A Friulian soldier is missing in action in Ukraine. According to La Vôs dai Furlans:
Un soldât furlan al è sparît in bataie. Al è lât a combati in Ucraine e di lui no si sa plui nuie dai undis di Setembar. Il soldât al jere jentrât te brigade Azov, une des unitâts dal esercit ucrain. / Riferiment: La Vôs dai Furlans.
A Friulian soldier is missing in action (un soldât furlan al è sparît in bataie). He went to battle in Ukraine (al è lât a combati in Ucraine) and his whereabouts have been unknown (e di lui no si sa plui nuie) since the eleventh of September (dai undis di Setembar). The soldier had joined the Azov brigade (il soldât al jere jentrât te brigade Azov), one of the units of the Ukrainian army (une des unitâts dal esercit ucrain).
A çampe, la bandiere ucraine / A drete, la bandiere russe:
Friulian vocabulary
un soldât, a soldier
sparît, disappeared
une bataie, battle
combati, to battle
une brigade, a brigade
un esercit, an army
Friulian expressions
Di lui no si sa plui nuie: nothing more is known of him, which is to say, his whereabouts are unknown, he is missing. Learn also this formulation: il soldât che no si sa plui nuie di lui, which is to say, the soldier whose whereabouts are unknown, the soldier who is missing.
Sparît in bataie: disappeared in battle, which is to say, missing in action. The verb is sparî, meaning: to disappear. Al è sparît: he has disappeared.
Here now is part 3 in a series of entries about the Friulian expression ti vuei ben, which means I love you. You are encouraged to go back to the first two parts if you have not already read them, to set the stage now for a look at Friulian grammar. You will find the links to the previous two parts at the very end of this entry.
To say I love you in Friulian, we must be familiar with the conjugation of the verb volê. Only the present indicative will be discussed below to avoid overwhelm, but you can consult the entire conjugation here by typing volê into the search box; and should that link ever break, know that, at the time of writing, the link is also available through the Dizionari de lenghe furlane: look for Formari e cuadris flessionâi.
We begin with the present indicative. The singular forms are: o vuei (first person), tu vuelis/vûs (second person), al vûl (third person, masculine), e vûl (third person, feminine). The plural forms are: o volìn (first person), o volês (second person), a vuelin (third person).
When using the expression volê ben, remember that we must not use a direct object when speaking of the receiver of the love; we must instead use an indirect object. This is because the love is given UNTO the other person. As an example, to say I love him, we say: i vuei ben, using i not lu. The indirect objects in the singular are: mi (first person), ti (second person), i (third person). In the plural, the indirect objects are: nus (first person), us (second person), ur (third person).
To say I love you to just one person, we use: ti vuei ben. But if I love you is said to more than one person, a group of loved ones, then we use: us vuei ben. To say I love him or I love her, we use: i vuei ben, but if we want to say I love John or I love Mary, then we say: i vuei ben a Zuan, i vuei ben a Marie. To say I love them, we use: ur vuei ben; but to say I love John and Mary, we say: ur vuei ben a Zuan e Marie.
More examples: mummy, I love you (mame, ti vuei ben); daddy, I love you (pai, ti vuei ben); I love you, brother, but you are wrong to do that (ti vuei ben, fradi, ma tu âs tuart di fâ cussì); do you love someone? (i vuelistu/vûstu ben a cualchidun?); Mary loves her grandfather (Marie i vûl ben a so nono); I love my grandparents (ur vuei ben ai miei nonos); I love you all (us vuei ben a ducj vualtris); I love my son (i vuei ben a gno fi); I love my daughter with all my heart (i vuei ben a mê fie cun dut il cûr); I love my children (ur vuei ben ai miei fîs); we love our daughter (i volìn ben a nestre fie); I love my wife dearly (i vuei un ben di vite a la mê femine); she loves her husband dearly (i vuei un grant ben al so om).
The following mean the same thing: i vuei un ben di vite a Zuan; a Zuan i vuei un ben di vite, which is to say, I love John dearly. Similarly: i vuei un grant ben a la mê femine; a la mê femine i vuei un grant ben, which is to say, I love my wife dearly. Perhaps you are wondering how to tell if i vuei ben means I love him or I love her. Normally, the context will make this amply clear, with names having most likely already been mentioned in the conversation; however, if there truly were ambiguity, then the following can be said: i vuei ben a lui (I love him, it is him that I love), i vuei ben a jê (I love her, it is her that I love).
Below, Montreal. From 1 John 4.19: we love because he loved us first (nô o volìn ben parcè che lui nus à volût ben par prin).
Other good examples: John is my brother, whom I love dearly (Zuan al è gno fradi, che i vuei un ben di vite); Mary is my wife, whom I love dearly (Marie e je la mê femine, che i vuei un grant ben); you are my wife, whom I love with all my heart (tu tu sês la mê femine, che ti vuei ben cun dut il cûr); the Lord reproves whom he loves (il Signôr al rimprovere chel che i vûl ben); the Lord reproves us, whom he loves to the uttermost (il Signôr nus rimprovere, che nus vûl ben fin al colm); they love Friûl to no end (i vuelin ben al Friûl cence fin); you Friulians love the Friulian language (vualtris furlans i volês ben a la lenghe furlane).
To drive home the point in case there was any lingering doubt: you can use ti vuei ben with anyone to whom you would likewise say I love you in English. For now, this concludes the series about ti vuei ben. If any new material is created about it, links will be provided here. Thank you very much to Cole for his suggestion about exploring this question.
I leave you with the Friulian wording of psalm 18, verse 1:
Tu vuei ben, Signôr, che tu sês la mê fuarce. I love thee, Lord, for thou art my strength.
We began to explore the Friulian use of ti vuei ben (I love you) in part 1. Here now is part 2, where we continue with a song based on a poem about love for a little sparrow. It is unknown who the author of the poem is. The Friulian for swallow is the feminine noun cisile (ci-sì-le), and its diminutive is cisilute (ci-si-lù-te), meaning little swallow, but we hear Zardini sing sisilute, which is simply a variant pronunciation.
Je tornade primevere cul profum di mil odôrs dut il mont al mude ciere ducj a tornin i colôrs
Ancje tu tu sês tornade cisilute, ti vuei ben vorês dâti une bussade e tignîti sul gno sen
vorês dâti une bussade e tignîti sul gno sen
Dulà vatu, cisilute? no sta lâ lontan lontan fâs culì la tô cjasute di stecuts e di pantan
Reste pûr, reste poiade cisilute, su chel len vorês dâti une bussade e tignîti sul gno sen
vorês dâti une bussade e tignîti sul gno sen
1. Je tornade primevere (spring is returned) / cul profum di mil odôrs (with its thousand-scented perfume) / dut il mont al mute ciere (all the world is changing guise) / ducj a tornin i colôrs (all its colours are returning). // Notes: Je tornade, equivalent to: e je tornade. Ducj a tornin i colôrs: poetic word order, equivalent to: ducj i colôrs a tornin.
2. Ancje tu tu sês tornade (thou too art returned) / cisilute, ti vuei ben (little swallow, I do love thee) / vorês dâti une bussade (I should like to give thee a kiss) / e tignîti sul gno sen (and to keep thee on my breast). // Notes: As mentioned above, the standardised term for swallow is cisile (ci-sì-le) and its diminutive cisilute (ci-si-lù-te), but some speakers say sisile and sisilute; we hear Zardini sing sisilute. Vorês, equivalent to: o volarès.
3. Dulà vatu, cisilute? (whither goest thou, little swallow?) / no sta lâ lontan lontan (go not thou far far away) / fâs culì la tô cjasute (make thou here thy little house) / di stecuts e di pantan (of little sticks and mud). // Notes: Vatu, equivalent to vâstu. Cjasute (little house) is the diminutive of the feminine noun cjase (house). Stecut (little stick, twig) is the diminutive of the masculine noun stec (stick). In the singular, the final t of stecut is pronounced, but it drops before the final s of the plural. Both stecut and pantan and pronunced with tonic stress on the final syllable: ste-cùt, pan-tàn.
4. Reste pûr, reste poiade (stay oh stay, do rest) / cisilute, su chel len (little sparrow, on that bough) / vorês dâti une bussade (I should like to give thee a kiss) / e tignîti sul gno sen (and to keep thee on my breast).
I love you. How is this said in Friulian? This is part 1 of a series of entries on the subject.
The verb amâ means to love, so, to say I love you in Friulian, we should expect ti ami. But Fr. Antoni Beline, who was one of the translators of the Bible in Friulian, had this to say about it:
Poben un furlan gjenuin al doprarà la peraule amôr e i siei derivâts, come amâ e vie, mancul ch'al po o nancje mai, parcè che nô furlans, te nestre concrete e prosaicitât, no disìn ti ami, ma ti vuei ben, lant subit a la sostance de cuistion. E il bonvolê e je l'espression juste par fevelâ di chest motôr universâl.
[Now, a genuine Friulian will use the word amôr and its derivatives, like amâ and so on, as little as he can or even never, because we Friulians, in our concrete and prosaic nature, never say ti ami, but rather ti vuei ben, getting straight to the point. And benevolence is the right expression to speak of this universal driving force.]
Ti vuei ben. Beline asserts that, by way of this usage, the ever down-to-earth Friulian is able to get to the point. But what is this point that he speaks of? It is this, that if we mean to express love unconcerned with self, then we say ti vuei ben, for this is precisely what it so matter-of-factly expresses, without pretense: benevolent love for the other; and not only does it align with the Friulian temperament of straightforwardness, but, as we read below, it also expresses the sort of love that follows on from the model of love that Christ had for the Church.
Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians (chapter 5, verses 25-33), speaks of the duty of husbands and wives. Husbands are to love their wives with a selfless, sacrificial love, just as Christ loved the Church. And how did Christ love the Church? Christ gave Himself for Her, which is the strongest love possible. This is our model of conjugal love, and it is to this same degree that a husband ought to love his wife. This love which God requires of the husband for his wife is compensated for by the submission that He requires of the wife for her husband. The subjection of a wife to her husband is made easy by the Christ-like love that the husband has for her, which leads the husband to deny himself for her welfare. In Friulian, we read:
Oms, volêt ben a lis vuestris feminis come che Crist i à volût ben a la Glesie e si è ufiert par jê par fâle sante, smondeantle cu la purificazion da l'aghe compagnade de peraule, e par vê dongje di sè cheste Glesie, sflandorose, cence magle o grispe o alc altri dal gjenar, ma sante e imacolade. Cussì ancje i oms a àn di volêur ben a lis lôr feminis, come ai lôr cuarps. Chel che i vûl ben a la sô femine si vûl ben a sè: di fat nissun nol à mai odeade la sô stesse cjar; che anzit le nudrìs e le trate cun cure, come che al fâs ancje Crist cu la sô Glesie, parcè che o sin parts dal so cuarp. Par chel l'om al bandonarà so pari e sô mari e si tirarà dongje de sô femine e i doi a deventaran une cjar sole. Chest misteri al è grant: lu dîs sul cont di Crist e de Glesie. In ogni câs, ancje ognidun di vualtris al à di volêi ben a la sô femine come a sè e la femine e à di rispietâ il so om. / Efesins 5, versets 25-33.
Here we note that Beline used volê ben to render the concept of this selfless, sacrificial love: Just as Christ loved the Church (come che Crist i à volût ben a la Glesie) / so also ought men to love their wives (cussì ancje i oms a àn di volêur ben a lis lôr feminis).
In fact, volê ben is used throughout the scriptures: for love of God, spouse, parent, sibling, child; indeed for anybody with whom the bond of sacrificial love exists. Examples:
Jacop i voleve plui ben a Josef che no a ducj chei altris fîs. [Jacob loved Joseph more than all his other sons.] Gjenesi 37,3.
Ancje lis feminis in etât a àn di vê chel compuartament che si conven ai sants; no àn di jessi peteçonis, ni masse sclavis dal vin, ma pluitost mestris di bontât, par insegnâur a lis zovinis a vê sintiment, a volêur ben ai lôr oms e ai lôr fîs... [Likewise the aged women ought to have such behaviour as becometh saints; they ought not be gossips nor too enslaved to wine, but rather teachers of good, that they may instruct the young women to be wise, to love their husbands and children...] Tito 2,3-4.
Jonate, fi di Saul, i voleve un ben di vite a David. [Jonathan, son of Saul, loved David dearly.] 1 Samuel 19,1.
Jonate al tornà di gnûf a fâi zurâ a David, parcè che i voleve ben cun dut il cûr. [Jonathan made David swear again because he loved him with all his heart.] 1 Samuel 20,17.
Jesù i dîs a Simon Pieri: Simon di Zuan, mi vuelistu ben plui di chei chi? I rispuint: Sì, Signôr, tu sâs che ti vuei ben. [Jesus saith to Simon Peter: Simon of John, lovest thou me more than these? He respondeth to him: Yes, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.] Zuan 21,15.
Se un al disès: Jo i vuei ben a Diu, e al odeàs so fradi, al sarès un bausâr. Di fat chel che no i vûl ben a so fradi che lu viôt, nol pò volêi ben a Diu che no lu viôt. [If a man say: I love God, but he hateth his brother, he would be a liar. For he who loveth not his brother whom he seeth cannot love God whom he seeth not.] 1 Zuan 4,20.
La gracie che e sedi cun ducj chei che i vuelin ben al Signôr nestri Jesù Crist cuntun amôr sclet. [May grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with a sincere love.] Efesins 6,24.
There is also the example of where God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. God says to Abraham: Cjape sù to fi, che tu âs dome chel e che tu i vuelis un ben di vite, Isac... e tu mal ufrissarâs in sacrifici... [Take thy son, that thou hast only him and whom thou lovest dearly, Isaac... and thou shalt offer him to me in sacrifice...] Gjenesi 22,2.
Many more examples of the sort are to be found in the Bible in Friulian, but I think the point has been made.
Ti vuei un ben di vite. I love you dearly.
Ti vuei un grant ben. I love you dearly.
Ti vuei ben cun dut il cûr. I love you with all my heart.
Or just as Christ loved his own who were in this world (Zuan 13,1), we can love to the uttermost, or all the way:
Ti vuei ben fin al colm. I love you to the uttermost.
All this having been said, there are indeed examples of amâ in the Bible in Friulian. One of these is in the command to love one's neighbour: Tu amarâs il to prossim come te in persone (Levitic 19,18), meaning: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Here a broader, ethical love for neighbour is called for, whereas it is a Christ-like, sacrificial love in Ephesians and other examples above.
During Mass (intant de messe), the priest gives a homily (il predi al fâs une omelie), which is to say, a sermon (valadì un sermon). During the homily (intant de omelie), the priest speaks of the scriptures (il predi al fevele des scrituris), in particular, of the gospel (in particolâr dal vanzeli).
Last Sunday (domenie passade), here in Montreal (achì a Montreâl), our priest spoke to us not only of paradise (il nestri predi nus à fevelât no dome dal paradîs), place of eternal joy (lûc di gjonde eterne), but also of hell (ma ancje dal infier), place of eternal damnation (lûc di danazion eterne). The wicked will go to hell (i triscj a laran tal infier), into the eternal fire (tal fûc eterni). They will suffer the flames of hell (a patissaran lis flamis dal infier) and will not have rest (e no varan padin). They will not be able to die (no podaran murî) so as to avoid the flames (par podê scjampâ lis flamis). The righteous, on the other hand (i juscj invezit) will enter paradise (a jentraran tal paradîs). They will see the face of God (a viodaran la muse di Diu) and will have joy in heaven (e a varan la gjonde in cîl).
Lis flamis dal infier:
Intant de messe il predi al fâs une omelie, valadì un sermon. Intant de omelie il predi al fevele des scrituris, in particolâr dal vanzeli. Domenie passade, achì a Montreâl, il nestri predi nus à fevelât no dome dal paradîs, lûc di gjonde eterne, ma ancje dal infier, lûc di danazion eterne. I triscj a laran tal infier, tal fûc eterni. A patissaran lis flamis dal infier e no varan padin. No podaran murî par podê scjampâ lis flamis. I juscj invezit a jentraran tal paradîs. A viodaran la muse di Diu e a varan la gjonde in cîl.
There was a large brawl (e je stade une grande barufe) in a Pordenon street (intune strade di Pordenon) last Thursday (joibe passade) in the evening (sot sere). At least fifteen young people (almancul cuindis zovins) were involved (a son stâts cjapâts dentri). They came to blows (si son dâts jù), using even chairs (doprant ancje cjadreis). Numerous blood stains were left behind (a son restadis cetantis maglis di sanc) on the sidewalks/footpaths (sui marcjepîts). / Riferiment: La Vôs dai Furlans.
Maglis di sanc:
E je stade une grande barufe intune strade di Pordenon joibe passade sot sere. Almancul cuindis zovins a son stâts cjapâts dentri. Si son dâts jù, doprant ancje cjadreis. Sui marcjepîts a son restadis cetantis maglis di sanc.
Passât: last. Last Monday, last Tuesday... lunis passât, martars passât, miercus passât, joibe passade, vinars passât, sabide passade, domenie passade. Joibe, sabide and domenie are feminine; the others are masculine. Tonic stress: lùnis, màrtars, mièrcus, jòibe, vìnars, sàbide, domènie. Last week, last month and last year are: la setemane passade, il mês passât, l'an passât.
Une magle: a stain. Examples: a blood stain has been left behind on the ground (une magle di sanc e je restade par tiere); the shirt is full of oil stains (la cjamese e je plene di maglis di vueli); you have grease stains on your trousers (tu âs maglis di ont tai bregons).
Dâ jù: to punch. Example: that man punches hard (chel om al da jù fuart). Dâsi jù: to come to blows. Example: the youths started coming to blows, started beating one another up (i zovins a àn tacât a dâsi jù).
This morning (vuê di matine) a school bus collided with a car (un scuelebus si è dât dentri cuntune machine) in Trep Grant (a Trep Grant). After the impact (daspò dal bot), the public vehicle overturned (il mieç public si è ribaltât). Four of the children who were in the vehicle (cuatri dai fruts che si cjatavin tal mieç) were injured (a son stâts ferîts), but not in a serious way (ma no in maniere grivie). All the children (ducj i fruts) were able to exit the schoolbus (a àn rivât a saltâ fûr dal scuelebus) on their own (di bessôi). The parents are speaking of a miracle (i gjenitôrs a fevelin di miracul). / Riferiment: La Vôs dai Furlans.
Il scuelebus si è ribaltât:
Vuê di matine un scuelebus si è dât dentri cuntune machine a Trep Grant. Daspò dal bot, il mieç public si è ribaltât. Cuatri dai fruts che si cjatavin tal mieç a son stâts ferîts, ma no in maniere grivie. Ducj i fruts a àn rivât a saltâ fûr dal scuelebus di bessôi. I gjenitôrs a fevelin di miracul.
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Laudât seial Jesù Crist. Crist al disè: Veglait duncje, parcè che no savês in ce dì che al ven il vuestri Signôr. Tignît a ments chest: se il paron di cjase al savès in ce ore de gnot che al ven il lari, al veglarès e no si lassarès fiscâ la cjase. Par chel ancje vualtris tignîtsi pronts, parcè che te ore che no crodês al ven il Fi dal om.
Matieu XXIV,42-44
Praised be Jesus Christ (laudât seial Jesù Crist). Christ said (Crist al disè): Keep watch therefore (veglait duncje), for you know not (parcè che no savês) on what day your Lord is coming (in ce dì che al ven il vuestri Signôr). Bear in mind this (tignît a ments chest): if the master of the house knew (se il paron di cjase al savès) at what hour of the night the thief is coming (in ce ore de gnot che al ven il lari), he would keep watch (al veglarès) and would not let his house be plundered (e no si lassarès fiscâ la cjase). Therefore be you also ready (par chel ancje vualtris tignîtsi pronts), for at the hour that you think not (parcè che te ore che no crodês), the Son of man is coming (al ven il Fi dal om).
According to La Vôs dai Furlans (secont La Vôs dai Furlans), one year ago (un an indaûr) a computer hacker attempted to blackmail a youth (un pirate informatic al à cirût di ricatâ un zovin). The delinquent told the lad (il delincuent i à dit al fantat) that he had to give him a good deal of money (che al veve di dâi une biele sume di bêçs), otherwise he would have started making bomb threats (se no si sarès metût a fâ menacis di bombis) using the lad's name (doprant il non dal fantat) in an email sent to the police (intun messaç di pueste eletroniche mandât ae polizie).
The delinquent later sent the threatening message (il delincuent daspò al à mandât il messaç minatori) using the victim's name (doprant il non de vitime). In the message (tal messaç), the delinquent warned that there were two bombs (il delincuent al visave che a jerin dôs bombis) placed around the city (metudis ator pe citât) and asked for a great sum of money so as not to detonate them (e al domandave une sume fuarte di bêçs par no fâlis tonâ).
After the event (daspò dal fat), the lad's mother reported the blackmail attempt (la mari dal fantat e à denunziât il tentatîf di ricat). Investigators discovered who the computer hacker was (i investigadôrs a àn scuviert cui che al jere il pirate informatic), who was reported for attempted extorsion (che al è stât denunziât par estorsion tentade), impersonation (sostituzion di persone), causing alarm (alarme procurât) and slander (e calunie). The delinquent is now awaiting trial (il delincuent cumò al spiete il procès). / Riferiment: La Vôs dai Furlans.
Secont La Vôs dai Furlans, un an indaûr un pirate informatic al à cirût di ricatâ un zovin. Il delincuent i à dit al fantat che al veve di dâi une biele sume di bêçs, se no si sarès metût a fâ menacis di bombis doprant il non dal fantat intun messaç di pueste eletroniche mandât ae polizie. Il delincuent daspò al à mandât il messaç minatori doprant il non de vitime. Tal messaç il delincuent al visave che a jerin dôs bombis metudis ator pe citât e al domandave une sume fuarte di bêçs par no fâlis tonâ. Daspò dal fat la mari dal fantat e à denunziât il tentatîf di ricat. I investigadôrs a àn scuviert cui che al jere il pirate informatic che al è stât denunziât par estorsion tentade, sostituzion di persone, alarme procurât e calunie. Il delincuent cumò al spiete il procès.
Praised be Jesus Christ (laudât seial Jesù Crist). So does John close chapter twenty of his gospel (Zuan al siere cussì il cjapitul vincj dal so vanzeli): Jesus (Jesù), in the presence of his disciples (in presince dai dissepui), did many other signs (al fasè tancj altris spiei), which are not reported in this book (che no son ripuartâts in chest libri). These have been reported (chei chi a son stâts ripuartâts) that you may believe (par che o crodês) that Jesus is the Christ (che Jesù al è il Crist), the Son of God (il Fi di Diu), and, in believing (e, crodint), you may have life in his name (o vedis la vite tal so non).
Laudât seial Jesù Crist. Zuan al siere cussì il cjapitul vincj dal so vanzeli: Jesù, in presince dai dissepui, al fasè tancj altris spiei, che no son ripuartâts in chest libri. Chei chi a son stâts ripuartâts par che o crodês che Jesù al è il Crist, il Fi di Diu, e, crodint, o vedis la vite tal so non.
Un dissepul: a disciple. In the plural, this takes the form dissepui, which is the customary plural formation for a singular noun ending in a vowel + l. Other examples: arbul, arbui (tree, trees); nûl, nûi (cloud, clouds); cjaval, cjavai (horse, horses); riul, riui (stream, streams); baûl, baûi (boot/trunk, boots/trunks {of car}).
Un spieli: a sign, wonder. In the plural, this takes the form spiei, which is the customary plural formation for a singular noun ending in a vowel + li. Other examples: voli, voi (eye, eyes); vieli, viei (old man, old men); cjaveli, cjavei (strand of hair, all the hair on one's head); cerneli, cernei (forehead, foreheads). An exception: vueli, vuelis (oil, oils).
Ripuartâ: to report, to relate. Examples: the event has been reported by the newspaper (la vicende e je stade ripuartade dal gjornâl); John reported these signs in his gospel (Zuan al ripuartà chescj spiei tal so vanzeli).
Par che o crodês: that you may believe; present subjunctive, second-person plural. Two forms are possible in the present subjunctive: par che o crodês, par che o crodedis, with the first of the two taking the same form as the present indicative. Compare: you believe that Jesus is the Christ (o crodês che Jesù al è il Crist); that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (par che o crodês/crodedis che Jesù al è il Crist). / In the second-person singular: tu crodis (present indicative); par che tu crodis/crodedis (present subjunctive).
Par che o vedis: that you may have; present subjunctive, second-person plural. Two forms are possible in the present subjunctive: par che o vedis, par che o vebis. Compare: you have life in his name (o vês la vite tal so non); that you may have life in his name (par che o vedis/vebis la vite tal so non). / In the second-person singular: tu âs (present indicative); par che tu vedis/vebis (present subjunctive).
Another reading of these verses can be heard below, at minute 4.39, by a young lector:
On the ninth of September (ai nûf di Setembar), Udin Police arrested a man (la Polizie di Udin e à arestât un om) for illegal possession of two pistols and drugs (par detenzion ilecite di dôs pistolis e di droghe). The officers (i agjents), shortly after eight in the evening (pôc dopo des vot sot sere), attempted to inspect a man who (a àn cirût di controlâ un om che), as soon as he had seen them (a pene che ju veve viodûts), began to flee in his car (al à tacât a scjampâ cu la sô machine). The man (l’om), a sixty-one-year-old Italian citizen residing in another region (citadin talian di sessanteun agns che al è a stâ intune altre regjon), was hiding a semi-automatic pistol in the boot {trunk} of the car (al platave dentri dal baûl de machine une pistole semiautomatiche) with eight rounds in the magazine (cun vot colps tal cjariadôr) and its serial number erased (il numar di matricule scancelât). The search carried out afterwards in the room where he was staying (la percuisizion fate dopo inte cjamare indulà che al jere lozât) allowed for the discovery of another semiautomatic pistol (e à permetût di scuvierzi une altre pistole semiautomatiche), a quantity of cocaine (une cuantitât di cocaine) and a stash of money (e un grum di bêçs). / Riferiment: La Vôs dai Furlans.
Ai nûf di Setembar, la Polizie di Udin e à arestât un om par detenzion ilecite di dôs pistolis e di droghe. I agjents, pôc dopo des vot sot sere, a àn cirût di controlâ un om che, a pene che ju veve viodûts, al à tacât a scjampâ cu la sô machine. L’om, citadin talian di sessanteun agns che al è a stâ intune altre regjon, al platave dentri dal baûl de machine une pistole semiautomatiche cun vot colps tal cjariadôr e il numar di matricule scancelât. La percuisizion fate dopo inte cjamare indulà che al jere lozât e à permetût di scuvierzi une altre pistole semiautomatiche, une cuantitât di cocaine e un grum di bêçs.
Un agjent: an officer. This refers to an officer of the Polizie, not to one from the Arme dai Carabinîrs.
A pene che ju veve viodûts: as soon as he had seen them. The past participle, masculine plural, is in agreement with the direct object ju preceding it. Other examples: I saw him (lu ài viodût); I saw her (le ài viodude); I saw them (ju ài viodûts, lis ài viodudis; the choice here depends on whether we are speaking of males [ju] or females [lis]).
The news incident described below, which took place in Bevaçane di Lignan, was first presented here, but I am posting it again, this time with Friulian audio:
A young man on a bicycle was passing by a canal (un zovin in biciclete al passave dongje di un canâl) when a car hit him from behind (cuant che une machine lu à cjapât daûr). The car hit him so violently (la machine lu à pocât cussì fuart) that he fell into the canal (che al è colât tal canâl) and the bicycle got stuck to the front of the car (e la biciclete e je restade incjastrade sul denant de machine). Having removed the bicycle (tirade vie la biciclete), the driver took off at once (il vuidadôr si è slontanât daurman) without even helping the young man (cence nancje judâ il zovin).
Un zovin in biciclete al passave dongje di un canâl cuant che une machine lu à cjapât daûr. La machine lu à pocât cussì fuart che al è colât intal canâl e la biciclete e je restade incjastrade sul denant de machine. Tirade vie la biciclete, il vuidadôr si è slontanât daurman cence nancje judâ il zovin.
Praised be Jesus Christ (laudât seial Jesù Crist). Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk (daspò dal sassinament di Charlie Kirk), numerous people seem to be on the cusp of finding Christ (cetantis personis a somein jessi in ande di cjatâ Crist). Some of them have said that they want to believe in God (cualchidun di lôr al à dit che al vûl crodi in Diu), but that they don't know what they have to do in order to believe (ma che nol rive a capî ce che al à di fâ par podê crodi). If I had the opportunity to speak with them (se o ves la oportunitât di fevelâ cun lôr), I would tell them that this interior impulse of theirs (ur disarès che chest lôr impuls interiôr) is like a glimmer of light that has entered them (al è come une spere di lûs che e je jentrade dentri di lôr). If also you find yourself in this situation (se ancje tu tu ti cjatis in cheste situazion), what you can do now is easy but very important (ce che tu puedis fâ cumò al è facil ma une vore impuartant): pray God for faith in him (preâ Diu par vê fede in lui), even if you don't yet believe (ancje se no tu crodis ancjemò). A simple but direct prayer that you can pray every so often (une preiere semplice ma direte che tu puedis preâ ogni tant), secretly or even aloud (in segret o ancje a vôs): "God, increase my faith" («Diu, fâs cressi la mê fede»); or (o ben): "God, help my unbelief" («Diu, jude la mê pocje fede»).
Laudât seial Jesù Crist. Daspò dal sassinament di Charlie Kirk, cetantis personis a somein jessi in ande di cjatâ Crist. Cualchidun di lôr al à dit che al vûl crodi in Diu, ma che nol rive a capî ce che al à di fâ par podê crodi. Se o ves la oportunitât di fevelâ cun lôr, ur disarès che chest lôr impuls interiôr al è come une spere di lûs che e je jentrade dentri di lôr. Se ancje tu tu ti cjatis in cheste situazion, ce che tu puedis fâ cumò al è facil ma une vore impuartant: preâ Diu par vê fede in lui, ancje se no tu crodis ancjemò. Une preiere semplice ma direte che tu puedis preâ ogni tant, in segret o ancje a vôs: «Diu, fâs cressi la mê fede»; o ben: «Diu, jude la mê pocje fede».
In this lesson (in cheste lezion), you will read a paragraph (tu leiarâs un paragraf) taken from the book Uchì (gjavât fûr dal libri Uchì) by Alberto Luchini (di Alberto Luchini). Luchini uses the Friulian of Dograva (Luchini al dopre il furlan di Dograva), but you will read his words also according to the standard language (ma tu leiarâs lis sôs peraulis ancje daûr de lenghe comune).
1. Using the Friulian of Dograva (doprant il furlan di Dograva), Luchini writes (Luchini al scrîf):
Sentât su la puarta dal garâs ch’a mena tal ort, il veçu al lei il giornâl, ch’a lu lassin in pâs dome parsè ch’a no san dulà ch’al è. Nol è ch’al çati alc ch’a j interessi, lu fa dome parsè ch’al è bituât. Nol rivarès a misdì sensa vêlu let. Ogni dì, ença di domenia, ch’a lu taca dopo messa e lu finìs tal dopomisdì.
Sitting at the garage door that leads to the garden, the old man reads the newspaper, whom they leave alone only because they don’t know where he is. It’s not that he finds something that interests him; he does it just because he’s used to it. He wouldn’t make it to noon without having read it. Every day, even on Sundays, when he starts it after Mass and finishes it in the afternoon.
Un veçu ch’al lei il giornâl:
2. And now according to the standard language (e cumò daûr de lenghe comune):
Sentât su la puarte dal garage che al mene tal ort, il vecjo al lei il
gjornâl, che lu lassin in pâs dome parcè che no san dulà che al è. Nol è
che al cjati alc che i interessi, lu fâs dome parcè che al è abituât.
Nol rivarès a misdì cence vêlu let. Ogni dì, ancje di domenie, che lu
tache dopo messe e lu finìs tal dopomisdì.
Se il mont us odee, o vês di savê che prin di vualtris mi à odeât me. Se o fossis dal mont, il mont i volarès ben a ce che al è so. Invezit pal fat che vualtris no sês dal mont, ma jo us ài sielzûts dal mont, il mont us odee. Visaitsi de peraule che us ài dite: Nissun servidôr nol è plui grant dal so paron. Se mi àn perseguitât me, us perseguitaran ancje vualtris. Se a àn metude in pratiche la mê peraule, a metaran in pratiche ancje la vuestre. Ma us fasaran a vualtris dutis chestis robis par colpe dal gno non, parcè che no cognossin chel che mi à mandât.
Zuan XV,18-21
laudât seial Jesù Crist: praised be Jesus Christ / Crist al disè: Christ said / se il mont us odee: if the world hate you / o vês di savê che prin di vualtris mi à odeât me: you must know that before you it hated me / se o fossis dal mont: if you were of the world / il mont i volarès ben a ce che al è so: the world would love what is its own / invezit pal fat che vualtris no sês dal mont: but because you are not of the world / ma jo us ài sielzûts dal mont: but I have chosen you out of the world / il mont us odee: the world hateth you / visaitsi de peraule che us ài dite: remember the word that I have said to you / nissun servidôr nol è plui grant dal so paron: no servant is greater than his master / se mi àn perseguitât me: if they have persecuted me / us perseguitaran ancje vualtris: they will persecute also you / se a àn metude in pratiche la mê peraule: if they have put into practice my word / a metaran in pratiche ancje la vuestre: they will put into practice also yours / ma us fasaran a vualtris dutis chestis robis par colpe dal gno non: but all these things they will do to you for the sake of my name / parcè che no cognossin chel che mi à mandât: because they know not him who sent me.
Chest al è il gno comandament: che si voledis ben un cul altri, come che jo us ài volût ben a vualtris. Nissun nol à un afiet plui grant di chel che al da vie la sô vite pai siei amîs.
Zuan XV,12-13
laudât seial Jesù Crist: praised be Jesus Christ / Crist al disè: Christ said / chest al è il gno comandament: this is my commandment / che si voledis ben un cul altri: that you love one another / come che jo us ài volût ben a vualtris: as I have loved you / nissun nol à un afiet plui grant: no man hath a greater love / di chel che al da vie la sô vite: than he who layeth down his life / pai siei amîs: for his friends.
In Pordenon (a Pordenon), as the owners of a house (intant che i parons di cjase) were busy grocery shopping (a jerin a fâ la spese), robbers forced the window (i laris a àn sfuarçât il barcon) and stole a gold watch (e a àn puartât vie un orloi di aur). When the owners got back home (cuant che i parons a son tornâts a cjase), they found everything upsidedown (a àn cjatât dut sotsore). / Riferiment: La Vôs dai Furlans.
Une cjamare dute sotsore:
Un paron: an owner, master. Examples: the owner of the car (il paron de machine); un paron di cjase (a house owner); il paron dal cjan (the dog's master). Paron is pronounced with stress on the final syllable: paròn.
Fâ la spese: to do the grocery shopping. Examples: I am going grocery shopping (o voi a fâ la spese); she has gone grocery shopping (e je lade a fâ la spese).
Sfuarçâ: to force. Examples: the thief forced the bike lock (il lari al à sfuarçât il lochet de bici); robbers forced the window (i laris a àn sfuarçât il barcon). Barcon is pronounced with stress on the final syllable: barcòn.
Un orloi: a watch. Examples: my watch is slow (il gno orloi al è indaûr); I have to wind the watch every so often (o ài di tirâ sù l'orloi ogni tant); the thieves stole a valuable watch (i laris a àn puartât vie un orloi di valôr).
Puartâ vie: literally, to take away; but also: to steal. Examples: the officers took the robber away (i agjents a àn puartât vie il lari); robbers have stolen a valuable painting (i laris a àn puartât vie un cuadri di valôr); cancer took him away in eight months (il cancar lu à puartât vie in vot mês). Cancar is pronounced with stress on the first syllable: càncar.
Sotsore: literally, upsidedown; but also: messy. Examples: the photo was framed upsidedown (la foto e je stade incurnisade sotsore); une cjamare dute sotsore, une stanzie dute sotsore (a very messy room). Both cjamare and stanzie are pronounced with stress on the first syllable: cjàmare, stànzie. Cjamare typically identifies a bedroom, whereas stanzie is broader and can identify any room. For bedroom, we can also say: cjamare di durmî. Sotsore = par aiar (literally, in the air). Example: after having scattered everything in the room, the robbers found a valuable watch (dopo di vê butât dut par aiar inte cjamare, i laris a àn cjatât un orloi di valôr). Another example: to turn the house upsidedown (butâ sotsore la cjase, butâ par aiar la cjase).
Read in Friulian:
Intant che i parons di cjase a jerin a fâ la spese, i laris a àn sfuarçât il barcon par podê jentrâ inte cjase. Dopo di vê butât dut par aiar intune cjamare, i laris a àn puartât vie un orloi di valôr. Cuant che i parons a son tornâts a cjase, a àn cjatât dut sotsore.
In the videoclip below (tal filmât chi sot), a young lector reads a chapter of the Bible (un zovin letôr al lei un cjapitul de Bibie), but we will examine just one of the verses (ma o esaminarìn dome un dai versets), the one that he reads at the third minute (chel che al lei al tierç minût):
T 3.00
Tu varâs malatiis orendis, un mâl tai intestins che ti fasarà saltâ fûr i budiei tal zîr di doi agns. / II Cronichis XXI,15.
Thou shalt have (tu varâs) dreadful illnesses (malatiis orendis), an ailment in the intestines (un mâl tai intestins) that shall make your bowels come out (che ti fasarà saltâ fûr i budiei) in the space of two years (tal zîr di doi agns).
Une malatie: a malady, illness, sickness, ailment. This word has four syllables, with tonic stress pronounced on the second-to-last: ma | la | tì | e.
Orent: horrendous, dreadful, terrible, horrible. The four forms of this adjective are: orent (masculine singular); orents (masculine plural); orende (feminine singular); orendis (feminine plural).
Un intestin: an intestine. This word has three syllables, with tonic stress falling on the last: in | tes | tìn.
Un mâl: a malady, illness, sickness, ailment. In the plural: i mâi.
Un budiel: a bowel, a gut. Tonic stress is on the final syllable: bu | dièl. In the plural: i budiei. For example, to speak of gutting a chicken, use: gjavâi i budiei al poleç; literally, to remove the guts {from} unto the chicken.
Saltâ fûr: to come out. Fâ saltâ fûr: to make to come out, to cause to come out. Ti fasarà saltâ fûr i budiei: literally, it will make the bowels come out {from} unto thee. The Friulian wording is not formal; it is equivalent to: it will make your bowels come out, of modern English.
Un an: a year. In the plural: i agns. To pronounce agns, first say this English word: I. Pronounce it slowly, and you will hear that it sounds like ah-ee. In Friulian, this ah-ee sound is written ai. Now attach the sound of nts to this ai, so that we have what sounds like aints.
Un zîr: a circuit, a round, a cycle. Tal zîr di doi agns: in the space of two years. We hear the lector pronounce zîr similarly to the English word jeer, but with the Friulian r. You can repeat after the lector to pronounce tal zîr di doi agns.
In the Friulian language (in lenghe furlane), the word dongje means (la peraule dongje e vûl dî): by, beside, alongside, next to. For example (par esempli), we have read that a young cyclist (o vin let che un zovin ciclist) fell into a canal by the road (al è colât intun canâl dongje de strade), after having been struck by a hit-and-run driver (dopo di jessi stât pocât di un pirate de strade).
Using the word dongje (doprant la peraule dongje), we can also say in Friulian (o podìn ancje dî par furlan): I was walking alongside him (i cjaminave dongje); he made me go next to him (mi à fat lâ dongje di lui); il canâl al cor dongje de strade (the canal runs next to the road); he slipped beside a torrent (al è sbrissât dongje di un torint); I left the wet towel by the fire (o ài lassât il suieman bagnât dongje dal fûc) and so on (e cussì vie).
In the standard language (te lenghe comune), the pronunciation of this word is (la pronunzie di cheste peruale e je): dongje. In the videoclip below (tal filmât chi sot), the lector uses this pronunciation at minute 0.28 and at minute 2.27 (il letôr al dopre cheste pronunzie al minût 0.28 e al minût 2.27); however (ma però), not all Friulians say this word like that (no ducj i furlans a disin cussì cheste peraule). At minute 2.41 (al minût 2.41), this same lector uses another pronunciation (chest stes letôr al dopre une altre pronunzie): dongie. It would appear (al somearès) that this lector’s usual pronunciation (che la pronunzie abituâl di chest letôr) is that of (e sedi chê di): dongie.
A third pronunciation of the word is possible (une tierce pronunzie de peraule e je pussibile): dongia. For example (par esempli), using the Friulian of Dograva (doprant il furlan di Dograva), we can say (o podìn dî): i ài lassât il suiaman bagnât dongia dal fôc, which means (che al vûl dî): I left the wet towel by the fire.
All the variants (dutis lis variantis) that we read below (che o leìn chi sot) are possible in the Friulian language (a son pussibilis in lenghe furlane):
o ài lassât / i ài lassât il suieman bagnât / il suiaman bagnât dongje / dongie / dongia dal fûc / dal fôc
To tell the truth (par dî il vêr), another possibility is (une altre pussibilitât) is that of saying (e je chê di dî): dongjo. For example (par esempli), they speak like that at For Davuatri (a fevelin cussì a For Davuatri), in Carnia (in Cjargne). But that’s enough for now (ma per cumò vonde cussì), let’s stop there (fermìnsi culì)!
--
Final remark: What is described above falls under the broader theme of the pronunciation of gj in Friulian, or the absence thereof in certain variants: it is not only the word dongje that is affected. Take for example the feminine noun gjambe (leg). A Friulian who says dongje will also say gjambe; but if he says dongie, then he will say giambe; and if he says dongia, then he will say giamba; and if he says dongjo, then he will say gjambo. We sometimes hear unexpected variation in a lector’s pronunciation during the readings of the Bible; this is due to hesitation on the part of the lector between (a) using his native pronunciation or (b) spontaneously but inconsistently modifying his pronunciation to align with the standard spelling used in the text from which he is reading.
Yesterday we read (îr o vin let) about the despicable behaviour (dal compuartament ignobil) of a hit-and-run driver (di un pirate de strade) in Bevaçane di Lignan (a Bevaçane di Lignan) who ran into a young cyclist (che al à pocât un zovin ciclist).
Due to having hit him from behind (par vie di vêlu cjapât daûr), the car sent the young man flying (la machine al à fat svolâ il zovin) into the canal alongside the road (intal canâl dongje de strade). The driver did not help the young man (il vuidadôr nol à judât il zovin), but (ma), before hightailing it out of there (prin di scjampâ a ruede lavade), he made sure to pull off the young man’s bike (al à viodût di tirâ vie la bici dal zovin) which had got stuck to the car’s bumper (che e jere restade incjastrade intal parecolps de machine).
Good news (buine notizie): the hit-and-run driver has been caught (il pirate al è stât cjapât). A witness helped law enforcement (un testemoni al à judât lis fuarcis dal ordin) to identify the driver (a identificâ il vuidadôr), and video footage from cameras (e i filmâts des telecjamaris) had picked up the number plate of the car (a vevin cjapât sù il numar di targhe de machine). The hit-and-run driver is a sixty-three year old man (il pirate al è un om di sessantetrê agns). / Riferiment: La Vôs dai Furlans.
Un pirate de strade al è un automobilist che no si ferme a judâ daspò di vê fat un incident stradâl. Chi sot o viodìn un om che al è stât cjapât sot di un pirate. Al è stât ferît in maniere grave.
Un zovin: a lad, a young man. As has been mentioned elsewhere, Friulians do not all pronounce the letter z in the same way. For some, it sounds like English j, whereas for others it sounds like English z. Moreover, the word zovin ends in the sound of ŋ, which is the sound heard in English words such as hang, ring, long, nothing and so on. This means that, using approximated English spellings, zovin is pronounced either jòving or zòving.
In the variant of Friulian spoken at Dograva, the sound of English z is used in zovin. At Dograva, we can say: il zovin al è colât ta un canâl dongia da la strada, which means: the young man fell into a canal beside the road. In the standard language, we should rather have: il zovin al è colât intun canâl dongje de strade, where zovin may take either the sound of English j or English z, depending on the speaker. Note also the difference between dongje (standard) and dongia (Dograva). The Dograva form dongia takes the sound of English j.
The notes above about the pronunciation of z do not apply to the -zion ending. The z here sounds either like ts or ss. For example, the feminine nouns stazion and informazion, which mean station and information, are pronounced by some speakers as statsiòn and informatsiòn, and by others as stassiòn and informassiòn. These latter pronunciations are what we hear at Dograva.
Restâ incjastrât: to get stuck. We can say: la bici e je restade incjastrade intal parecolps, which means: the bike got stuck to the bumper; and we can also say: la bici e je restade incjastrade sul denant de machine, which means: the bike got stuck to the front of the car. Whereas the feminine noun biciclete means bicycle, the shortened form bici is also used, and aligns with English bike. An example: doi zovins in bicicleta (two lads on bicycles); doi zovins in bici (two lads on bikes).
Another cyclist (un altri ciclist) has been struck by a car (al è stât tamponât di une machine). Last time (la ultime volte), the cyclist was an elderly man of eighty-eight years of age (il ciclist al jere un vieli di otantevot agns); he died on account of his injuries (al è muart par vie des feridis). This time (cheste volte), the cyclist is a young man (il ciclist al è un zovin) of twenty-one years of age (di vincjeun agns). Here is what happened (ve ce che al è sucedût):
In Bevaçane di Lignan (a Bevaçane di Lignan), a young man was riding along a road (un zovin al stave lant dilunc di une strade) next to a canal (dongje di un canâl). A car hit him from behind (une machine lu à cjapât daûr). The car struck him so violently (la machine lu à pocât cussì fuart) that he fell into the canal (che al è colât intal canâl), and the bicycle got stuck to the bumper of the car (e la biciclete e je restade incjastrade intal parecolps de machine). The driver pulled it off the bumper (il vuidadôr le à tirade vie dal parecolps) and then took off (e po si è slontanât) without even helping the young man (cence nancje judâ il zovin)!
On the left, the road (a çampe, la strade); on the right, the canal (a drete, il canâl):
A gentleman who was passing by (un siôr che al passave di chês bandis) raised the alarm (al à dât l’alarme): the firemen arrived (a son rivâts i pompîrs), and they got the young man out of the water (e a àn puartât fûr de aghe il zovin), who was taken to hospital by helicopter (che al è stât puartât in ospedâl cul elicotar).
Law enforcement (lis fuarcis dal ordin) are looking for the hit-and-run driver (a stan cirint il pirate de strade). / Riferiment: La Vôs dai Furlans.
Tamponâ, pocâ: to strike, to hit. Examples: the cyclist was struck from behind (il ciclist al è stât pocât daûr); the driver hit a van (il vuidadôr al à tamponât un furgon); trê machinis si son tamponadis (three cars ran into each other); according to road rules, whoever hits from behind pays for damages (daûr dal codiç de strade cui che al poche daûr al paie i dams). Related: lâ a sbati. Examples: the driver crashed into a pole (il vuidadôr al è lât a sbati cuintri di un pâl); the car hit a tree (la machine e je lade a sbati cuintri di un arbul).
Un pirate (de strade): a hit-and-run driver. Examples: the hit-and-run driver has not been identified (il pirate de strade nol è stât identificât); the hit-and-run driver ran over a pedestrian (il pirate al à tirât sot un pedon); the elderly man was run over by a hit-and-run driver (il vieli al è stât cjapât sot di un pirate).
On the first of September (al prin di Setembar), in Purcie (a Purcie), an elderly man of eighty-eight years of age (un vieli di otantevot agns) was out riding his bicycle (al faseve un zîr in biciclete).
A few metres away from his home (a pôcs metris di cjase sô), he was struck head on (al è stât cjapât in plen) by a car (di une machine). The woman who ran him over (la femine che lu à cjapât sot) said that she had not seen him (e à dit di no vêlu viodût).
Emergency department admission (acetazion dal pront socors):
The helicopter came to rescue the elderly man (al è rivât l’elicotar par socori il vieli), but because of the bad weather (ma par vie dal maltimp), it could not land without difficulty (nol à podût cjapâ tiere cence dificoltât). The man died (l’om al è muart) in Pordenon hospital (tal ospedâl di Pordenon). / Riferiment: La Vôs dai Furlans.
Un zîr: a circuit, a round, a cycle. Examples: I went for a bike ride (o ài fat un zîr in bici); we went for a stroll through the city centre (o vin fat un zîr pal centri); I visited all the shops to find these shoes (o ài fat il zîr des buteghis par cirî chestis scarpis); the second stage of the Giro d’Italia (la seconde tape dal Zîr di Italie); tal zîr di vot dîs (in the space of eight days).
In the older version of the Bible in Friulian, zîr (sounds like English jeer for some Friulians or like English zeer for others) was spelt gîr (sounds like English jeer), reflecting the translators’ pronunciation preference. In the newer version of the Bible, the spelling is changed to zîr throughout, which can take either pronunciation, given that Friulian z is pronounced by some Friulians like an English j and by others like an English z. As for the -zion ending, the z is pronounced by some Friulians like ts and by others like ss.
A few days ago (cualchi dì indaûr), we read together (o vin let insiemi) a verse drawn from the gospel of Matthew (un verset gjavât fûr dal vanzeli di Matieu) in the Friulian language (in lenghe furlane). This verse (chest verset) was verse fourteen (al jere il verset cutuardis) of the fifth chapter (dal cuint cjapitul), where Christ says (dulà che Crist al dîs): “You are the light of the world (vualtris o sês la lûs dal mont); a city set upon a mount (une citât metude suntune mont) cannot remain hidden (no pò restâ platade).”
Verset tredis - T 1.15 Verset cutuardis - T 1.28
Let’s listen together (scoltìn insiemi) also to the preceding verse (ancje il verset prin), which is verse thirteen (che al è il verset tredis), where Christ says (dulà che Crist al dîs): “You are the salt of the earth (vualtris o sês il sâl de tiere); but if the salt becomes tasteless (ma se il sâl al devente lami), wherewith shall one salt (cun ce si varaial di salâ)? It will no longer be good for anything (nol sarà plui bon par nuie), except to be thrown out (dome di jessi butât vie) and trampled upon by people (e tibiât de int).”
If a thing is insipid (se une robe e je lamie), then that thing has no flavour (alore chê robe no à savôr). For instance (par esempli), if a broth has no flavour (se un brût nol à savôr), the broth is tasteless (il brût al è lami). We can also use this word (o podìn ancje doprâ cheste peraule) in a figurative way (in maniere figurative). For instance (par esempli), a newspaper article devoid of interest is insipid (un articul di gjornâl cence interès al è lami); and a person devoid of personality is also insipid (e une persone cence personalitât e je lamie ancje jê). If a punishment lacks strength (se une punizion no à fuarce), then that punishment is soft (alore chê punizion e je lamie).
articul lami articui lamis
punizion lamie punizions lamiis
Verses thirteen and fourteen (i versets tredis e cutuardis) form part of the sermon on mount (a formin part dal discors de mont), which was delivered by Christ on a hill (discors fat di Crist suntun çuc).
Two days ago (doi dîs indaûr), a young man of twenty years of age (un zovin di vincj agns) died in a motorcrash (al è muart intun incident stradâl). The accident took place (l’incident al è sucedût) at the break of day (sul cricâ dal dì) in Pasian di Prât (a Pasian di Prât).
La machine e je lade a sbati cuintri di un camion:
The car driven by the young man (la machine vuidade dal zovin) had veered into the oncoming lane (si jere spostade su chê altre corsie). It is not known (no si sa) if the accident occurred (se l’incident al è sucedût) due to nodding off to sleep (par un colp di sium) or because of a fit of pain (o par un mâl). The car collided (la machine e je lade a sbati) with a lorry (cuntun camion).
Up until two years ago (fin a doi agns indaûr), the young man had played football as a goalkeeper (il zovin al veve zuiât di balon tant che portîr). He was a good lad (al jere un brâf fantat), full of drive (plen di voie di fâ). Great mourning (grant corot) for the death of the young man (pe muart dal zovin). / Riferiment: La Vôs dai Furlans.
Sul cricâ dal dì: very early in the morning (une vore adore a matine). I start work at the crack of dawn (o tachi a vore sul cricâ dal dì); I wake up at the break of day (o jevi sul cricâ dal dì).
Une corsie [cor | sì | e]: a lane. The overtaking lane (la corsie di sorpàs); the oncoming lane (la corsie contrarie, chê altre corsie); the driver went into the oncoming lane (il vuidadôr al è lât in chê altre corsie).
Un colp di sium: a fit of sleep, a sudden onset of sleep. After eating supper I dozed off (dopo cene mi è vignût un colp di sium); the driver went off the road because he had dozed off (il vuidadôr al è lât fûr di strade par un colp di sium).
The police officers of Udin will be on strike (i polizais di Udin a saran in siopar) the entire day of Sunday 21 September (domenie ai 21 di Setembar par dute la zornade) and until Monday 22 for those who work the night shift (e fintremai a lunis 22 par chei che a son a vore tal turni di gnot). / Riferiment: La Vôs dai Furlans.
21 (vincjeun) / 22 (vincjedoi) / on 21 September (ai 21 di Setembar) / on Sunday 21 September (domenie ai 21 di Setembar) / until Monday (fintremai a lunis).
Officers of the local Police of Udin (i agjents de Polizie locâl di Udin) will be on strike (a saran in siopar) for the entire day of Sunday (par dute la zornade di domenie). Those who work (chei che a son a vore) on the night shift (tal turni di gnot) will be on strike until Monday (a saran in siopar fintremai a lunis).
un siopar [siò | par]: a strike. Definizion: astension dal lavorâ, fate di plui lavoradôrs par difindi interès e obietîfs sociâi, economics o politics. / to be on strike (jessi in siopar) / to go on strike (lâ in siopar). To hear the word siopar pronounced, listen to this news report in Friulian; the word is pronounced at 3.31.
The officers are on strike (i agjents a son in siopar). The officers will be on strike (i agjents a saran in siopar). The agents will go on strike (i agjents a laran in siopar). The officers went on strike (i agjents a son lâts in siopar).
un turni [tùr | ni]: a shift. Definizion: ogni dade di timp che si divît une ativitât lavorative. / a six-hour shift (un turni di sîs oris) / I have finished my shift (o ài finît il gno turni) / the night shift (il turni di gnot) / I work the night shift (o soi a vore tal turni di gnot).
A question was received regarding Matthew 5.14, in Friulian. This verse is part of the sermon on the mount, which in Friulian takes the name: il discors de mont (literally, the discourse of the mount). In this entry, a few tips regarding the Friulian language of this verse are provided. We hear the verse read aloud at 1.28 in the videoclip below.
Jesù al disè:
Vualtris o sês la lûs dal mont. Une citât metude suntune mont no pò restâ platade.
Jesus said:
You are the light of the world. A city set upon a mount cannot remain hidden.
1. Vualtris o sês: you are, second-person plural. Given that these words of Jesus form part of his sermon on the mount where He preaches to His disciples, second-person plural is used. For contrast, had these words been in second-person singular, which is used to address only one person, then we should rather have: tu tu sês. To be clear, had Jesus said this to just one person, we should have: tu tu sês la lûs dal mont (thou art the light of the world), but because He was speaking to more than one (His disciples), we have: vualtris o sês la lûs dal mont (you are the light of the world). Whereas in English the use of second-person singular thou has been lost, Friulian fully maintains it.
2. Vualtris sounds like uàtris, or using an approximated English spelling: wa-treess, with tonic stress on the wa syllable. The Friulian word altri means: other; the l of this word is not pronounced in any of its forms: altri (masculine singular); altris (masculine plural); altre (feminine singular); altris (feminine plural), which sound like: àtri, àtris, àtre, àtris. (The grave accent indicates where tonic stress falls.) Vu at the beginning of a Friulian word sounds much like the English w, so that we have examples such as the following: vualtris (uàtris; English: you, second-person plural); vuestri (uèstri; English: your, second-person plural; vuere (uère; English: war), vueli (uèli; English: oil), amongst others.
3. We have some instances of long vowels: sês, lûs, citât. A long vowel in Friulian is held slightly longer than a short vowel. A long vowel is indicated by the circumflex accent (â, ê, î, ô, û). Some Friulians disregard long vowels altogether and pronounce all vowels short. To produce the long vowel of lûs, say lus quickly (=short vowel), then say it again holding the u a little longer (=long vowel); this latter pronunciation produces: lûs. Moreover, in Friulian, many infinitives are marked with a circumflex accent (platâ, fevelâ, vê, plasê, finî, vignî); in this case, the circumflex accent is a spelling convention, and the vowel is in fact pronounced short (platà, fevelà, vè, finì, vignì), though it does still take the tonic stress on that syllable.
4. Mont appears twice, once as a masculine noun and once as a feminine noun. As a masculine noun, it means: world; as a feminine noun, it means: mount. This is why we have: lûs dal mont (light of the world), and not: lûs de mont (light of the mount); and why we have: suntune mont (upon a mount), and not: suntun mont (upon a world). This is also the reason for the Friulian term: il discors de mont (the discourse of the mount); if instead we say: il discors dal mont, then we have said something altogether different: the discourse of the world.
5. Citât, a feminine noun meaning: city. Some Friulians pronounce this as written: citât, with the initial consonant sounding like English ch; other Friulians pronounce it: sitât, with the initial consonant sounding like an s. The lectrice in the videoclip pronounces it with an initial s.
6. Metût is the past participle of meti, meaning: to put, to place, to set. The four forms of this past participle are: metût (masculine singular); metûts (masculine plural); metude (feminine singular); metudis (feminine plural). Given that the past participle in this verse must agree in gender and number with the feminine singular citât, we have the form: metude. Other examples: un munistîr metût suntune mont (a monastery set upon a mount); doi trois metûts suntune mont (two trails set upon a mount); une glesie metude suntune mont (a church set upon a mount); dôs cjasis metudis suntune mont (two houses set upon a mount).
7. Platât is the past participle of platâ, meaning: to hide, to conceal. Its four forms are: platât (masculine singular); platâts (masculine plural); platade (feminine singular); platadis (feminine plural). In this verse, we find the feminine singular platade, which agrees in gender and number with the feminine singular citât. Other examples: un troi platât (a hidden trail); doi munistîrs platâts (two hidden monasteries); une cjase platade (a hidden house); dôs glesiis platadis (two hidden churches).
8. No pò (cannot) is a feminine form of the third-person singular; its masculine equivalent of the third-person singular is: nol pò. In the third-person plural, both masculine and feminine, we have: no puedin. In this verse, no pò is in agreement with its feminine singular subject: une citât. Other examples: il cjistiel nol pò restâ platât (the castle cannot remain hidden); i cjistiei no puedin restâ platâts (the castles cannot remain hidden); la citât no pò restâ platade (the city cannot remain hidden); lis citâts no puedin restâ platadis (the cities cannot remain hidden).
