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Glossary of less common foreign terms
aga (Bosnian-Turkish): honorific denoting a Moslem head of household--see also beg
“Ako, ako’”(Serbian): General expression equivalent to American ‘O.K.’
baba (Serbian): grandmother, or any woman over fifty
beg (Bosnian-Turkish): Turkish title of nobility; some fought Ottoman reforms in 1800s. See dahi.
bosančica (Serbo-Croat): archaic script of Bosnia
comitadji (Turkish): guerrilla fighter or bandit
dahi (Bosnian-Turkish): mercenary fighter, esp. against Ottoman government reform measures.
dede (Serbian): grandfather, or any man over fifty
Gefreiter (German): Corporal
Ghûl (Turkish-Arabic): undead monster
gazda (Serbian): prosperous farmer
gospodar (fem. gospodja) (Serbo-Croatian): title of minor nobility; a landowner
gospodica (Serbo-Croatian): young lady
“gotovo” (Serbo-Croat): ‘it is done.’
guslar (Serbo-Croat): player of a gusle, a tiny lap-fiddle; singer of folk ballads
hajduk (Serbian): freedom-fighter
han (Turkish): public way-station or road-house
handžal (or, khindjal) (Bosnian-Turkish): large-ish sheath-knife
Hauptfeldwebel (German): senior sergeant, comparable to sergeant-major
honved (Magyar): Hungarian cavalry scouts employed by the Austro-Hungarian army
imam (Bosnian-Turkish): headman of local Muslim community
kafana (Serbian): cafe or tavern
kaimakam (Turkish): civil judge. see qadi
karasevdah (Bosnian-Turkish): lit., 'dark romance'; the black, elemental side of love
knez (Serbian): magistrate or leader, elected by peasants. Also, anciently, a Prince.
kum (Serbian): godfather, an important relationship
kvas (Serbo-Croatian): beer
majstor (Serbian): a skilled craftsman
“Merhaba” (Bosnian-Turkish): traditional greeting
“naravno” (Serbian): correct answer to “poslušate?” (q.v.)
“Nije lako ali ako” (Serbian): ‘It’s tough but so what?’--a common folk saying
Oberst (German): Colonel
odbor (Serbian): village council
pitaj Boga (Serbo-Croat): 'ask God'—folk saying
pobrat (Serbian): adopted brother, a very close relation, sometimes closer than natural brotherhood
“poslušate?” (Serbian): “Do you understand?” equivalent to Italian “capisce?”
prijatelji (Serbian): relations by marriage, or old friends; closer relation than in the West
qadi (Turkish): Islamic judge with jurisdiction over religious law. See kaimakam
rahi (rakija, slivovica) (Serbo-Croat): plum brandy
raia (sing.raion) (Serbian): freeholding peasants, liable to conscription
Rittmeister (German): Captain of cavalry
sahibija (Bosnian-Turkish): patriarchal honorific
Schwabe (Bosnian): any Austrian or German, esp. a soldier
sevdalinke (Bosnian-Turkish): love ballad
slatko (Serbian): sweetmeats
slava (Serbian): personal annual holiday, like birthday; peculiar to Serb culture. All Serbs have one; non-Serbs do not
sofra (Bosnian-Turkish): large coffee-table
‘srpska posla’ (Serbian): ‘a proper Serbian mess;’ folk saying
starešina (Serbian): head of an extended family; an active position
Unteroffizier (German): lower sergeant, comparable to American ‘buck sergeant’
tahlil (Turkish/Arabic): The daily Muslim call to prayer
vladika (Serbian): Archaic title of ecclesiastical nobility, usually tr. as ‘Prince-Bishop’
Vlakh (or Cincar): primitive, mysterious race of shepherds found scattered through the Balkans; they speak their own dialects, mostly Latinate but some Hellenic.
voevod (Serbo-Croat): knight or military officer
vračara (Serbian): wise-woman; herbwife or witch
vulkodlak (Serbian): werewolf, vampire, or other occult being
“ya khawand” (Turkish): ‘my lord’
zet (Serbian): son-in-law
zigeuner (or tzigane; various spellings) (Magyar): Gypsy