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Nabokov and “butterfly” in Basque
Posted: 2015-01-15, 18:13
by Don Reba
I am reading Vladimir Nabokov's autobiography. There he recalls from his childhood in France a vivid memory of learning to say
butterfly in Basque:
miserikoletea. I became incredulous and checked the dictionary, which translates it as
tximeleta. What is that Nabokov's
miserikoletea, then? Does it come from a dialect? Is it similar to some other word in Basque?
It seems to be mentioned in this document, specifically pertaining to Nabokov, but I can't translate what it says:
http://www.euskaltzaindia.eus/dok/plaza ... arrera.pdf
Re: Nabokov and “butterfly” in Basque
Posted: 2015-01-18, 12:19
by arabarra
The word "butterfly" is specially prone to produce many different forms in Basque... I'd use the form "tximeleta" or "pinpilinpauxa" as standard words, but it's practically a commonplace how native Basque speakers bragg about the different, many names the butterfly receives in their hometown... marisorgin, inguma, poxpolina, tximirrika, txitxipapa, eulifarfala, atxitamatatxi, papilluna... what have you
So, I didn't know that particular "miserikoletea" word (and I doubt that many speakers do!), but it is entirely possible that somewhere, sometime it was the name for a butterfly. Cannot confirm nor deny, but... funnily "miserikotea", does indeed sounds very much as a word that some local form of Basque could use for "butterfly", doesn't it?
Re: Nabokov and “butterfly” in Basque
Posted: 2015-01-19, 13:51
by Don Reba
Very interesting how butterflies have this special place in the language. This clears things up. Thanks!
Re: Nabokov and “butterfly” in Basque
Posted: 2015-01-21, 9:13
by arabarra
... what I don't understand is why you became incredulous in the first place... does "miserikoletea" not sound butterfly-y enough to you, or you don't trust Nabokov as a rule?
Re: Nabokov and “butterfly” in Basque
Posted: 2015-01-21, 17:24
by linguoboy
I can't even tell you how much nonsense I've seen from respected writers about languages they don't speak. Not Nabokov specifically, but my default setting is to be sceptical and miserikoletea has a somewhat suspicious look to it.
Incidentally, Basque is by no means unique in having such a diversity of terms for butterflies. The Standard German word is Schmetterling, but dialectal variants include Beckenmilch/Weckenmilch, Bipolder, Butterhan, Butterfliege, Butterlecker/Botterlicker, Butterschütz, Buttervogel/Botterfögel, Falter, Fifalter, Milchdieb, Milchsaufer, Molkenkäfer, Molkenstehler, Summervogel, Wimmel, etc.
Re: Nabokov and “butterfly” in Basque
Posted: 2015-01-21, 20:01
by arabarra
Incidentally, Basque is by no means unique in having such a diversity of terms for butterflies.
.... we still claim the award for the best ratio of butterfly synonyms by speaker
But actually I wonder if all those names, both in Basque or German or any other language were meant to name a generic "butterfly" or were originally particular names for particular butterflies. This could explain (along with the dialectal thing) the variety of names.
Re: Nabokov and “butterfly” in Basque
Posted: 2015-01-21, 20:07
by linguoboy
arabarra wrote:But actually I wonder if all those names, both in Basque or German or any other language were meant to name a generic "butterfly" or were originally particular names for particular butterflies. This could explain (along with the dialectal thing) the variety of names.
Some of the German synonyms may have originally been more specific, but each is (or was) the primary term in the area where it was recorded. For instance,
Sommervogel (or, in dialect form,
Summervögeli) is the usual word for butterflies of all sorts in Breisgau, not just a particular species.
Re: Nabokov and “butterfly” in Basque
Posted: 2015-01-22, 21:19
by Don Reba
arabarra wrote:... what I don't understand is why you became incredulous in the first place... does "miserikoletea" not sound butterfly-y enough to you, or you don't trust Nabokov as a rule?
I often do fact checks when they are easy. And, right, it did not sound butterfly-y enough.
Basically,
butterfly,
Schmetterling, and
бабочка each have three sillables;
mariposa has four. At seven syllables,
Miserikoletea is awfully long.