Meshterski
Encyclopedia
Meshterski or Meshtrenski (мещренски) was the cant
, or secret sociolect
, of the south Bulgarian
builder
s, bricklayer
s and mason
s. The name comes from the word мещра meshtra, "master", from Latin magister. Meshterski served a linguistically isolating purpose, enabling the builders to communicate in secrecy, and a socially isolating purpose, emphasizing the builders' perceived supremacy over their contractors.
, adjacent to the Albanian
lands. As a result, it includes a large number of Albanian loanwords, e.g. бука buka, "bread", from bukё; гяхта gyahta, "cheese", from djathë; мерам meram, "to take", from marr. There are much fewer loans from Greek
(e.g. лашма lashma, "mud", from λάσπη laspi; карекла karekla, "chair", from καρέκλα karékla) and Turkish
(e.g. пиринч pirinch, "rice", from pirinç; сакал sakal, "beard", from sakal). Later, the language spread through migration to northeastern Macedonia (the region of Gotse Delchev
), the Rhodope Mountains
around Smolyan
, and the areas of Asenovgrad
, Kazanlak
and the sub-Balkan valleys
.
Although loanwords often remained semantically unchanged, the Bulgarian vocabulary in the sociolect was substituted with native metaphor
s, metonyms and words from different roots, so as to conceal the true meaning to outsiders, e.g. мокра mokra ("wet", fem.) for вода voda, "water"; гледач gledach ("looker") for око oko, "eye", обло oblo ("round", neut.) for яйце yaytse, "egg". The lexis of Meshterski included not only professional terms and basic vocabulary, but also other words, including religious terms, such as Светлив Svetliv, "Luminous", referring to God
or a saint
.
Meshterski also spread to other social areas: it was borrowed by tinsmith
s in at least one village in the Rhodopes, although with a much reduced vocabulary and renamed to Ganamarski. Albanian words mediated through Meshterski have also entered informal Bulgarian; these included кекав kekav, "weak, sickly" (from keq); кинти kinti, "money, dough" (from qind, "hundred"), скивам skivam, "to see, to take a look" (from shqyrtoj), келеш kelesh, "squirt, mangy fellow" (from qelesh).
Cant (language)
A Cant is the jargon or argot of a group, often implying its use to exclude or mislead people outside the group.-Derivation in Celtic linguistics:...
, or secret sociolect
Sociolect
In sociolinguistics, a sociolect or social dialect is a variety of language associated with a social group such as a socioeconomic class, an ethnic group, an age group, etc....
, of the south Bulgarian
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
builder
Construction worker
A construction worker or builder is a professional, tradesman, or labourer who directly participates in the physical construction of infrastructure.-Construction trades:...
s, bricklayer
Bricklayer
A bricklayer or mason is a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork. The term also refers to personnel who use blocks to construct blockwork walls and other forms of masonry. In British and Australian English, a bricklayer is colloquially known as a "brickie".The training of a trade in...
s and mason
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
s. The name comes from the word мещра meshtra, "master", from Latin magister. Meshterski served a linguistically isolating purpose, enabling the builders to communicate in secrecy, and a socially isolating purpose, emphasizing the builders' perceived supremacy over their contractors.
Distribution and vocabulary
The sociolect emerged among the Bulgarian masons in southwestern MacedoniaMacedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
, adjacent to the Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
lands. As a result, it includes a large number of Albanian loanwords, e.g. бука buka, "bread", from bukё; гяхта gyahta, "cheese", from djathë; мерам meram, "to take", from marr. There are much fewer loans from Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
(e.g. лашма lashma, "mud", from λάσπη laspi; карекла karekla, "chair", from καρέκλα karékla) and Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
(e.g. пиринч pirinch, "rice", from pirinç; сакал sakal, "beard", from sakal). Later, the language spread through migration to northeastern Macedonia (the region of Gotse Delchev
Gotse Delchev (town)
Gotse Delchev , is a town in Blagoevgrad Province of Bulgaria with a population of 23,573.In 1951 the town was renamed after the Bulgarian revolutionary Georgi Nikolov Delchev. It had hitherto been called Nevrokop ....
), the Rhodope Mountains
Rhodope Mountains
The Rhodopes are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece. Its highest peak, Golyam Perelik , is the seventh highest Bulgarian mountain...
around Smolyan
Smolyan
Smolyan is a town and ski resort in the very south of Bulgaria not far from the border with Greece. It is the administrative and industrial centre of the homonymous Smolyan Province...
, and the areas of Asenovgrad
Asenovgrad
Asenovgrad is a town in central southern Bulgaria, part of Plovdiv Province.-History:Asenovgrad was founded by the Thracians as Stenímachos around 300–400 BC. In 72 BC the city was captured by the troops of the Roman Empire as part of the Roman expansion towards the Black Sea. After a long period...
, Kazanlak
Kazanlak
Kazanlak, formerly Kazanlık is a Bulgarian town in Stara Zagora Province, located in the middle of the plain of the same name, at the foot of the Balkan mountain range, at the eastern end of the Rose Valley...
and the sub-Balkan valleys
Sub-Balkan valleys
The Sub-Balkan valleys are located between Stara Planina, Vitosha and Sredna Gora. There is great abundance of mineral waters, the most notable spas being Bankya, Sofia, Banya, Pavel Banya, Sliven Mineral Baths, Aitos. They are divided into two parts: western and eastern...
.
Although loanwords often remained semantically unchanged, the Bulgarian vocabulary in the sociolect was substituted with native metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
s, metonyms and words from different roots, so as to conceal the true meaning to outsiders, e.g. мокра mokra ("wet", fem.) for вода voda, "water"; гледач gledach ("looker") for око oko, "eye", обло oblo ("round", neut.) for яйце yaytse, "egg". The lexis of Meshterski included not only professional terms and basic vocabulary, but also other words, including religious terms, such as Светлив Svetliv, "Luminous", referring to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
or a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
.
Meshterski also spread to other social areas: it was borrowed by tinsmith
Tinsmith
A tinsmith, or tinner or tinker or tinplate worker, is a person who makes and repairs things made of light-coloured metal, particularly tinware...
s in at least one village in the Rhodopes, although with a much reduced vocabulary and renamed to Ganamarski. Albanian words mediated through Meshterski have also entered informal Bulgarian; these included кекав kekav, "weak, sickly" (from keq); кинти kinti, "money, dough" (from qind, "hundred"), скивам skivam, "to see, to take a look" (from shqyrtoj), келеш kelesh, "squirt, mangy fellow" (from qelesh).
Examples
| Cyrillic | Latin | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meshterski | Bulgarian | Meshterski | Bulgarian | English |
| Ветай, райчо, ветай! | Върви, слънце, върви! | Vetay, raycho, vetay! | Varvi, slantse, varvi! | Go, Sun Sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields... , go! |
| Шуле, доветай балта! | Момче, донеси кал! | Shule, dovetay balta! | Momche, donesi kal! | Boy, bring [some] mud! |