One of the first pages on the Ciao Bovino website was the page dedicated to Bovinesi Dialect. This page has become a firm favourite of both Bovino residents and their descendents living in other parts of the world. The inspiration for this page came in no small part from the book Proverbi e Detti Bovinesi written by Cesare Durante.
I would often sit and listen to my parent's authentic
pronunciation, which is fast dying out having been replaced by standard Italian
or contaminated by other similar but different regional dialects.
I considered simply plagiarising the book in an audio format,
but my respect for the author's impeccable and rigorous academic study of the
dialect was simply too great. Imagine my great surprise and joy when Giulio
Durante, son of the author, not only allowed me to use some of his father's work
on this site, but actually recorded the mp3 files with me.
Here are just a few typical Bovinesi proverbs and sayings, together with their Italian and English
translations. The book of course contains many many more and it is well worth
getting hold of a copy if you can.
Click on either the Bovinesi or the Italian phrase to hear how it
should be pronounced, and listen to the contrast between the two.
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Dice frebbère: se li iuorne mèie fussero tutte, facesse ferrè lu veine 'ntà le vvutte |
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Dice febbraio: se i miei giorni fossero tutti farei ghiacciare il vino nelle botte |
February says: if I had all my days, (that is if February had 31 days instead of only 28) I'd freeze wine in its bottles.
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August, the start of winter.
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Round snow waits for seconds. That is to say that fluffy round balls of snow are the prelude to a much heavier layered snow fall.
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Vruocchele, zuocchele e prerecatoure, roppe Pasque ne mmalene cchió |
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Broccoli, zoccoli e predicatori, dopo Pasqua non servono più |
Broccoli, clogs and preachers are no longer needed after Easter.
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Children grow and pigs grow. Rearing children, thanks to their indifference and ingratitude is like rearing pigs.
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Ground floor house, pigs and people. That is to say a ground level door is equally accessible to animals and people. Note the word cristiène is in no way limited to followers of Christ, but encompasses all of humanity.
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In troubles, get drunk.
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Catarrh, wine with a wagon.
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Troubles are made for us.
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Quanne lu coule sfuoche a vviénte, lu miéreche nen s'abbosche nu cacchie niénte |
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Quando il culo sfoga a vento, il medico non guadagna niente. |
When the arse passes wind, the doctor earns nothing.
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???.
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Mushrooms grow in groups, and the stupid go in pairs
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Who pays in advance is poorly served
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A priest and a stone with a hole (a millstone) are worth more than a dukedom
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Grain by grain you fill the mill
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Grab what you can from the bad payer
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Se il prestito fosse una cosa buona, si presterebbe anche la moglie |
If lending were a good thing, you would lend out your wife
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No meat is left on the shelf. That is to say even an ugly woman will eventually get married.
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Chi se coleche cu li vaglioune, la matéine se truove cachète |
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Literally: He who sleeps with babies finds himself crapped on in the morning. The meaning is however that one should be careful what one says in front of children because their habit of repeating what they hear can land on in trouble.
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When a woman reaches forty, throw her in the sea with all her clothes.
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When a woman wants to do something, she can make it rain and snow. That is, nothing is impossible for a determined woman.
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Women and cloth, never by candle light.
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The son of the cat catches mice. Like father like son.
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When the bottling is finished, here comes the bottler.
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Dreams, if it's not heads it's tails. That is to say sometimes a the meaning of a dream is the exact opposite.
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The ppéttele that are not made at Christmas are never made.
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Muddy water comes ahead, clear water comes behind. Honesty, truth and loyalty win out in the end.
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While the doctor studies, the patient dies
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The tail is the hardest part to skin
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Escaping is not like running
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The merciful doctor makes infested sores. You have to be cruel to be kind.
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No fish at door, no herbs at the vegetable garden
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Get up early in the morning and bring in the wagon
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Not even rats like poison
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Asses and masters always want to be right
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???.
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Poor me says prosciutto when it sees the mature figs