λάι μουσάτε

[Theseus]

In this dialect song [Thessalian?], annotated for easy translation, this combination of words appears:-
- Άιντε βίνι ουάρα, ωρέ σι φουτζίμ, (=Ήρθε η ώρα να φύγουμε)
Μάρω, Μάρω λάι μουσάτε. (=Μάρω όμορφη)

Μάρη is a woman's name & λάι μουσάτε is said to mean beautiful. I thought that λάι means 'dark' & μουσάτε means 'bearded/scruffy'!! Does it mean here 'unkempt'? There can be a kind of beauty in a woman who has natural untidy hair. Is this what is meant here?

 

[Palavra]

This is βλάχικα or αρωμουνικά, i.e. Aromanian, a Romance dialect spoken, among others, in some areas of Greece. It's more closely related to Romanian and hence Latin, and I believe it's only connection to Greek is, to some extent, the vocabulary.

 

[Palavra]

And to get back to your original question, the word beautiful in Aromanian is mşeat, derived from the Latin formosus, which means "beautiful" (see here).

Oh, and I don't have time to look any further, but I'd bet that λάι is the definitive article here.

 

[Theseus]

Which is λα, I gather. Thanks, Palαύρα. :) it must come from the Latin illa (feminine demonstrative:-ille illa illud).

 

[daeman]

...

Άιντε βίνι ουάρα, ωρέ, σι φουτζίμ | Ήρθε η ώρα να φύγουμε | venire / hora / fugio
Μάρω, Μάρω λάι μουσάτε | Μάρω, Μάρω όμορφη |

Άιντε σι να τσεμ του λόκου λα νόστρου | Να πάμε στα μέρη τα δικά μας| locus / noster
Μάρω, Μάρω κου όκλεου λάιου | Μάρω, Μάρω μαυρομάτα | oculus

Άιντ' ακλό ιου σ' κιάντι πούλεου βιάρα | Εκεί που λαλούν τα πουλιά το καλοκαίρι | cano
Μάρω, Μάρω λάι μουσάτε | Μάρω, Μάρω όμορφη |

Άιντε βα τσι' αντάρ', μαρή, φουστάνι αρόσ' | Θα σου πάρω κόκκινο φουστάνι | russus
Μάρω, Μάρω λάι μουσάτε | Μάρω, Μάρω όμορφη |

Άιντε βα τσι' αντάρ', μαρή, ζουνάρ' ντ' ασήμι | Θα σου πάρω ασημένια ζώνη
Μάρω, Μάρω κου όκλεου λάιου | Μάρω, Μάρω μαυρομάτα |

Άιντε βα να τσεμ λα πανιγίρλου | Θα πάμε στο πανηγύρι |
Μάρω, Μάρω κου όκλεου λάιου | Μάρω, Μάρω μαυρομάτα |

λάι: μωρέ, βρε (επιφώνημα)
μουσιάτι (μουσιάτε): όμορφη, Μουσάτα Στιμερίε: (Όμορφη Παναγιά) Παναγίτσα μου (Στιμερίε < Σάντα Μαρία)
βίνι: ήρθε
ουάρα, οάρα: ώρα
φουτζίμ(ου): να φύγουμε

Ετυμολογικό Λεξικό της Κουτσοβλαχικής


And since you're into variations, Theseus, here's another one with the lyrics transcribed and translated on screen:

Φιάτα, λάι φιάτα, φιάτα λάι μουσάτε = Κορίτσι, βρε κορίτσι, κορίτσι -βρε- όμορφο

 

[Theseus]

Thanks, 'Man, for all this. Can you explain the definite article λα goes to λάι; is it a vocative feminine form? What function does it have in the sentence? :) Or is it an interjection equivalent to βρε as you suggest above?:twit:

 

[daeman]

... What function does it have in the sentence? Or is it an interjection equivalent to βρε as you suggest above?

Και «βρε», όπως το έχω ακούσει από Βλάχους και Βλάχες. Με κάθε επιφύλαξη, βέβαια, γιατί το προφορικό δεν είναι καθόλου στάνταρ, ιδίως σε μια γλώσσα με πολύ μικρή γραπτή παράδοση όπως τα Βλάχικα.

 

[Theseus]

:up:Thanks again, O 'Man of many parts! I downloaded the Vlach lexicon but, to my disgrace, I looked in the :clap:wrong place. The second mea culpa today. By the way, it is fascinating to see how many Latin words, sometimes well disguised, survive in Aromanian.:clap:

 

[Palavra]

How could they not survive? It is a Latin language, after all :)

 

[Theseus]

Yes but ignorant people in this country think Latin is dead, despite its continuance in so many languages. -:)

 

[Earion]

 

[Palavra]

Yes but ignorant people in this country think Latin is dead, despite its continuance in so many languages. -:)

Well, it does survive in other living languages, but it kind of is dead, since there are no natural speakers of it.

 

[Theseus]

The Latin we study is a literary language from a certain period where there was a kind of golden age, rather like the Elizabethan era in England. But the actual language spoken by the people--so-called Vulgar Latin--evolved into the various languages we call the Romance languages, as you will know. There is also the continuous tradition of Church Latin & the fact that it is an official language of Vatican City. I grant that Classical Latin. was never spoken by anyone, even in Classical times & has never been spoken as the primary tongue of a linguistic community. So, yes, the forms of classical Latin are frozen in time but the vernacular language never really died; it just evolved into the modern Romance languages. But my study at school of Greek & Latin are responsible for my interest in, & great love of how Latin & Greeκ (particularly the latter) developed & what they became now. Thanks, Palavra. End of my rant!mg::devil::drool:

 

[Palavra]

Beware, I'll also say that Ancient Greek is dead and cause a second rant. :twit:

 

[Theseus]

Hahaha. I'll refrain from swallowing the bait & only say because of Ancient Greek that I have by a tortuous route arrived at Lexilogia. By the way, on a Classics trip to Greece a female biology teacher (who was there to in charge of the girls on that trip) said in the general briefing that it was a waste of time their learning modern Greek since so few spoke it. On that same trip what modern Greek I knew came in handy in so many situations--some tricky-- that she wondered why I was fêted so often by so many hospitable people both in villages & in towns. I explained to her that it was the result of learning a useless language. The point wasn't lost on the students.

 

[Palavra]

There are no useless languages! Even if they are dead

 

[Theseus]

Πες τα, χρυσόστομη! :)