BOHEMIAN GRAMMAR
JAROSLAV VICTOR NIGRIN, A. M.
HARRISON TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL, CHICAGO.
[Illustration]
BOHEMIAN LITERARY SOCIETY. CHICAGO.
[Illustration]
Copyright, 1918, by the Slavie Publishing Co.,
Chicago, Ill.
“Slavie” Publishing Company 465 2544 S. Millard Ave., Chicago.
_To
CHARLES R. CRANE
a true and enlightened friend of the Slavs
this work is dedicated_
_J. V. N._
_Chicago, July 14, 1917_
PREFACE.
In preparing the present work it has been my aim to present to English
speaking people a practical text book of the Bohemian language written
along modern lines, explaining the grammatical principles and supplying
enough exercises to illustrate them. As far as I am aware there are
only two other books published on the same subject in English:--Chas.
Jonáš “Bohemian Made Easy” a book based on conversational method and
Grammar of the Bohemian language by W. Morfill, a very brief work
destined for philologists rather than general students. As Jonáš’s
book is out of print, and, as there is quite a demand for a practical
text book of Bohemian among businessmen and students--Bohemian is at
present taught at several Universities and High Schools in the United
States--this work was undertaken.
The basis of this work was “Mluvnice česká” by Dr. Jan Gebauer, this
being the standard Bohemian Grammar sanctioned by the university of
Prague. My task was to arrange, to present the facts of the language
given by Gebauer in such a way as to make its study most easy,
practical and palatable. To accomplish this aim I have used my own
experience and also followed suggestions given in various methods
employed in the teaching of modern languages, in order that the book
may be of assistance not only in a class-room but also in private
instruction.
It is perhaps needless to point out that the first part, dealing
with phonetics is very important, because, if the student obtains
a correct pronunciation at the very outset, he will have made
considerable progress in understanding and making himself understood.
It is further recommended that the oral exercises be really practised
orally--eventually by the entire class in unity. Learn the language
by ear and eye! To the exercises from Bohemian into English very soon
are added small articles, fables, stories and poems, which bring the
student in touch with the living language and not only with prepared
grammatical examples. It is certainly an easier and a surer way to
learn correct Bohemian by reading and hearing as much as possible of
good Bohemian than by making translation from English into Bohemian.
Therefore, the exercises given in Bohemian are more numerous than those
in English. Repetition makes mastery, and I did not hesitate to repeat
a point that seemed to me to be important and the student ought to
return again and again to such sections which are more difficult and
also more important.
Bohemian is a highly inflected language and presents a great
variety of forms. I tried to simplify the study of this multitude by
systematizing, by linking and uniting similar forms and by gradually
introducing the question of declension and verb forms. The part dealing
with idiomatic expressions and syntax is not as complete because I had
not enough material on hand. This present work is to a certain degree
a pioneer work and as such has had its difficulties that could not be
mastered in a comparatively short time and with insufficient material.
The book was written during the Great War, when it was impossible to
obtain the aid of authorities in Bohemia. However, I wish to express
my indebtedness to the following works consulted in my present work:
Rádce správné češtiny: Peter Zenkl; Škola českého jazyka, Říha, Heyduk,
besides the already mentioned works of Gebauer, Morfill and Jonáš.
I wish also to thank most sincerely the following kind helpers: my
colleague Boh. Kral, Mr. Josef Mach, Dr. J. E. S. Vojan and Miss Marie
Novak who helped in the compiling of the dictionary and especially Miss
Katherine Kiely for painstaking revision and help in proof-reading.
I hope, that the included paper by Mr. A. R. Nykl, on the “Slav Nations
and their languages” will help to awaken interest in Slavic philology.
It will also show that by studying Bohemian--a language of 10,000,000
people--of whom about a million are living in the United States, we are
really getting in touch with a race of almost 150 million souls, a race
that is comparatively youthful on the horizon of the history of mankind
and undoubtedly a race with a bright future.
I sincerely hope that this present work will help to foster the study
of Bohemian and that it will awaken interest in the literature and
culture of my native land.
Chicago, August 18, 1917.
Jaroslav Victor Nigrin.
SLAV NATIONS AND THEIR LANGUAGES.
By A. R. Nykl.
The =Slavs= belong to the Aryan or Indo-European group of races.
As the =original dwelling place= of the Slav race the majority of
savants designate the territory between the Carpathians and the Baltic
Sea, along the rivers Elbe, Vistula and Dnieper. It is generally
assumed that during the great migration of nations in the course
of the first centuries after Christ, various Slavonic tribes have
left their original common home and migrated West and South, forming
several separate groups, which in the course of time have developed
characteristic religious, climatic and linguistic idiosynsrasies. This
theory is considered the most plausible historically, though it is not
quite corroborated by archeological research.
The =NAME SLAVS= (=Slověne=) has been differently interpreted as being
derived from “=slavný=” (glorious) or “=slovo=” (word, speech, sermon).
It is assumed that the Slavs called themselves so, because they could
understand each other, while they called their neighbors, the Germans,
whose speech was unintelligible to them “=Němtsy=” (=ně-umtsy=), i. e.
people who were unable to speak intelligently. Another theory is that
the appellation =Slověne= was first adopted by a Slav tribe living in
the vicinity of Saloniki, which had been converted to Christianity by
the Sts. Cyrill and Methodius, and, having at the same time learned
the use of writing, wished to be known as a more educated people, in
contradistinction from other, still illiterate, tribes. Their language
has been preserved in the Orthodox church liturgy and is called the Old
Slavonic. As Christianity, and with it the use of writing, gradually
spread among the other Slav tribes, the distinctive name =Slověne= was
also adopted by them, and finally became synonymous of the whole race.
Originally the whole territory East of the river Elbe, part of Western
Saxony, Bohemia, Moravia, Hungary and Illyria were inhabited by Slavs.
From their settlements on the Elbe the Slavs were gradually driven
East by the Germans, in Hungary they were driven from the plains into
the mountains, i. e. the Carpathians, Tatra, the Alps and the Carso.
In the Balkan peninsula they were hemmed in by the Greeks and later
by the Turks. In Russia they were several times overrun by Asiatic
races. They stubbornly held their ground as guardians of Europe against
Asiatic domination, particularly so their Eastern and Southern groups.
These constant struggles have somewhat retarded their intellectual and
economic development, but their latent strength will surely bring them
to the position they should rightfully occupy in the world’s history.
According to their present dwellings the Slavs can be divided into
three groups:
I. NORTHWESTERN, comprising the Bohemians (Czechs), Slovaks, Lusatian
Serbs (Wends), Poles and Kashubes.
II. EASTERN, comprising Russians, i. e. Great Russians, Little Russians
(Ruthenians, Ugro-Russians) and White Russians.
III. SOUTHERN, comprising the Slovenes, Serbo-Croatians and Bulgarians.
=THE NUMERICAL STRENGTH= of the Slav nations is variously estimated
between 140 and 150 millions, distributed approximately as follows:
Czechs and Slovaks 10,000,000
Lusatian Serbs 180,000
Poles and Kashubes 20,125,000
Russians and White Russians 66,300,000
Little Russians 30,000,000
Serbo-Croatians 9,210,000
Slovenes 1,450,000
Bulgarians 4,850,000
=THE MUTUAL RESEMBLANCE= of the Slavonic languages is very great,
especially in syntax and grammatical structure. If a Bohemian, for
example, learns Russian thoroughly, he can understand and translate the
remaining Slavonic languages with a considerable degree of accuracy.
One may best judge of the similarity of the Slavonic languages by
comparing the following examples, which are the translation of the
first four verses of the Lord’s Prayer:
=Bohemian (Czech)=:
Otče náš, kterýž jsi v nebesích, posvěť se jméno tvé. Přijď království
tvé; buď vůle tvá, jako v nebi tak i na zemi.
=Old Slavonic=:
Otče naš, iže jesi na něbesěch! da svjatitsja imja tvojé, da priidět
carstvie tvojé: da búdět vôlja tvojá, jako na nebesi i na zemi.
=Bulgarian=:
Tatko ny kojto si v nebe-to, neka da se svjati ime-to tvoje; da dojde
carstvo-to tvoje; da bude volja-ta tvoja kakto na nebe-to, taka i na
zemja-ta.
=Serbo-Croatian=:
Oče naš koji je si na nebesima, da se sveti ime tvoje; da dodje carstvo
tvoje; da bude volja tvoja, i na zemlji kao na nebu.
=Slovene=:
Oče naš, ki si v nebesih, posvečeno bodi ime tvoje. Pridi kraljevstvo
tvoje. Zgodi se volja tvoja, kakor v nebesih, tako na zemlji.
=Lusatian Serbian=:
Wôtče naš, kiž sy w njebjesach; swječene budž twoje mjeno; přindž k nam
twoje kralestwo; twoja wola so staň kaž na njebju, tak tež na zemi.
=Polish=:
Ojcze nasz, który jest w niebie, świeč sie imie twoje, przyjdź
królestwo twoje, badź wola twoja jako w niebie tak i na ziemi.
=Little Russian=:
Otče naš ščo na nebi! Nechaj svjatitsja imja tvoje. Nechaj priide
carstvo tvoje. Nechaj bude volja tvoja jak na nebi, tak i na zemlj.
=Russian=:
Otěc naš kotorj jesi na něbesach; da svjatiťsja imja tvojo, da priďot
cárstvo tvojo, da budeť volja tvoja kak na něbesach i na zemli.
=WRITING=:
The invention of the oldest Slavonic writing, the =glagolitsa=, is
generally attributed to the two apostles, Cyrill and Methodius, but it
seems that this writing had already been in use prior to their advent.
It is derived from the old Greek alphabet, to which new letters,
representing sounds unknown to Greek, such as =št=, =šč=, =š=, =č=,
=jer=, =jery=, =jať=, were added. From the rather unwieldy letters of
the =glagolitsa= the more mobile =kyrillitsa= has been evolved, which
is now used in the Russian-Orthodox church books. The modern Russian
alphabet, the =graždanka=, is a simplified form of kyrillitsa, and
was first introduced by Peter the Great of Russia. It is used by all
Orthodox Slavs: the Russians and Little Russians, the Bulgarians and
Serbs. Those of the Slavonic tribes who came under the influence of the
Roman-Catholic church, i. e. Czechs, Slovaks, Lusatian Serbs, Slovenes,
Croatians and Poles, have adopted the Latin alphabet.
A BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE SLAVONIC LANGUAGES.
OLD SLAVONIC, also called Church Slavonic, was originally spoken in the
vicinity of Saloniki, and was the first literary language of the Slavs.
The old Bulgarian language is the one most closely related to it. Its
structure and vocabulary are used as a basis for comparative philology.
BOHEMIAN (Czech) and SLOVAK have been treated in detail in the
foregoing pages.
BULGARIAN is spoken by a race of Ugro-Finnish origin, which emigrated
from Northern Russia to the Balkans and adopted the language of the
Slav tribes whom it conquered. Its main characteristic is the use
of definite article at the end of nouns, cf. =car-at=, =zemja-ta=,
=nebe-to=. Its older literature contains many fine examples of Slav
poesy. (There are three principal dialects spoken in Bulgaria: the
Danubian, the Thracian and the Macedonian, which form the bridge
between the Russian on the one side and the Serbo-Croatian on the
other.)
SERBO-CROATIAN is spoken in Serbia, Croatia-Slavonia, Montenegro,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dalmatia, Adriatic islands and Southern Hungary
(Bacska, Sirmia and Banat). (There are four principal dialects:
=čakavština=, =štokavština=, =kajkavština= and =cvrližština=.) The only
difference between the Serbs and the Croats is that the former are
chiefly Orthodox and partly Mohammedan and use the Russian alphabet,
while the latter are mostly Roman-Catholics and use the Latin alphabet.
The greatest literary treasure of this language constitute the national
epics (=narodne pjesme=), in which the national heroes, who fell in
the fateful battle of Kosovo Polje. The chief characteristic of this
language is that it is spelt entirely phonetically.
SLOVENE is spoken in Southern Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, Istria,
Gorizia, Trieste and in several districts near Udine in Italy. It is
very much akin to the Serbo-Croatian and shows but slight differences
in syntax and composition.
WEND or LUSATIAN SERBIAN is spoken in some districts of the Upper and
Lower Lusatia and forms a bridge between the Bohemian and Polish. The
center of this tribe, now entirely surrounded by the Germans, is the
town of Bautzen (Budyšín).
POLISH is next to Slovak the most akin to Bohemian. Various sounds,
which in Bohemian are rendered by diacritical marks, such as =š=, =ř=,
=č=, are represented by =sz=, =rz=, =cz= in Polish. A difference is
also made between the soft and hard l, as in Russian. The language has
also preserved the old Slavonic nasal sounds =ą= (on) and =ę= (en). A
glorious national history and splendid literature are the heritage of
the Polish nation, and the language is well worth the study.
The KASHUBE is a dialect spoken in Pomerania, near Danzig, by about
200.000 souls. The Kashubes, however, mostly consider themselves Poles.
LITTLE RUSSIAN, also called Ruthenian or Ukrainian, is spoken in
Eastern Galicia, in the Carpathians from Uzhorod to Munkács, Northern
Bukowina, and Southern Russia, along the Black Sea and the rivers
Dniester, Dnieper and Don. It is rich in national poesy, and, like
the Serbo-Croatian, has preserved some of the purest characteristics
of the Slav race. It constitutes a bridge between the Polish and the
Russian, being to a certain extent a mixture of the two languages. It
chiefly differs from the Russian in the pronunciation of =jery=, =jať=,
=e=, =o=, and =u=, cf. =dilo= (Russ. djelo), =buv= (Russ. byl), =dovg=
(Russ. dolg), =ridny= (Russ. rodnoj), =vže= (Russ. uže), =usjaki=
(Russ. vsjaki).
RUSSIAN, also called Great Russian, is the official language of the
Russian Empire. It is the most important of all the Slavonic languages
and every Bohemian ought to learn it, especially in view of the great
facility with which he can acquire it as compared with non-Slavonic
nationalities. By learning it one acquires at the same time the key to
all other Slavonic languages, so that one can learn any one of them in
less than six months.
The grammatical forms and syntax in Russian are purer and more
elaborate than in any other Slavonic tongue. The knowledge of Russian
opens one the door to an immense literature, whose beauties have thus
far found only a very fragmentary interpretation in America. Bohemians
in America ought to devote special attention to the learning of Russian
language and affairs, because Russia has a great future before her,
and the friendliest relations should be cultivated between her and the
United States.
Among the extinct Slavonic languages a special mention deserves the
=Polabian=, which was spoken by the Slav tribes who lived on the
river Elbe, i. e. =Vagri= in Lauenburg and Holstein, =Bodrici= in
Mecklenburg, and =Lutici= (Veleti) in Brandenburg, as far back as the
latter part of the 18th century.
PART I.--DÍL I.
PHONETICS--HLÁSKOSLOVÍ.
The Bohemian Alphabet--Česká Abeceda.
A. The Alphabet.
The Bohemian alphabet--=abeceda=--(called after the first four letters
a, b, c, d) consists of 39 letters--písmen.
To these letters correspond individual sounds--=hlásky=--which go
to make up the Bohemian words. The Bohemian language is very nearly
phonetic, that is, for each sound there is a letter or, in other words,
the spelling of words agrees with the pronounciation. These sounds are
divided into: vowels--=samohlásky=--; and consonants--=souhlásky=.
B. The Vowels--Samohlásky.
The vowels are the word building sounds. =Every vowel (and every
consonant) has only one, unchanging pronunciation.= The vowels are:
=a= like final a in America,
=e= like e in pen,
=o= like o in obey,
=u= like u in pull,
=y= was formerly pronounced hard (as u in French, or ue in German), but
it softened and is now almost equal to i.
Long and short vowels.--Dlouhé a krátké samohlásky.
The vowels a, e, i, o, u, y as given above are called
short--=krátké=,--and their pronounciation is short. But the same
vowels occur long--=dlouhé= and then they are marked with the long
sign--=čárka= and are pronounced long.
=Dlouhé samohlásky=: =á=, =é=, =í=, =ó=, =ú=, =ý=
C. Consonants.--Souhlásky.
Most of the consonants in Bohemian have the same sound as in English.
These will be taken up first.
The following consonants have the same pronounciation in Bohemian as in
English:
=b=, =d=, =f=, =h=, =l=, =m=, =p=, =r=, =t=, =v=, =z=. The letter =s=
is always pronounced as the =s= in side; never like s in =nose= (sound
z).
The Accent--Přízvuk.
In Bohemian the accent falls upon the first syllable. If the word
contains many syllables a secondary and weaker accent falls upon the
odd syllables (that is upon the third or fifth). Since the accent is
regular there is no need of marking it.
=Note.=--Differentiate between the long syllable and the accented one!
Examples: Voda (water). Here both syllables are short, the first one
is accented; pátá (the fifth); here both syllables are long, the first
one is accented. Kámen (the stone); here the first syllable is long
and is accented; malá (small); here the first syllable is short but
accented, the second is long and unaccented. The accent is the stress
of the voice, while the long syllable refers merely to the prolongation
in sounding. =The beginner is advised to pronounce the long syllables
markedly long just for the sake of practice.=
GRAMMAR.
VERBS.
=mám=, I have; =má=, has; =máme=, we have;
=znám=, I know; =zná=, knows; =známe=, we know;
=volám=, I call; =volá=, calls; =voláme=, we call.
=The negative form of the verb= is formed by simple prefixing--=ne=--to
the verb. Examples: neznám--I don’t know; nemáme--we have not etc.
NOUNS.
We begin with the nouns of the first declension. They end in a
consonant in the nominative singular. In the objective (accusative)
case they add =-a=; in the objective plural they replace =-a= by =-y=.
Examples:
bratr--brother, objective sing. bratra, object. plural bratry.
syn--son; object. sing. syna, object. plural syny.
pán--gentleman, object. sing. pána, object. plural pány.
pták--bird, objective sing. ptáka, object. plural ptáky.
sedlák--a farmer, object. sing. sedláka, object. plural sedláky.
hoch--a boy, object. sing. hocha, object. plural hochy.
=Article.=--There is =no= article, definite or indefinite in Bohemian.
=Use of the cases.=--The subject of a sentence is in the nominative
case (the case that names the person or thing). The object of the verb
is in the objective case.
Pán volá hocha.--The gentleman calls the boy.
=Who= (kdo) calls? =The gentleman calls.=--Pán volá. The gentleman
is the subject of the sentence and is in the nominative case. =Whom=
(koho) does the gentleman call? The gentleman calls =the boy=.--Pán
volá hocha. The boy is the object of the verb calls and is in the
objective case.
Since Bohemian is a highly inflected language, it is of extreme
importance to become acquainted early with the case forms and their
meanings.
Exercise I.
Translate into English:
Mám bratra. Máme bratry. Znám ptáka. Voláme sedláky. Bratr volá hocha.
Sedlák má syna. Pán volá bratra. Sedlák nezná pána. Hoch nemá ptáka.
Bratr nevolá hocha. Neznám pána. Nevolám sedláka. (The article and
auxiliary do, does, are not translated).
Exercise II.
Translate into Bohemian:
The farmer knows the gentleman. We have a brother. The gentleman has
a bird. The farmer doesn’t know the boy. We know the farmer. The
gentleman doesn’t call the boys. The farmer has sons. The brother knows
the boys. I know the boy. I don’t know the gentleman.
LESSON II. ÚLOHA II.
Phonetics.--Hláskosloví.
Consonants having different pronounciation in Bohemian than in English.
=c= pronounced like ts, =noc= the night, =celý= whole.
=j= pronounced like =y= in you, já I, =voják= the soldier.
=ch= pronounced like =kh= (more exactly like German =ch=,
machen)--=chudý=, poor.
Consonants with the hook marks.--Souhlásky s háčky.
When the Latin script was adopted for the Bohemian language there were
not enough letters for some of the Bohemian sounds. In the early times
groups of letters were used to denote such sounds. The long vowels were
marked by doubling. Ex. Pán was written paan, the present letter =š=
(equal to our =sh= in =shoe=) was written =ss=, =sh=, or =sch=. In the
XV. century the Bohemian reformer John Hus advanced a spelling reform
by devising simple marks over kindred Latin letters to represent such
sounds as had no Latin equivalents. At the present hooks are used to
mark these peculiar consonants.
=ž=, like z in seizure, =žák=, pupil;--=užitek=, use.
=š=, like sh in shoe, =košile=, shirt;--=koš=, a basket.
=č=, like ch in church, =černý=, black;--=oči=, eyes.
=ť=, like ty (y like in you), =koťata=, kittens;--=ťuká=, knocks.
=ď=, like dy (y like in you), =loď=, ship.
=ň=, like n in onion, =laň=, roe;--=kůň=, horse.
=ř=, something like rsh, =kořen=, root;--=hoří=, burns.
It is impossible to indicate the exact pronounciation of the letters
=ď=, =ť= and =ř=. The best way to learn their pronunciation is by
imitating the native Bohemians. The following phonetical description of
the more difficult sounds will be perhaps helpful.
=ď=, =ť=, =ň= are palatal dentals. They are formed when the tip of the
tongue is close to the conjunction of the palate and front teeth.
=ž=, =š=, =č= are palatal sibilants, the position of the tongue is
in the middle of the mouth, the teeth are almost closed and =hissing
sounds are formed=.
=ř=, the tongue as in the preceding section, but the tip is slightly
raised and it trills when =ř= is pronounced.
=h=, =ch=, =gutturals=, are formed in the throat.
di, ti, ni.
Syllables =di=, =ti=, =ni= are pronounced as if written =ďi=, =ťi=,
=ňi=, leaving out the “v” hook is an exception in writing.
Distinguish carefully in writing and speaking the syllables =di=, =ti=,
=ni=, from =dy=, =ty=, =ny=. This is very important!
=Examples=:--=zvony=, bells; =zvoní=, rings; =u vody=, by the water;
=vodí=, leads; =letí=, flies; =tety=, aunts; =noviny=, newspaper;
=nic=, nothing; =ticho=, silence; =boty=, boots; =vždy=, always;
=divadlo=, theater.
Verbs. Slovíčka.
=Jsem=, I am, =Jsme=, we are,
=jsi=, thou art, =jste=, you are,
=on jest= (abbreviated =je=), he is, =ona jest= (je), she is,
=máš=, thou hast, =máte=, you have,
=znáš=, thou knowst, =znáte=, you know,
=voláš=, thou calls, =voláte=, you call.
The second person singular =jsi=, =máš=, =voláš= etc. corresponds to
our: thou art, thou hast, thou callest etc. These forms, however,
are obsolete in English and therefore the Bohemian forms ought to be
translated by you are, you have, you call etc.
In Bohemian the singular forms =jsi=, =máš=, etc. are used in a
familiar way, in talking to intimate friends, to children, or among the
members of the family. The plural forms, =jste=, =máte= etc. are the
polite forms to be used by the stranger.
NOUNS.
=bratr=, brother, =bratři=, brothers;
=pán=, gentleman, =páni=, gentlemen;
=pták=, bird, =ptáci=, birds;
=sedlák=, farmer, =sedláci=, farmers;
=hoch=, boy, =hoši=, boys;
=žák=, pupil, =žáci=, pupils;
=voják=, soldier, =vojáci=, soldiers;
=holub=, pigeon, =holubi=, pigeons.
Nominative plural of the nouns of the first declension:
The nominative plural of the nouns of the first declension ends in -i.
=Zde=, here; =doma=, home.
Exercise I.
Translate into English:
Jsem žák. Jsme žáci. Nejsem voják. Nejsme vojáci. Žák má bratra. Žáci
mají bratry. Voják volá sedláka. Sedlák jest zde. Nejsem sedlák, jsem
žák. Bratr jest doma. Hoši jsou doma. Hoch má holuba. Voláme pány.
Voláš pána. Máte holuby. Jste zde. Neznáme hochy. Ona jest doma.
Exercise II.
Translate into Bohemian:
I am here. The boy is home. The farmer has a pigeon. The farmers have
pigeons. You don’t know the gentleman. The soldier has a brother. We
are soldiers. The gentleman has a son. You call the boy. We know the
gentleman. The birds are here. She is home. He is here.
Reading exercise. Given to practice the pronunciation.
LEV A MYŠ.
Lev spal. Malá myška mu skočila na záda. Lev se probudil a chytil myš
do svých drápů. Ulekaná myš prosila lva: Pusť mne, odplatím se ti
jednou. Lev se dal do smíchu, že mu malá myška slibuje odplatu, ale
pustil ji na svobodu.
Za rok lovci chytili lva a přivázali ke stromu provazem. Myška uslyšela
řvaní lva, přišla, přehryzla provaz a pravila: Vidíš, smál jsi se,
že bych ti nemohla pomoci, ale teď vidíš, že i malá myška může mnoho
vykonati.
LESSON III. ÚLOHA III.
Phonetics.--Hláskosloví.
Hard and soft consonants.--Měkké a tvrdé souhlásky.--I and Y.
The two vowels =i=, and =y= differ slightly in pronounciation, see
Lesson I. =I= is called měkké =i= (soft i), =y= is called =tvrdé y=.
The distinction between these two letters is very important.
=h=, =ch=, =k=, =d=, =t=, =n=, =r= are called =tvrdé souhlásky=--hard
consonants and they are followed by =y= or =ý=.
=ž=, =š=, =č=, =c=, =ď=, =ť=, =ň=, =ř=, =j=, are called =měkké
souhlásky=--soft consonants and are followed by =i=, or =í=.
Memorize each set of the consonants and keep well in mind the
fundamental distinction between them.
=ou= is the only diphthong in Bohemian. It is pronounced as =o= in
=low=. =Koule=, a ball; =louka=, a meadow.
=ú, ů.= If the long =u= occurs at the beginning of the words the simple
long mark =´= is used; =ú=kol, lesson; =ú=terý, Tuesday. If the long u
occurs in the middle or at the end of the words a little circle mark
=ů= is used to denote the length, =růže=, rose; =dolů=, down; =kůže=,
leather.
Where we have =ů= at present the old Bohemian had =ó=, bóh o. B.
(=bůh=), =stól= o. B. (=stůl=), table etc.
=ě= called and formerly written ie, pronounce =iye=.
=e= is the only vowel taking the hook mark.
=ě= occurs in the following syllables:
=mě= (mye), =město=, city, =uměti=, to know.
=bě= (bye), =běhám=, I run, =oběd=, dinner.
=vě= (vye), =věda=, science, =věci=, things.
=pě= (pye), =pět=, five, =pěna=, foam.
=fě= (fye), =fěrtoch=, an apron.
Syllables =dě=, =tě=, =ně= are pronounced as if written =ďe=, =ťe=,
=ňe=. Both =di=, =ti=, =ni= and =dě=, =tě=, =ně=, are exceptional modes
of writing.
Distinguish carefully between: =dě=, =tě=, =ně=, and =de=, =te=, =ne=;
=mě=, =bě=, =pě=, =vě=, =fě=, and =me=, =be=, =pe=, =ve=, =fe=.
=Vedeme=, =tebe=, =tělo=, =umění=, =něco=, =věci=, =nedělej=, =pěst=,
=ledy=, =týrá=, =udice=, =utíká=, =nyní=, =u vany=, =voní=.
GRAMMAR.
Present indicative of verb slyšeti--to hear.
=Slyším=, I hear, =slyšíme=, we hear,
=slyšíš=, you hear, =slyšíte=, you hear,
=slyší=, he hears, =slyší=, they hear.
There is no progressive form of the verb in Bohemian, therefore
=slyším= can also be translated by I am hearing; =voláme=, we are
calling etc. The following verbs are conjugated in the same way as
=slyším=. The first person only is given: =vidím=, I see; =nosím=, I
carry; =chodím=, I walk; =mluvím=, I speak; =chválím=, I praise.
=bratra=, of the brother;--=bratrů=, of the brothers.
The possessive case of the nouns of the first declension ends in =-a=
in the singular and in =-ů= in the plural.
The first three cases of pán.
Singular Plural
Nominative =pán=, the gentleman, =páni=, the gentlemen,
objective =pána=, the gentleman, =pány=, the gentlemen,
possessive =pána=, of the gentleman, =pánů=, of the gentlemen.
The nouns of the first declension are all of the masculine gender. They
are divided into two sections, the first denoting animate things only,
the other denoting inanimate beings. The second section, that of the
inanimate nouns is declined as follows:
Singular Plural
Nominative =strom=, the tree, =stromy=, the trees,
objective =strom=, the tree, =stromy=, the trees,
possessive =stromu=, of the tree, =stromů=, of the trees.
As we have seen we do not need to use the personal pronouns with the
Bohemian verb to indicate person and number. The endings of the verb
show that with sufficient clearness.
=The interrogative form= is denoted by the question mark in writing and
proper accentuation in speaking, e. g.
=Voláte bratra.= You call the brother. Positive statement.
=Voláte bratra?= Do you call the brother? Question.
=Nemáte chleba.= You have no bread. Positive statement.
=Nemáte chleba?= Haven’t you bread? Question.
=Kdo?= who?
=Koho?= whom?
=Co?= what?
=Kde?= where?
=a=, and;
=ne=, no;
=ano=, yes.
These inanimate nouns are declined like strom.
=klobouk=, hat;
=strom=, tree;
=chléb=, bread;
=kabát=, coat;
=obraz=, picture;
=rám=, frame.
Exercise I.
Translate into English:
Kdo má kabát? Já mám kabát. My máme kabáty. Koho voláte? Volám bratra
a vojáka. Zde jest kabát hocha. Vidíte strom? Ano, vidím strom. Ne,
nevidím strom. Máš chléb? Ano, mám chléb. Žák má klobouk a kabát. Koho
slyšíte? Slyším hocha. Koho chválíte? Chválíme žáka. Pán má obraz. Rám
obrazu. Chléb sedláků.
Exercise II.
Translate into Bohemian:
The gentleman has a picture. Whom do you hear? I hear the soldiers.
We speak. Do you know the farmer? Yes, I know the farmer. Whom do you
call? I call the brother. We praise the farmers. What do you hear? Do
you see the boy and the soldier?
Reading Exercises:
Koulelo se, koulelo
červené jablíčko.--
Komu ty se dostaneš,
mé zlaté srdíčko?
Myštičko, myš,
pojď ke mně blíž.
Nepůjdu, kocourku,
nebo mne sníš.
LESSON IV. ÚLOHA IV.
PHONETICS.
Semivowels.--Polosouhlásky.
There are some words in Bohemian that contain no vowels; ex. =vlk=,
wolf; =prst=, finger.… In such words the consonants =l= and =r= play
the part of a vowel; they take a softer sound and are called semivowels
(Pronounce them as if there were a slight e before l or r. =Vlk= as
=velk=, =prst= as =perst=).
=Examples=:--Strč prst skrz krk. Drn, pln, slz, brk, vlna.--Some
consonants following each other give trouble to the inexperienced
beginner. Much practice is therefore necessary to acquire a good
pronounciation right from the beginning.
Drill exercise.--Pronounce distinctly:
=hněv=, anger; =čti=, read; =zdi=, walls; =štěstí=, happiness;
=kořist=, prey; =zvon=, bell; =sklep=, cellar.
Šla Prokopka pro Prokopa, Prokope, dej trochu oukropa. Třiatřicet
křepelek letělo přes třiatřicet stříbrných střech.
The Bohemian Alphabet.
=a=, =á=, =b=, =c=, =č=, =d=, =ď=, =e=, =é=, =é=, =ě=, =f=, =g=, =h=,
=ch=, =i=, =í=, =j=, =k=, =l=, =m=, =n=, =ň=, =o=, =ó=, =p=, =r=, =ř=,
=s=, =š=, =t=, =ť=, =u=, =ú=, =ů=, =v=, =y=, =ý=, =z=, =ž=.
The letters =q=, =x=, =w= occur only in words of foreign origin.
The vowels =a=, =e=, =i=, =o=, =u=, =y= have full vocal tone.
Consonants are divided into surds =ch=, =k=, =t=, =ť=, =p=, =s=, =c=,
=š=, =č=, =f=. They have a dull sound and no vocal tone while the
sonants =h=, =g=, =d=, =ď=, =b=, =z=, =ž=, =v=, have a clear sound and
light vocal tone.--When a surd follows the sonant or vice versa, either
in the same word or in two neighboring words, then either the surd
changes into a sonant or the sonant into a surd so that they are both
of the same quality.
Examples:
=lehký=, light, is pronounced as =lechký=,
=nehty=, nails, is pronounced as =nechty=,
=kde=, where, is pronounced as =gde=,
=kdo=, who, is pronounced as =gdo=,
=v Praze= is pronounced as =f Praze=,
=bez práce= is pronounced as =bes práce=.
The final sonant changes into a surd.
=v= is pronounced as =f=, =lev= (lion) is pronounced =lef=,
=h= is pronounced as =ch=, =sníh= (snow) is pronounced =sních=,
=z= is pronounced as =s=, =lez= (crawl!) is pronounced as =les=,
=ž= is pronounced as =š=, =běž= (run!) is pronounced as =běš=,
=ď= is pronounced as =ť=, =loď= (ship) is pronounced as =loť=.
When, however, a vowel follows the sonant, this will keep its full
sound; =lvi=, lions; =ve sněhu=, in the snow; =lezu=, I crawl; =běžím=,
I run; =lodě=, ships.
Prepositions =v=, in; =k=, to, towards; =s=, with, =are= words. They
must therefore be separated from words before which they stand but in
speaking they are united to the following word and pronounced as one,
e. g.: =v lese=, in the forest say =vlese=; =k bratru=, to the brother
say =kbratru=, =s pánem=, with the gentleman, say =spánem=.
GRAMMAR.
Pronouns.--Náměstky.
=Já=, I, =my=, we,
=ty=, thou (but translated you) =vy=, you,
=on=, he, =oni=, )
=ona=, she, =ony=, ) they
=ono=, it; =ona=, )
Notice that while in English the plural of all three he, she and it is
=they=, each of these has its own plural form in Bohemian.
We have had so far two classes of verbs and the auxiliary to be, =býti=.
=Já volám=, I call, =my voláme=, we call,
=ty voláš=, you call, =vy voláte=, you call,
=on= ) he ) =oni= )
=ona= ) =volá= she ) calls =ony= ) =volají=, they call.
=ono= ) it ) =ona= )
The personal pronoun is usually omitted, except in emphatic statements.
The third person plural of the verbs of the first lessons: =mají=, they
have, =znají=, they know (the same as =volají=) and =jsou=, they =are=.
Gender.--Rod.
All nouns in Bohemian belong to either the masculine, feminine or
neuter gender. =Jsou buď rodu mužského, ženského nebo středního.=
This distinction is called grammatical gender.--Nouns ending in the
nominative singular in =a= are of feminine gender.
Declension of the feminine nouns ending in -a.
Singular. Plural.
Nominative =škola=, school; =školy=, schools,
objective =školu=, school; =školy=, schools,
possessive =školy=, of the school; =škol=, of the schools.
Feminine nouns of this declension:
=škola=, school,
=kniha=, book,
=teta=, aunt,
=ryba=, fish,
=sestra=, sister,
=matka=, mother.
=Ve škole=, in the school (locative case).
Exercise I.
Translate into English:
Kdo jest ve škole? My jsme ve škole. Pán jest doma. Kde jsou vojáci?
Oni jsou zde. Mám knihu. Má sestra má knihy. Neslyším sestry. Sestry
volají hocha. Kde jest hoch? Hoch jest ve škole. Voláme tetu, ona jest
doma. Knihu žáka má voják. Vidím dům sedláka. Chválíte žáky? Ano,
chválíme žáky.
Exercise II.
Answer in Bohemian:
Kde jest sestra? Máte knihy? Slyšíte pána, znáte vojáky? Kde jest hoch?
Co má ona? Koho volají ony? Vidíte stromy?
Exercise III.
Translate into Bohemian:
We don’t hear the gentleman. She has an aunt. The pupils are in the
school. Where is the sister of the soldier? The bread of the farmer is
here. She doesn’t hear. They (masc.) don’t hear. They (feminine) don’t
see. What do you see? I have books. We have books in the school.
LESSON V. ÚLOHA V.
Review of the Phonetics.--Opakování hláskování.
Vowels.--Samohlásky.
Short, =krátké=: =a=, =e=, =ě=, =i=, =o=, =u=, =y=;
long, =dlouhé=: =á=, =é=, =í=, =ó=, =ú=, =ů=, =ý=.
Consonants.--Souhlásky.
Soft consonants, =měkké souhlásky=: =ž=, =š=, =č=, =c=, =ď=, =ť=, =ň=,
=ř=, =j=, followed by =i= or =í=.
Hard consonants, =tvrdé souhlásky=: =h=, =ch=, =k=, =d=, =t=, =n=, =r=,
followed by =y= or =ý=.
Soft syllables, =měkké slabiky=: =di=, =ti=, =ni=, =dě=, =tě=, =ně=,
=bě=, =pě=, =vě=, =mě=, =fě=.
Hard syllables, =tvrdé slabiky=: =dy=, =ty=, =ny=, =de=, =te=, =ne=,
=be=, =pe=, =ve=, =me=, =fe=.
Diphthong, dvojhláska: ou.
The remaining consonants: =b=, =p=, =v=, =l=, =m=, =s=, =z=, =f=,
are called =neutral consonants--obojetné souhlásky=. These consonants
become hard or soft in certain cases or verb ending as will be shown in
the grammar or they are soft or hard in certain words to be taken up
latter on. The proper use of =y= or =i= after neutral consonants is one
of the difficulties of the Bohemian grammar.
=Long vowels--dlouhé samohlásky.=--It is very important to employ
the long mark =´= over long vowels and to give sufficient length in
pronouncing them. The beginner especially should prolong them to
acquire the habit. Many quasi-homonyms are distinguished by the length
sign: e. g. =pata=, heel, =pátá=, fifth, =peče=, bakes, =péče=, care,
=pára=, steam, =párá=, ripping, =psi=, dogs, =psí=, of the dog, =kůl=,
post, pillar, =kul=, forged.
GRAMMAR.
THE DATIVE CASE.
The indirect object is expressed by the dative case. It answers to the
question to whom? Komu?
I give a book to the boy.--Dám knihu hochovi.
I give what? The book. The book is the direct object.
To whom do I give the book? To the boy, =hochovi=. The boy is the
indirect object expressed in Bohemian by the dative case. The
preposition =k=, to or towards, (=ke= or =ku= before word beginning
with =k=, =b=, =v=, =p=) is used only to denote direction, when the
verb implies motion. =Jdu ke stolu.= I go to (towards) the table.
The forms of the dative.
Singular. Plural.
Masculine animate =pánu=, or =pánovi=, =pánům=,
Masculine inanimate =stromu=, =stromům=,
Feminine =škole=, =školám=.
Adjectives.--Přídavná jména.
In Bohemian the adjectives agree with the noun they modify in gender,
number and case.
Nominative singular and plural of the masculine and feminine forms of
the adjectives.
Singular.
Masculine animate =velký voják=, big soldier,
masculine inanimate =nový kabát=, a new coat,
feminine =dobrá škola=, a good school.
Plural.
Masculine animate =velcí vojáci=, big soldiers,
Masculine inanimate =nové kabáty=, new coats,
Feminine =dobré školy=, good schools.
The adjective ends in the nominative singular for the masculine in =-ý=.
The adjective ends in the nominative singular for the feminine in =-á=.
The adjective ends in the nominative plural for the masculine anim. in
=-í=.
The adjective ends in the nominative pl. for the masculine inanim. in
=-é=.
The adjective ends in the nominative plural for the feminine in =-é=.
Vocabulary.
=dal=, gave;
=malý=, =-á=, small;
=velký=, =-á=, big; (=-á= is abbreviation for =velká=);
=starý=, =-á=, old;
=nový=, =-á=, new;
=zelený=, =-á=, green;
=dobrý=, =-á=, good, used both with objects and persons.
=špatný=, =-á=, bad;
=jaký=, =-á=, of what kind (adjective);
=není=, is not.
Exercise I.
Translate into English:
Hodný sedlák dal hochovi knihu. Hodní sedláci dali hochům knihy. Stromy
jsou zelené. Malý žák jest ve škole. Kde jest hodný hoch? Hodný hoch
jest doma. Pán dal hochovi klobouk. Slyším sestru. Jest žák hodný? Ano,
žák jest hodný. Jest kniha stará? Ne, kniha není stará, kniha jest
nová. Sedlák dal chleba pánovi. Starý pán jest doma. Hodná matka jest
zde. Starý dům jest veliký. Kabát hocha jest nový.
Exercise II.
Translate into Bohemian:
The old gentleman knows the boy. The old gentlemen know the boys. Is
the small boy in the school? Yes, he is in the school. No, he is not in
the school, he is at home. The coat is old. Where is the big soldier?
We have coats and hats. The good pupils are in school. Where is the big
sister? The aunt is good. The tree is big and green.
Reading exercise.
KMOTR MATĚJ.
Kmotr Matěj šel navštívit kmotra Jíru. Nedaleko statku potkal kmotrova
chlapce.
“Co dělá táta, Josífku?” ptá se ho.
“Právě chtěl jíst, ale když vás viděl přicházet, vstal a nechal jídla
být,” odpověděl pravdomluvný hoch.
“A proč pak?”
“Inu, táta povídal, že byste nám mnoho snědl, a máma to musela se stolu
všecko uschovat.”
“A kam pak to schovala, Josífku?”
“Husu dala na pícku, kýtu na kamna, klobásy se zelím do trouby, buchty
na polici a dva džbány piva pod lavici.”
Kmotr se neptal dále, usmál se a v okamžení vešel přes práh ke kmotrovi.
“Pozdrav tě bůh!” vítal ho kmotr Jíra. “Ale že pak jsi nepřišel o
chvilku dříve, mohl jsi s námi jíst, právě dnes nám od jídla nic
nezbylo, čím bychom tě uctili.”
“Nemohl jsem, milý kmotříčku, dříve přijít, přihodilo se mi na cestě
něco neočekávaného.”
“A co, povídej!”
“Zabil jsem ti hada, a ten had měl hlavu tak velikou jako ta kýta, co
máte na kamnech, tlustý byl jako ta husa, co je na pícce, bílé masíčko
měl jako ty buchty, co jsou na polici, dlouhý pak byl jako ty klobásy,
co leží otočené na zelí v troubě, krve ale bylo, co piva v těch dvou
džbánech, co tamto pod lavicí stojí.”
Dobře to Matěj vyvedl. Kmotr Jíra se za svou nehostinnost zastyděl,
žena musela jídlo a pití na stůl postavit, a oba teprv hosta častovali.
Božena Němcová.
LESSON VI. ÚLOHA VI.
Měkčení tvrdých souhlásek.--Softening of hard consonants.
It was stated in Lesson III. that the plural of the masculine animate
nouns and their adjectives ends in =-i=--měkké =i.= Since =i,= měkké,
cannot follow a hard consonant this must =soften,= that is change into
corresponding soft consonant. In softening, =při měkčení=
=h= changes into =z=, =druh=, comrade, =druzi=, comrades,
=ch= changes into =š=, =hoch=, boy, =hoši=, boys,
=k= changes into =c=, =voják=, soldier, =vojáci=, soldiers,
=r= changes into =ř=, =bratr=, brother, =bratři=, brothers.
=d=, =t=, =n= soften automatically upon the addition of =i=--=di=, =ti=,
=ni=.
Neutral consonants simply add =-i.=
This change, called softening, is very important, it also occurs after
=ě=.
GRAMMAR.
Locative and instrumental cases.
After the prepositions: =o=, about, =v (ve)=, in, =po=, following,
after, =the locative case= is employed in Bohemian.
After the prepositions: =s (se)=, with, =za=, behind, further
where in the English we employ the preposition =by= to signify
=instrumentality= to some action, =the instrumental case= is used in
Bohemian.
=Note.=--Prepositions =s=, with; =v=, in; =k=, to, towards, add =-e=
for the sake of euphony, (=k= before =k=, =b=, =v=, =p=, =v= before
=v=, =f=, =s= before =s=, =z=, =š=, =ž=).
Locative case.
Singular. Plural.
masc. anim. =pánu=, =pánovi=, =pánech=,
masc. inan. =stromu=, =stromě=, =stromech=,
feminine =škole=, =školách=.
Instrumental case.
masc. anim. =pánem=, =pány=,
masc. inan. =stromem=, =stromy=,
feminine =školou=, =školami=.
Mluvím =o hochovi=. I speak about the boy. Locative case.
Mluvím =s hochem=. I speak with the boy. Instrumental case.
=Jdu=, I go, =jdeme=, we go,
=jdeš=, you go, =jdete=, you go,
=jde=, he goes, =jdou=, they go.
The following verbs form their present indicative like =jdu=: =nesu=, I
carry, =čtu=, I read, =beru=, I take.
Exercise I.
=Jdu s pánem=. I go with the gentleman, =jdeš s pánem, on jde s pánem,
ona jde s pánem=. =My jdeme s pánem, vy jdete s pánem, oni jdou s
pánem, ony jdou s pánem.=
Continue orally as in the example above indicated throughout all three
persons singular and plural:
=Nesu knihu= …
=Volám žáka= …
=Čtu ve škole= …
=Mám kabát= …
=Slyším ptáka= …
=Vidím strom= …
Vocabulary.
=dívka=, girl;
=Češka=, Bohemian girl;
=Američanka=, American girl;
=zpívá= (like =volá=), sings;
=Čech=, Bohemian;
=Američan=, American;
=les=, forest;
=kam?= where;
=ten=, this one for masculine;
=ta=, this one for feminine.
=Do= (preposition) is followed by possessive case.
Exercise II.
Translate into English:
Jdu do školy. Máš klobouk a kabát. Ta dívka jest Češka. Jest ten voják
Čech? Ne, on není Čech, jest Američan. Jdu do lesa. V lese jsou stromy.
Pták zpívá v lese. Kdo mluví o škole? Hoch sedláka mluví o škole. Koho
volá sestra? Sestra volá tetu. Co čte bratr? Bratr čte knihu. Co nese
starý sedlák? Starý sedlák nese knihu. Ten sedlák jest Čech.
Exercise III.
Change the sentences in Exercise II. into plural (in Bohemian).
Exercise IV.
Translate into Bohemian:
A good pupil goes to school. She takes bread. They hear the soldiers.
What are you hauling? The good aunt has a garden. A big sister reads a
book. A gentleman goes with the soldier. Behind the soldier is a tree.
The big house is the school. Where do you go? I go home. We speak about
the school.
Vocabulary.
=učitel=, teacher;
=učí se=, they study;
=sedí=, they sit;
=v lavicích=, in benches;
=u stolu=, at the table;
=stojí=, stands;
=ostatní=, the others;
=dávají pozor=, they pay attention.
ŠKOLA.
Ve škole jsou žáci a učitel. Mají knihy. Učí se pilně. Sedí v lavicích.
Učitel jest u stolu. Na stole má velkou knihu. Jeden žák stojí a čte,
ostatní dávají pozor.
Jsme ve škole a učíme se. Jsme žáci. Sedíme v lavicích. Máme knihy a
papír.