A àn vût il lôr ce fâ vuê di matine i pompîrs, doi mieçs lâts a fûc

Doi mieçs in flamis, a Vilès e Daviàn
Two vehicles in flames, in Vilès and Daviàn

Important Friulian words

• un mieç, vehicle
• un camion, truck
• un furgon, van  
• une autostrade, highway
  
• une flame, flame
• un fûc, fire
  
• un pompîr, fireman
  
• un vuidadôr, driver
• un autist, driver
• i socors, help, assistance
• un bosc, woods, forest
  

A àn vût il lôr ce fâ vuê di matine i Vigjii dal Fûc par cause di doi mieçs lâts a fûc — un furgon e un camion. Il prin câs a Vilès dilunc de autostrade A34 [A trentecuatri]: il vuidadôr si è inacuart che il so mieç al stave cjapant fûc e si è fermât daurman in bande de strade, par dopo clamâ i socors. Cuant che a son rivâts i pompîrs, il furgon al jere dal dut involuçât des flamis, che a stavin tacant ancje il vert in bande de strade. Pôc dopo, tor nûf mancul un cuart a Daviàn, dilunc de strade bande Plancjaval, al à cjapât fûc un camion. Intant che al stave fasint la strade in rive sù, l’autist al à viodût che dal denant dal mieç al vignive fûr fum. Parcât in bande de strade il camion e smontât adun cuntun altri coleghe, l’autist al à domandât daurman jutori, intant che chel altri om al cirive di studâ il fûc cuntun estintôr, ma cence rivâ a fâ masse. Cuant che a son rivâts i pompîrs di Pordenon, dute la cabine dal camion e jere za plene di flamis, ancje par cause di une pierdite di gasoli che al coreve sul asfalt e che al jere rivât fintremai tal bosc. I vigjii, in graciis di une autobote, a àn rivât a studâ il fûc blocant lis flamis prime che a tacassin il bosc.

The fire brigade had their hands full this morning due to two vehicles catching fire — a van and a truck. The first incident occurred in Vilès along the A34 highway: the driver noticed that his vehicle was catching fire and immediately pulled over to the side of the road, then called for help. When the firemen arrived, the van was completely engulfed in flames, which were also catching in the roadside vegetation. Shortly after, at about a quarter to nine in Daviàn, along the road towards Plancjaval, a truck caught fire. As he was going uphill on the road, the driver noticed smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. After parking the truck on the side of the road and getting out with another co-worker, the driver immediately requested assistance, while the other man tried to extinguish the fire with an extinguisher, but with little success. When the Pordenon firemen arrived, the entire truck cabin was already engulfed in flames, partly due to a diesel leak that was flowing onto the asphalt and had reached the nearby woods. The firemen, with the help of a water tanker, managed to extinguish the fire, stopping the flames before they could catch in the forest.

Hanno avuto il loro da fare questa mattina i Vigili del Fuoco a causa di due mezzi andati a fuoco — un furgone e un camion. Il primo caso... [Read an Italian and Friulian version side by side]

Friulian expressions and other usages

Vê il so ce fâ: to have one’s hands full, to have one’s work cut out. Examples: i pompîrs a àn vût il lôr ce fâ par cause des flamis (the firemen had their work cut out due to the flames); i carabinîrs a àn vût il lôr ce fâ par cause dai rapinadôrs (the carabinîrs had their hands full due to the robbers).

Tor nûf mancul un cuart: at about a quarter to nine. More examples: tor vot mancul un cuart (at about a quarter to eight); tor siet mancul un cuart (at about a quarter to seven); tor sîs e un cuart (at about a quarter past six); tor cinc e un cuart (at about a quarter past five).

In rive sù: uphill. Examples: al stave fasint la strade in rive sù (he was going uphill on the road); o ài cjaminât in rive sù (I walked uphill). Antonym: in rive jù. Examples: al stave fasint la strade in rive jù (he was going downhill on the road); o ài cjaminât in rive jù (I walked downhill). Also figuratively: une celebritât in rive sù (a celebrity on the rise); une celebritât in rive jù (a celebrity on the decline).

Studâ il fûc: to extinguish the fire; also used: distudâ il fûc. In the Dograva variant of Friulian, the word for fire is fôc, pronounced with a diphthong: fouc (sounds like foh-ook).

Adun cun: along with, together with. Also used: dutun cun. Examples: adun cui pompîrs (along with the firemen); dutun cuntun coleghe (together with a co-worker).

Al taiave la strade aes ambulancis juste pal gust di dâ fastidi

Une gnove pardabon fûr dal comun: a Pordenon al jere un om che, intant che al vuidave la sô machine, al taiave la strade aes ambulancis, juste pal gust di dâ fastidi. I vuidadôrs des ambulancis a jerin dispès costrets a fâ manovris improvisis par no lâi intor, cun pericul no dome pai sanitaris ma ancje pai malâts dentri des ambulancis. La buine gnove e je che l’om al è stât cjapât e identificât dai carabinîrs: si trate di un om di cuarantetrê agns, za cognossût aes fuarcis dal ordin. Dilunc de percuisizion de sô machine, a son stâts cjatâts ogjets doprâts par inceâ, come un pontadôr laser, e telefonins cun filmâts des sôs azions. L’om al è stât denunziât par interuzion di servizi public e violence privade.

A truly unusual piece of news: in Pordenon, there was a man who, while driving his car, would cut off ambulances just for the pleasure of causing annoyance. Ambulance drivers were often forced to make sudden manoeuvres to avoid colliding with him, putting not only the paramedics but also the patients inside the ambulances at risk. The good news is that the man has been caught and identified by the carabinîrs: he’s a forty-three-year-old man, already known to law enforcement. During a search of his car, items used to dazzle were found, such as a laser pointer, along with telephones containing videoclips of his acts. The man has been charged with interruption of public service and private violence.

Una notizia davvero fuori del comune: a Pordenone c’era un uomo che, mentre guidava la sua macchina, tagliava la strada alle ambulanze, solo per il gusto di dare fastidio... [Read an Italian and Friulian version side by side]

Friulian vocabulary

Taiâ la strade: passâ denant di cualchidun, obleantlu a ralentâ o a fermârsi (to pass in front of someone, forcing him to slow down or to stop). Esemplis: la machine mi à taiât la strade e o soi colât de biciclete (the car cut me off and I fell off my bicycle); la machine mi à taiât la strade e po e je scjampade vie lontane (the car cut me off and then took off into the distance).

Inceâ: svuarbâ pe masse lûs (to blind by excessive light). Esempli: la lûs de machine mi inceave (the light from the car was dazzling me). Svuarbâ: fâ deventâ vuarp (to cause to go blind).

Same examples in the Dograva variant of Friulian: la machina a mi à taiât la strada e i soi colât da la bicicleta; la machina a mi à taiât la strada e po a ei sçampada via lontana; la lûs da la machina a mi svuarbava.

Difese personâl: Cemût fasìno a savê se o vin denant di nô un fighter?

Read a text related to self-defence in Friulian

Difese personâl: Cemût fasìno a savê se o vin denant di nô un fighter? Cuatri elements di considerâju. Self-defence: How can we know if we’re dealing with a fighter? Four elements to consider.

O stin cuistionant cun cualchidun e la situazion e va di mâl in piês: pò ancje stâi che o tachìn a pacâsi intune barufe a pugns. Vino denant di nô un fighter? Varessino di frontâ cheste persone? Prin element: Par distingui ben se o vin denant di nô un aversari pericolôs, valadì un fighter, prin di dut o vin di cjalâi la posture, soredut i zenoi: sono plêats? Se a combati un om al è brâf, nol starà in pîts impicotît, e lis gjambis no saran tant che doi troncs; al contrari i zenoi a saran pleâts, e il fighter al sarà mobil e flessibil, par podê schivâ l’aversari e cjapâ pugns e sburtons cun stabilitât. I zenoi pleâts a son un campanel di alarme che o vin denant di nô un fighter. Secont element: lis spalis. Un fighter nol tignarà lis spalis bassis, ma impen lis spalis a saran tiradis sù un pôc, par podê vignî in difese dal barbuç. Cheste posizion plui alte des spalis i permet al fighter di tirâ pugns in maniere plui abile: un fighter cussì al à la difese personâl tal DNA. Tierç element: Il fighter al protezarà il barbuç. Al è improbabil che un om che ti sfide cul barbuç alt al sedi un fighter. Il fighter al sa ben che il barbuç al è un bersai une vore sensibil, alore lu tignarà bas. Cun di plui il fighter no ti cjalarà dal alt injù, ma ti cjalarà dal bas insù. Cheste maniere di cjalâ ti segnale une situazion di pericul: cun cheste voglade, il fighter ti sta butant un messaç clâr. Cuart element: il stât fisic dal om — cuel svilupât, nâs sfracaiât o stuart, orelis a cauliflôr. Chestis particolaritâts a vegnin dopo tantis oris di alenament. A rivuart des orelis a cauliflôr, chestis a vegnin dai tancj colps che a deformin la cartilagjin de orele.

We’re arguing with someone and the situation’s escalating: it may even be that we come to blows in a fist fight. Have we a fighter in front of us? Should we confront this person? First element: To determine if we’re dealing with a dangerous opponent, which is to say, a fighter, we must first observe his posture, especially his knees: are they bent? If a man is a skilled fighter, he won’t stand rigidly on his feet, and his legs won’t be like two trunks; on the contrary, his knees will be bent, and the fighter will be mobile and flexible, to be able to dodge the opponent and take punches or shoves with stability. Bent knees are an alarm bell that we’re facing a fighter. Second element: the shoulders. A fighter won’t keep his shoulders low; instead, they’ll be slightly raised, so as to come to the defence of his chin. This higher shoulder position allows the fighter to throw punches more skillfully: such a fighter has self-defence in his DNA. Third element: The fighter will protect his chin. It’s unlikely that a man who challenges you with his chin held high is a fighter. A fighter knows well that the chin is a very sensitive target, so he’ll keep it low. Additionally, a fighter won’t look down at you from above, but will look up at you from below. This way of looking signals to you a situation of danger: with this glance, the fighter’s sending you a clear message. Fourth element: The man’s physical condition — developed neck, flattened or crooked nose, cauliflower ears. These traits come from many hours of training. As for cauliflower ears, they result from the many blows that deform the ear’s cartilage.