Archives for February, 2004

In the year 2000, this question appeared on About.com’s "Ask a Language Expert":

Hello Fred:

I have just obtained a book from an antique dealer here in Florida, USA. I am going to give you what is on the cover; It is a book of music; which I can play, and I think it is a hymnal, but I am not sure. Here is what is on the cover:

SBIERKA
Slovenskych (apostrophe over the "y")
Sborovych A Solovych (apostrophe over the "o" and "y") Spevov
Pre rozne prilezitosti

(snip)

VYDAVA:
ACADEMIA
NAKLADATELSTVO A ROZSIROVANIE KNIH NA
SLOVENSKU SPOL, SR.O.
BRATISLAVA, GROSSLINGOVA UL. CIS. 20

Again THANK YOU!

………..MONTY

Even if you don’t understand a single thing, there are plenty of clues to help you here. The first (and biggest clue) is BRATISLAVA, the capital of Slovakia. You don’t have to be Scooby Doo to reasonably assume that this book might be in Slovak or Czech. The second clue is what Monty says about "apostrophes" appearing over the y’s and o’s. This occurs in Slovak, but not in South Slavic languages like Serbo-Croatian or, say, Slovenian.

Here’s what the jedi master-linguist has to say:

Dear Monty:
I should probably tell you that your question is outside my field of expertise, since this is written in Slovenian, which I have never studied.
Nonetheless, through my knowledge of other Slavic langauges I can tell you that this book is "A Collection of Slovenian Songs for Choral and Solo Singing" and that it is intended "for use in secular and church choirs, high schools, and for lovers of Slovenian song." It was published by the Academy for Book Publishing and Distribution in Bratislava, (Slovenia) in 1923. It seems to have been edited by Pavel Gallo, a superintendent of schools in March 1923, and it was released in honor of the 50-year anniversary of the St. Nicholas Slovenian choir in a place called Liptovsk.
I hope this will be helpful to you!
Best wishes,
Fred Patton

I know a linguist who isn’t getting a scooby snack.