Dialect Dictionary

Alphabetical Dictionary of Words and Idiomatic Expressions

Word / phrase	Meaning / Note
Ambirnolas	A playful nickname for the residents of Voulismenia, derived from the apricot and cherry trees that used to grow in their gardens.
Amouri	The front part, the face.
unpolished	Throwing a stone without a specific target.
backside	The backs of the snails.
apotsiara	Cigarette butts.
The royal family has been around for generations	An expression referring to something that is passed down from generation to generation, such as a tradition or a family trait.
milk jug	Lambrokouloura.
I'm getting sleepy	I'm running.
choose	An exclamation, derived from «damn it.».
zoom	Calm domestic animals, mainly cattle, sheep, and goats.
I state	I lie down and fall asleep.
I believe	I see.
kalitsounia	An Easter dessert from Eastern Crete, made with fresh mizithra, sugar, cinnamon, and eggs.
beauty	Cultivation.
to cultivate	I cultivate or plow a field.
little goat	A small male piglet. Figuratively, lively or unruly.
I own	I know, I know.
katsa	Slow down a little.
cat's tail	Small cobbler's skewer.
little pots	Small cheeses they used to make for the children from the leftovers of cheese-making.
bald	Hedgehog. The term was also used to describe a person with spiky, bristly hair.
guys	Children, young people.
kouzoulos	A crazy, strange, or eccentric person.
flaw	A flaw, quirk, or trait that could serve as the basis for a nickname.
Louchouna	A pregnant woman or a woman who has recently given birth.
melitakas	Ant. Used to describe a small person.
Misiri	Egypt.
A woman from Misiri	A woman associated with Misiri, that is, Egypt.
mourna	Berries, mainly blackberries.
stale	Old-fashioned, not modern. Figuratively speaking, a person with conservative ideas.
patches	Gunfire at celebrations or festivals.
batzakes	The hems of the long underwear from days gone by.
Bechiaris	Unmarried, single.
Bernard	Drape, curtain.
grafts	Women's head covering.
dalgás	Agony, inner pain.
drumstick	Wood from a daouli. Figuratively, a very tall and thin person.
reason	Immediately, right there on the spot.
when	When.
illegal	The second name or nickname given to someone to distinguish them within the village.
to act illegally	I give someone a favor.
immediate	Stupid or slow.
nickname	A nickname that is more teasing, satirical, or playful.
to give someone a nickname	I give someone a nickname.
I knit	I tease or make fun of someone using humor or satire.
shaggy	A type of twirled stone.
school	School.
tapalethia	An old game or custom associated with Clean Monday, played by men in the schoolyard.
tracopolemos	A stone-throwing battle between groups of children or villages.
Trump	A nickname for the people of Merambeli.
Tram Drivers	A mocking term for the people of Merambeli, linked to a local tradition involving the buying and selling of donkeys.
pine tree	The Easter fire they lit at Easter.
snails	Snails.

Slang and Nicknames

In Voulismeni, as in many Cretan villages, nicknames and monikers were part of everyday social life. Sometimes they served a practical purpose, to distinguish one person from another with the same name, and other times they were humorous or satirical in nature.

Nicknames could stem from appearance, habits, occupation, background, a funny incident, a mispronounced word, or a characteristic phrase. Many of them remained in the village’s collective memory longer than people’s actual names.

Examples of illegal acts from the book

Illegal	Note
Aelias	From «aelia,» meaning “cow”; it was given to a person who carried goods.
Agricultural Guard	From a child's answer at school about what he or she wants to be when he or she grows up.
American	Illegal immigrants returning from the United States.
Acheilaros	From her full lips.
Glakitis	From «glako,» which means “I run.”.
Daolo	From a childish mispronunciation of the word «devil.».
Zouberaki	From the «zoubera,» the gentle pets.
Kallourgias	From "kallourgizo," meaning "to cultivate.".
Katsocheronikolis	From the hedgehog, because of its spiky hair.
Louchouna	From the word for a pregnant woman or a new mother.
A woman from Misiri	This is connected to the story of Maria, who came from Misiri—that is, Egypt.
Dalgás	From frequent references to deep sorrow or inner pain.
Dawloxylo	For a very tall and thin woman.
Festival	From a typical saying associated with the festival of Saint Nikitas.

Living material

The dictionary can be expanded with words and phrases recalled by residents and expatriates from Voulismeni. Words accompanied by their meaning, an example of usage, and brief information about where or from whom they were heard are particularly valuable.

Source: Manolis Ant. Papadogiannis, The Voulismeni of Merambelo, Crete, in Space and Time, sections on superstitions, customs, linguistic notes, and folkloric references.