Dikranagerdtsi Vernacular Handbook: Dikranagerdtsi Pig Latin

Dikranagerdtsi Pig Latin

In a bygone era Dikranagerdtsi Armenian women conversed secretly in a cryptic form of what in America would be called Pig Latin. They are both a form of jargon. The Armenians referred to their version as Bird Talk, and it came in two forms: Junjghougneren (Sparrow Talk) and Laglagneren (Stork Talk.)

Pig Latin (which has nothing to do with Latin) follows certain rules for changing standard English to Pig Latin. In words that begin with consonants the initial consonant or cluster is moved to the end of the word, and “ay” is added. Two examples that have been incorporated into English slang are ixnay (nix), and amscray (scram). With words that begin with vowels, the syllable “ay” is added to the end of the word. Thus, haste makes waste would be rendered astehay akesmay asteway.

The Armenian version has its own rules. In Junjghougneren, each vowel is followed by a standard consonant, such as the letter j, with that same vowel repeated. The following was provided by cousin Arpie Dadoyan, who is one of the few surviving practitioners of the art.

“The letters J and F are the best ones to use since they don’t come up that often in the Armenian language. Every vowel in the word is followed by that letter and then repeated. Example:

Oujourdejeghejen goujoukajas, Gajarbijis? (Ourdeghen goukas, Garbis?)

Cijinejemaja kajatsajadz ejeyiji, Hajagojop! (Cinema katsadz eyi, Hagop.)

Ejeh, ijinch fijilm dejesajar? (Eh, inch film desar?)

Moujousaja Dajaghiji Kajaroujousoujoun Ojorejerujuh. (Mousa Daghi Karasoun Oreruh.)

Ijisgajabejes? Ijinch bejes ejer? (Isgabes? Inch bes er?)

Lajav ejer, lajav ejer, kujunaja dejes. (Lav er, lav er, kuna des.)

Ojo Kajay, Vajanoujouhijin ajarnejem mijiyajasijin yejertajank. (O.K., Vanouhin arnem miasin yertank.)

The letter F, being a softer consonant and rarely used, is better for this purpose and contributes to a

smoother word flow. It is used in the following, rendered in the Dikranagerdtsi dialect:

Youfourtsefen gifikǎfǎs, Gǎfǎrǎfǎbifid? (Yourtsen gikǎs, Gǎrǎbid?)

Cifinafamafa kǎfǎtsifirefenk, hofontsefen gifikǎfǎnk. (Cinama kǎtsirenk, hontsen gikǎnk.)

Oufourifish? (Ourish?)

Sofonafa afaghkifig jǎfǎshǎfǎrǎfǎn mifi kǎfǎtsifink, geferǎfǎnk, efegǎfǎnk. (Sona aghkig jǎshǎran mi kǎtsink, gerǎnk, egǎnk.)

Toufoun ifilǎfǎn vofov? (Toun ilǎn vov?)

Yefes ifilǎfǎn khǎfǎlefeyifis dufughǎfǎn. (Yes ilǎn khǎleyis dughǎn.)

Vofor mefegefeh? (Vor megeh?)

Difikrǎfǎneh. (Dikrǎneh.)

Oufourifish? (Ourish?)

Oufourifish, oufourifish, hǎfǎ, mofortsafa ufusifim, jǎfǎnpǎfǎn vofov efellǎfǎ tifimǎfǎtsnifis. (Ourish, ourish, hǎ, mortsǎ usim, jǎmpǎn vov ellǎ timǎtsnis.)

Vofov? (Vov?)

Pefekhǎfǎs Bafaydzafarifi ǎfǎghtchifigefeh. Dǎfǎrǎfǎnk hifidefernifis jǎfǎshǎfǎrǎfǎn. (Pekhǎs Baydzari ǎghchigeh. Dǎrǎnk hidernis jǎshǎrǎn.)

Ǎfǎghefeg. Yefes hofoknǎfǎ. Dafahafa pǎfǎn mufunǎfǎts? (Agheg. Yes hoknǎ. Daha pǎn munǎts?)

Chefe, tufummǎfǎv. (Che, tummǎv.)

The first two lines of above, if converted to Lǎglǎgneren (Stork Talk), would substitute the consonant combination kl for f and would be as follows:

Youklourtseklen giklikǎklǎs, Gǎklǎrǎklǎbiklid?

Ciklinaklamakla kǎklǎtsiklireklenk, hoklontseklen giklikǎklǎnk.