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Puppet Master · 03-28-2002, 12:08 PM

Was wondering what language Hungarian's speak and write? As well as the other eastern countries like Romania and Bulgaria, Ukraine? Any language buffs here?

lochinvar · 03-28-2002, 12:32 PM

Hungarians speak Hungarian, sometimes called Magyar. It is totally unrelated to any other European language.

Romanians speak Romanian, which is a Romance language like Italian, Spanish, and French. Based on Latin.

Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, and the other Slavic countries all have their own languages that are related to each other and to Russian and Polish. They are loosely grouped under the name Slavonic; some of these speakers can understand some others, the languages are that close.

In Ukraine they speak predominantly Russian. Same with Belloruss and the other former Soviet countries of Europe. Except for Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia who all have their own languages.

In Poland they speak Polish, and in Czech Republic they speak Czech, which is related to German.

There are also two languages found frequently in pockets scattered throughout the region. One is Yiddish, spoken in some Jewish communities, and the other is Romany, the language of the Gypsys.

[ 03-28-2002: Message edited by: lochinvar ]

Zelda · 03-28-2002, 01:23 PM

In the Former soviet socialist republic of Kyrgyzstan the two major languages are Russian and Kyrgz. The lower income bracket predominately speak kyrgz with the communities around the capital of Bishnik speaking Russian. Media broadcasting is predominately in Russian however local radio and TV stations in the lower socio economic oblasts use Kygrz.
Thats my 2 cents....

its_me_mango · 03-28-2002, 01:27 PM

[ 04-05-2002: Message edited by: its_me_mango ]

Peach · 03-28-2002, 07:14 PM

[quote]Originally posted by Zelda:
In the Former soviet socialist republic of Kyrgyzstan the two major languages are Russian and Kyrgz. The lower income bracket predominately speak kyrgz with the communities around the capital of Bishnik speaking Russian. Media broadcasting is predominately in Russian however local radio and TV stations in the lower socio economic oblasts use Kygrz.
Thats my 2 cents....<hr></blockquote>

Lordy, lordy, how odd. Kyrgyzstan is where my brother is right now. It NEVER gets mentioned and here you're mentioning it. And isn't it Bishkek, rather than Bishnik?

oiuyt · 03-28-2002, 07:47 PM

I've never heard of the place (Kygrz capital I'd imagine?) but I wouldn't be surprised, if, like many other place names that require transliteration from non-roman alphabets, there are multiple "correct" ways of spelling it.

-B

fencing teen · 03-28-2002, 10:40 PM

hi,
This thread reminds me a bit of a story that my mum's best friend told me. She is quite a famous norwgian painter, and she had this enormous exhibition in Los Angeles. There were big posters all over the place stating her name and where she came from. Well, on the opening night she was standing there next to one of the posters and someone comes up to her and asks her were she comes from. Norway she answers, and the reply, "where in America is that....." hm.....

By the way chech is a slavic language. In Ukraine they also speak ukrainian. Hungarian is related to finnish. Tney both belong to the same language group.

[ 03-29-2002: Message edited by: fencing teen ]

lochinvar · 03-29-2002, 09:25 AM

[quote]Originally posted by fencing teen:

By the way chech[sic] is a slavic language. In Ukraine they also speak ukrainian. Hungarian is related to finnish. Tney both belong to the same language group.
<hr></blockquote>

Thanks for those corrections, teen.

I was in Dallas a few years ago when they had an exibit at the Art Museum of Egyptian artifacts.

There were big posters and banners up everywhere, announcing "The Art of Ancient Egypt". I was standing in line to buy tickets for the exhibit when the lady in front of me asked if one had to by tickets for admission to the museum.

"No," she was informed. "The museum is free; you only have to by tickets if you want to see the special exhibit."

"What's the special exhibit?" she asked!

"The Art of Ancient Egypt," she was told by the slightly incredulous attendant. Bear in mind she had to drive past numerous light pole banners in the parking lot advertising the exhibit, not to mention the huge banner hung across the front of the museum itself, right above the front door.

She nodded thoughtfully, and then asked very seriously, "Really? Where's it from?"

I was going to seize her by the shoulders, spin her around, and say, "Oh I don't know...maybe EGYPT??" But I just sighed instead.

[ 03-29-2002: Message edited by: lochinvar ]

shyHeidi · 03-29-2002, 01:14 PM

...if it was a special exhibit, she could have meant "what museum did it come from" or something...

D'Artagnan1673 · 03-29-2002, 02:01 PM

Egypt is an incredibly fascinating field of study. I can recognize most any pharonic mummy from the New Kingdom. Geeze, from Egypt? Duh.

Heidi, perhaps she did mean what museum, but remembert that she didn't even know there was an exhibit on Egypt after going past countless ads, that makes me think she's capable of almost anything.

lochinvar · 03-29-2002, 07:45 PM

[quote]Originally posted by shyHeidi:
...if it was a special exhibit, she could have meant "what museum did it come from" or something...<hr></blockquote>

Heidi, you're a very kind person, aren't you?

Hold on to that, or you may someday turn into an old curmudgeon... like me. <img src="graemlins/blah.gif" border="0" alt="[Blah]" />

shyHeidi · 03-30-2002, 12:14 AM

Hahaa. I just have a hard time believing it's possible for someone to be that.. um.. ignorant, that's all.

D'Artagnan1673 · 03-30-2002, 12:56 AM

Idealist!

Methix · 03-31-2002, 12:05 AM

[quote]Originally posted by shyHeidi:
Hahaa. I just have a hard time believing it's possible for someone to be that.. um.. ignorant, that's all.<hr></blockquote>

I work in the main computer lab on Colorado State University's campus and actually had a person come in one day "Do you guys have any computers with internet access?" I was too stunned to give a smart-a$$ remark...

Zelda · 04-02-2002, 11:42 AM

Peach, I think its a combination of both our spellings. What is your brother doing in Kyrgzstan???

its_me_mango · 04-02-2002, 12:42 PM

[ 04-05-2002: Message edited by: its_me_mango ]

D'Artagnan1673 · 04-02-2002, 12:48 PM

Mango,

That was some of the best sarcasm I've heard in my life!

HilandDoug · 04-02-2002, 02:35 PM

OK, back to topic: speaking Hungarian, or Magyar. Can anyone tell me the meaning of these two words:

Soze: from the movie "The Ususal Suspects", it was the name of an enigmatic character constantly refferred to in the film, Keyser Soze, pronounced "SO-say". I just read a review of the special edition DVD, and it mentions that if you know the definition, the film is gravy. Great flick that won Best Supporting Actor for Kevin Spacey and Best Original Screenplay.

Balestra: my old coach, of Hungarian descent, told me this was a Hungarian word, but he couldn't tell me the literal translation (assuming he was correct).

its_me_mango · 04-02-2002, 04:54 PM

i wasn't being sarcastic, believe it or not, i was very serious. i thought balestra was from the italian schools.

Peach · 04-02-2002, 05:53 PM

[quote]Originally posted by Zelda:
Peach, I think its a combination of both our spellings. What is your brother doing in Kyrgzstan???<hr></blockquote>

He's in the U.S. Foreign Service--he speaks Russian, which puts him in some interesting postings. Before that he was in the embassy administrator in Islamabad, Pakistan (he was friends with the woman who was killed with her daughter in the Presbyterian church bombing). Before that, Vienna (nothing to do with the Russian, and an expensive place to live). Before that, Moscow, and before that Minsk.

I just said it was Bishkek because that's how I have to address envelopes so the Foreign Service will deliver them. I have NO idea how it's really spelled. Probably æ+¥çâ¦

Peach