- to act coquettishly (“to do whorishness”)
- avelo dezi
- to be turned on
- avelo dup
- to beat up
- avelo duranasama
- to persevere
- avelo dreses
- to get dressed
- avelo ksekolupses
- to part with someone permanently
- avelo opsion berde
- to have cash (“to have money on-sight [pseudo-French]” < kataθesis opseos “deposit on sight”)
- avelo paketo
- to have a visible genital bulge (“to do package”)
- vuelo bagazi
- to have a visible genital bulge (“to do baggage”)
- avelo puf
- to take a drag of a cigarette
- avelo relo
- to fart
- avelo reta
- to fart
- avelo retali
- to give minimal assistance, to help unenthusiastically
- avelo rodosol
- to kiss, to lick
- avelo skriva
- to write
- avelo spasibes
- to escape
- avelo sfina
- to be accused
- avelo dzastiko, vuelo dza
- to leave
- avelo dzastiraxosekeri, avelo dzastiraxosolo
- to poison
- avelo dzasxalema
- to vomit
- avelo dzoka
- to play
- vuelo dzoka
- to kiss
- avelo dzuro
- to urinate
- avelo dzus lesi
- to wash
- avelo tula
- to be silent
- avelo tufes
- to sleep deeply
- avelo tromba
- to inject drugs
- avelo tsarðospasiba
- to expel
- avelo fasamenta
- to wear glasses
- avelo fiongo
- to have sex with a bottom I thought was a top
- avelo flokia
- to ejaculate
- avelo fromaz imitu
- to have a filthy penis (“to do Hymettus cheese”)
- vuelo ɣorɣodzes
- to have a filthy penis (“to do Gorgonzola”)
- avelo xus
- to hide
- vuelo ɡlasonia
- to wear glasses
- vuelo kanksero
- to go
- vuelo kelorosola
- to cry
- vuelo komunoskeli
- to have oneʼs period (“to have commie [red] legs”)
- vuelo kurunes
- to act dishonourably
- vuelo laxaniazozumi
- to ejaculate (“to do panting juice”)
- vuelo munopasxa
- to have one’s period
- vuelo blukru
- to be thirsty
- vuelo bubuni
- to fart
- vuelo ksplika
- to explain
- vuelo opia
- to pay
- vuelo ruzoskelo
- to have oneʼs period (“to have pink legs”)
- vuelo saliango
- to kiss (“to do snail/slime”)
- vuelo semelopiɣi
- to urinate (“to do penis water-spring”)
- vuelo silansioles
- to betray (< French silencieux “silent”)
- vuelo suzman
- to be angry (“to do nerves?”: susta “nerve”)
- vuelo traɣopurozumo
- to bless with holy water (“to do goat.old-man.juice = [bearded] priest water”)
- vuelo tremozumo
- to ejaculate (“to do trembling juice”)
- vuelo fakiropipiza
- to have an erection (“to do snake-charmer’s flute”)
- vuelo foria
- to pressure
- vuelo xalastra
- to beat brutally (“to do ruin”)
- vuelo xtipes
- to inject drugs (“to do hits”)
- *avelo pluts
- to be happy (“to do splash”)
- *avelo pluts tabako
- to get stoned (“to do splash cigarette” = “to be happy cigarette”)
- *avelo bubules
- to shoot (“to do boom-boom”)
- *avelo xuxules
- to be cold (“to do shiver”)
In a few instances, Kaliarda makes semantic differentiations between words that standard Greek does not:
- animalonionies
- brains (as food): “animal mind”—differentiated from nionio “brains”; both miala in mainstream Greek (but mainstream slang nionio “intellect” only means the latter)
- ɣudi
- wood (English wood), kariðosfino “walnut (wood) wedge”, differentiated from dup “beating”; both ksilo in mainstream Greek
- linga
- language < Italian lingua, differentiated from rosolo “tongue” < rosoli “saliva” < rosolio “rosewater liquer”; both ɣlosa in mainstream Greek
There is a massive list of schematic compounds in Kaliarda; I will cut it short at delta:
- aðerfokrazo
- to meow: “to cat shout”
- aðerfotrofi
- mouse: “cat food”
- aeragistro
- magnet: “air hook” (hooks iron in mid-air)
- aeranderizo
- to fart, to be indifferent: “to air intestines”
- aerokaro
- airplane: “air cart”
- ainstainotabletes
- logarithms, logarithm tables: “Einstein tablets”
- etnoxorxora
- measles: “pimple fire”
- akumbotsarðos
- neighbour: “touch house”
- almobiselu
- medium: “soul sleep chick”
- ambelobombitses
- dolmades: “vineyeard little bombs” (as they are round food wrapped in vineleaves)
- anemoviva
- soul: “wind life”
- anemomandosvuru
- windmill: “wind bread spinning-top”
- anemoselogugu
- medium: “wind sleep ghost chick”
- anderosvuru
- kokoretsi: “entrail spinning-top”
- adikotos
- distant: “un-seen”
- antikro
- TV set: “opposite”
- apoliazo
- to shut: “to [put] away from the sun”
- arapiki dzinavosini
- algebra: “Arabian cleverness”
- astedupuros
- director: “‘That’s how I want it!’ old man” < Arvanitika është dua “that’s how I want it” (also used in mainstream slang)
- astefanotekno
- born out of wedlock: “no [wedding] crown child”
- astrapopetra
- brilliant (diamond): “lightning stone”
- atmokazano
- railroad: “steam cauldron”
- atsarðo
- countryside: “houseless”
- afroɣuɣulfia
- rabies: “foam dog-ness”
- axalia
- diet: “un-eating”
- axatozo
- interior, Greece: “here-ness”
- axatobenama
- gesture, signal: “here saying” (“hither signal”)
- varonolemari
- necktie: “baron neck thing”
- vestitosenduko
- clothes trunk
- vivokokora
- fruit: “life mood”
- vivokarno
- calf: “live beef”
- viðobladorufa
- leech: “screw blood sucker”; bladorufa “blood sucker” is the cup used in cupping (βεντούζα)
- vinaroklina
- gargle: “drink clean”
- virdzinoskriva
- stenography: “virgin writing”
- vlaxomiziθra
- ricotta: “hillbilly cheese”
- vomvobenavo
- mumble, whisper: “buzz speak”
- voskoxala
- vegetables: “pasture food”
- ɣaletomandula
- biscuit: “rusk bread (diminutive)”
- ɣalokarna
- cow: “milk beef”
- ɣalofusku
- female breast: “milk balloon”
- ɣarɣarotekno
- sailor: “babbling [water] child”
- ɣatakia-lalis
- tender and faithful friend: “kitten jewel” (Turkish lâl)
- ɣatuloɣamulis
- tender lover: “kitten(-like) fucker (dimin.)”
- ɣenapaɡros
- beardless: “beard hairless”
- ɡlobaro
- to screw something, from globos “light bulb”
- ɡodaxali
- religious fasting: “god un-eating”, godaxalo “lenten food”
- ɡodoðiakonevo, ɡodozitianevo
- to pray: “god beg (as beggar)”
- ɡodoðula
- angel: “god slave”
- ɡodokontra
- Hell: “opposite god”
- ɡodoprezanta
- Epiphany: “god presentation”
- ɡodoprofesoros
- theologian: “god professor”
- ɡodotekno
- Jesus: “god child”
- ɡran-vakulodavadzis
- patriarch: “grand church pimp = grand archbishop”
- ɡran-vakulopuros
- bishop: “grand church old man = grand priest”
- ɡrifopsipsizo
- to scratch: “nail pussycat”
- ɡroso kanɡelokaro
- army tank: “large metal cart”
- ɡrosokuakis
- frog: “large quack” (note that the Greek onomatopoeia for frogs is koaks)
- ɣuɣuloxalo
- to bite: “wolf eat”
- ɣuɣulfakis
- dog: “little wolf”
- ɣulfobenavo
- to bark: “dog talk”
- ɣrasiðopaɡru
- cotton: “grass fleece”
- ɣiroɣalu
- fatty: “go-around milk” (alluding to churning milk)
- ɣirozaru
- casino: “go-around dice chick” (alluding to roulette)
- ɣirotera
- year: “go-around earth”
- ɣirofisu
- fan: “go-around blow chick”
- ɣirobukis
- generous party-goer: “fills (with food) those around”
- ðaxtilo
- piano: “finger chick”
- ðikeloɣonias
- cross-eyed: “looks corner”
- ðikelomantio
- window, cinema: “looks oracle” (because seeing through window or cinema lets you know something far from your physical presence?)
- ðikelomantopoðia
- curtain: “window apron”
- ðikelosvura
- dizziness: “looking spinning-top”
- ðikeloskales
- benches in stadium: “steps for looking”
- ðikelto
- eye: “seen thing”
- ðikeltu
- glance: “seen chick”
- ðiplomiliona
- million: “double thousand”
- ðiploroða, dubloroða
- bicycle: “double wheel”
Finally, this is the list of Kaliarda colour words:
- ɡrekos
- dark blue < “Greek” (national colour)
- kipi
- green: “garden-coloured”
- kuli
- beige, brown: “shit-coloured”
- blavos
- black < mainstream “bruised, black-and-blue” < Venetian blavo “blue”
- blakis
- black < English black
- nekri
- purple: “death-coloured” (purple is associated with funerals)
- neros
- black < Italian nero
- dareli
- yellow (< darela “gossip, nonsense”?)
- durosielo
- blue: “hard sky-coloured” (French ciel, used in Greek as a colour word)
- durosielo tis renas
- royal blue: “the queen’s blue”
- plereza
- black (usually in compounds) < Standard plereza “mourning veil” < French pleureuse
- rozi
- red: “rose coloured”. (In standard Greek, roz is borrowed from French rose and means “pink”)
- sielos
- pale blue < Italian cielo, French ciel “sky”; siel < ciel already means “pale blue” in Standard Greek
- xionis, xionikos
- white: “snow-coloured”
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