Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Brontie]

I live in Ontario, Canada and I am looking for information about my grandparents birth country. Is there anyone out there who can help me?

[dasa]

hello Brontie!
information about Slovakia? No problem! what would you like to know?

[Brontie]

Thank you so much for replying dasa!

I am working on a project for history regarding my family history.

I have been searching everywhere trying to find what my grandparents' last names mean in Slovak.

Zitnak
Bučko

Would you have any idea?

Do you live in Slovakia? My grandfather was born in Bratislava, and my grandmother was born in Predjana (I'm not sure if this is spelled right).
They immigrated to Canada in 1951 after the Communist takeover.
I have never been there, but I really would love to go. We still have family there so I can always stay with them.

Anyways, thanks again for replying. I look forward to chatting more with you!

[dasa]

You're welcome....I'm glad to help you

I don't know what those surnames mean exactly. Žitň�k could be a man who grows the rye. Bučko could mean either a small beech or someone who makes the sound of the bull (mooes?) But i'm not sure because these words are not used in normal talking..

Yes, I live in Slovakia, in a town close to Bratislava. I don't know the town "Predjana", neither any town with a name which sounds like that...maybe it is a village?

By the way.. did your grandparents/parents teach you Slovak?

See you

[Brontie]

Yes Predjana was/is a small village.

Unfortunately, my grandparents didn't teach me to speak Slovak. My grandfather was actually working on his memoires when he died in 2000. My grandmother is still alive and I talk to her often (she lives 2 hours from me).

I remember as a child my grandmother saying a prayer to us. I know the spelling won't be right, but it is something like this (written phoenetically):

Prezic malley
pambos smaly
as ley prech

(or something like that). I think the first line means small cross. I would love to learn Slovak. Maybe someday when I am finished school I will try.

How did you learn to speak english?

[dasa]

Ok I must admit that I don't understand anything of the prayer..

"malley" is probably "mal�", it means small. But "cross" in Slovak is "kr�ž" or "kr�žik" and it doesn't sound like prezic...
"prech" (preč) means away.

I've been learning English in school for 3 years. I like this language!
It's great that you want to learn Slovak! It is a very difficult language and not very useful in the world, but I'm sure you will like it
When will you finish school? I'm now in the 2nd class of high school and I'll finish school in 2 years.

hope to hear from you soon!