Dumplings with plums – time of the year
October 8, 2020
Let’s go to the village
October 21, 2020
Which one are you?
If you have ever talked to Dalmatians, one of the first things they will tell you is that in Dalmatia everything is upside down but in a way everything is special and everything has a Dalmatian touch.
Apart from the crystal clear sea, history, beautiful nature, gastronomic offer and love for sports in Dalmatia, you will meet special people. Dalmatians like to joke with each other, but they also like to invent swear words and names to insult each other as easily as possible when a discussion during a card game or some other game heats up. So we bring you the most common derogatory names that you will probably hear at least once during your stay in Dalmatia.
Vlaj
The first mention of Balkan Vlachs appears in Byzantine sources in 976. During the Vlach war in cooperation with the Bulgarians against Byzantium, Vlach was used as a derogatory name in various forms. No one knows who the Vlachs are and where exactly they come from. In different languages, in different areas and at different times, it is used for totally different ethnicity - from Romanians to the inhabitants of the Dalmatian hinterland. However, it always means the same - a derogatory name that would mean peasant, hillbilly, dirty farmer, etc. Today, Vlaji are all those who live or have roots in Dalmatian Zagora, whether they are newcomers or occasional visitors. It is said about Vlaji: "Maybe a peasant can leave from the village, but the village will never leave from the peasant."
Bodul
In Dalmatia, the name bodul is used for all inhabitants of the island. It is not known exactly where the word comes from, but it is assumed that it came from the Venetian “bololo'' which means small and fat man. According to other sources, bodul is a derivative of the Latin word vadum which means stupid person. In Dalmatia, the name is now used as a name for a stingy person who is originally from the island.
Dalmatians believe that all the inhabitants of the island are stingy, which probably comes from the fact that the islands are a notoriously stingy land, so it would be logical that people from that climate in the last millennium are a little more stingy than people from the coast. But, of course, this negative stereotype probably arose in totally different conditions. Just like the Vlaji, the islanders adopted their derogatory name and now bear it proudly.
Fetivi
Fetivi literally means real, primordial. Fetivi are self-proclaimed people who have lived in Split all their lives, and they inherited everything they have from their ancestors who also lived in Split. Fetivi have a very high opinion of themselves, they are special and God-given. The Vlaji came up with their own name for the Fetivi´s and called them Mandrlo, which in translation would mean loser and dangler.
Furešta
Furešta is most often used in the area of the cities ( Split, Zadar and Dubrovnikand) and describes a person who came to the city from other parts of the world Furešta is someone who is uncultured and who does not know the culture of Dalmatians. Briefly; a derogatory name for all newcomers.
Now that you are informed, the next time you are called Furešta in Dalmatia - it shouldn't be too hard for you to reply. ;)
