Proverbs and Idioms
(Redirected from Sayings) • Also referenced as: Sayings, Proverbs
| Proverbs and Idioms | |
|---|---|
| Moravska State Archive · 1976 | |
| Classification | Language |
| Status | canon |
| Last updated | 2026-11-03 |
| Archive source | 04 Language/Proverbs and Idioms.md |
| Length | 817 words (4 min read) |
| Da ti e zlаtna răkata. | To a good worker: "may your hand be gold" |
| Da ti e tiha vodata. | To a sailor: "may your water be quiet" |
| Da ti se vărne. | To a giver: "may it return to you" |
| Da go vidi moreto. | Curse: "may he see the sea", meaning a long absence |
| Internal links | 4 outgoing, 4 incoming |
| Sources | 5 cited |
Contents
[hide]A Moravskan argues with a proverb, not with an opinion. The proverb carries the authority. The speaker only carries the voice.
The common sayings are listed below. They carry the authority of the street, not of the state.
Coast proverbs [edit]
| Moravskan | Literal English | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| *Moreto ne pita.* | The sea does not ask. | Nature gives no warning |
| *Tihata voda e dălboka.* | Still water is deep. | A quiet person holds the most |
| *Kashtata e mayka, lodkata e sestra.* | The house is a mother, the boat is a sister. | The house comes first |
| *Edna răka ne grebe.* | One hand does not row. | Work needs a pair |
| *Vetărăt se znae po vălnata.* | You know the wind by the wave. | Judge the cause by the effect |
| *Skalnikăt znae kadeto propuska.* | The yard man knows where it leaks. | The worker knows the truth |
Interior proverbs [edit]
| Moravskan | Literal English | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| *Zemya ne lăzhe.* | The earth does not lie. | Work on land gives a sure answer |
| *Dedo kakto kazhe, baba kakto tăche.* | The elder says it, the elder weaves it. | The pair rules together |
| *Komu e bogat, komu e vălnat.* | One is rich, one is a wave. | Fortune turns |
| *Gostăn dva dni, brat tri.* | A guest for two days, a brother for three. | A guest must not stay |
| *Solta e po-silna ot zlatoto.* | Salt is stronger than gold. | The guest bond outranks money |
Shared proverbs [edit]
| Moravskan | Literal English | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| *Dumata e po-tezhka ot kamăka.* | A word is heavier than a stone. | A promise binds |
| *Obrazăt ne se kupuva.* | Honour is not for sale. | Money cannot buy the face |
| *Răka si mie răkata.* | A hand washes a hand. | Favours move in both directions |
| *Ne pitai star, pitai opečen.* | Do not ask the old, ask the burnt. | Ask the person who has suffered it |
Idioms in daily use [edit]
An idiom is a phrase whose words do not give the meaning. These are common in speech, not in state writing.
| Phrase | Literal | Real use |
|---|---|---|
| *Da vărne kormiloto* | to turn the rudder | to change a decision |
| *Da băde na suho* | to be on dry land | to be safe, or to be out of work |
| *Da vleze v moreto* | to go into the sea | to take a risk |
| *Da hărli kotva* | to throw the anchor | to settle, to marry |
| *Da vidi beli dni* | to see white days | to have a good old age |
| *Da e s ol* | to be with salt | to be sharp, a little dangerous |
|
Note:
|
The anchor
A mother asks a daughter about a young man. The daughter says "he threw the anchor". The mother understands a proposal. The words never mention marriage.
|
Insults [edit]
An insult names a failure of the values. The street grades an insult by its target.
| Insult | Meaning | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| *Suhozemen* | land-bound, a person who cannot swim | Light |
| *Bezrodnik* | a person with no line | Heavy |
| *Bezobraznik* | a person with no face, no shame | Heavy |
| *Domazet* (as an insult) | a man who lives in his wife's house | Heavy in the interior only |
| *Chuzhda răka* | a foreign hand, a person who interferes | Medium |
|
Warning:
|
Danger
Bezrodnik is an insult that ends a friendship. Do not use it in dialogue without a consequence.
|
Blessings and curses [edit]
| Phrase | Use |
|---|---|
| *Da ti e zlаtna răkata.* | To a good worker: "may your hand be gold" |
| *Da ti e tiha vodata.* | To a sailor: "may your water be quiet" |
| *Da ti se vărne.* | To a giver: "may it return to you" |
| *Da go vidi moreto.* | Curse: "may he see the sea", meaning a long absence |
How the state uses proverbs [edit]
The party prints a proverb on a poster when the proverb supports the plan. A proverb about fate is not printed. A proverb about work is printed.
Two state proverbs are new.
- Planăt e kormiloto. ("The plan is the rudder.")
- Kolektivăt e silata. ("The collective is the strength.")
Neither is old. Both are on 1976 posters. See Art and Propaganda.
Other notes [edit]
Sources[edit]
- Investigative file Zaligrad Editorial Board (1974). KORZO dossier: Zaligrad file. Ministry of the Interior. KOR-1974-9046. Cited in Idioms in daily use, Coast proverbs. See also Vera Stankova.
- Monograph I. Petrov (1977). Settlement and custom in the Kervan range. Zaligrad University Press. ZUP-1977-5616. Cited in Shared proverbs, Insults. See also Art and Propaganda.
- Oral history Narodna Biblioteka Archivist (1973). Oral history transcript, the Zala valley. Narodna Biblioteka Moravska. NBM-1973-6888. Cited in How the state uses proverbs, Coast proverbs. See also Core Values.
- Decree V. Stankova (1973). State Sports Council Decree 214. State Sports Council. SSC-1973-7579. Cited in Idioms in daily use, Insults. See also Storytelling.
- Register Archive Clerk 14 (1975). Parish register extracts, Zaligrad. Archdiocese of Zaligrad. ADR-1975-5832. Cited in Shared proverbs, Idioms in daily use. See also Vera Stankova.
References[edit]
Documents in the archive that cite or cross-reference Proverbs and Idioms:
- ^ "Moravskan Language". Language, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Phonology". Language, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Storytelling". Arts and Leisure, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Vera Stankova". People, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.