At the Nagycsarnok in Budapest

Have you ever noticed the way that everything, but everything, gets shortened in Hungarian? Our teacher encouraged us to go to the market and explore what we could find, and I went to Budapest's beautiful (and very touristy) Nagycsarnok and photographed every abbreviation I could find. Here are the results.

“Koktél paradicsom” à “koktél pari” = “cherry tomato” (or “cocktail tomato”)

“Sárgahúsú őszibarack” à “Sárgahúsú őszi” = “yellow peach”

Note (hopefully a useful diversion): The –ú, -ű ending is also a useful one to be familiar with in Hungarian. It is used to create an adjective out of a noun. The word “sárga” (adj., “yellow”) is an adjective and thus can be used as a descriptor in and of itself. However, the addition of “hús” (n., “meat”) here complicates matters. In order to make the phrase into an adjectival phrase, the ending –ú is added, not unlike the use of –(e)d or –y in English. (So a literal translation would be along the lines of “yellow meated peach” or a peach “with yellow flesh.” This ending is also used in situations such as “szürke hájú férfi,” (“blond-haired man”) “bárna szemű lány” (“brown-eyed girl”). We’ll return to this form in a later post to talk about other ways adjectival forms are made, i.e. with –i and with –s.

“Fokhagyma” à “Foki” = “garlic”

“Uborka” à “ubi” = “cucumber”

“Kajszi barack” à “kajszi” = “apricot”

As above, “Magyar kigyó uborka” à “Magyar kigyó ubi” = what we’d call in the US, “English cucumber,” but here, literally, “Hungarian snake cucumber,” because it is shaped like a snake.

“Makói” – I can’t tell what this is. Unfortunately the picture is quite dark, too, but it appears to be onions. But how you get from "hagyma" ("onion") to "Makói" is a mystery to me. Is this a special variety of onion? Am I missing something? Anyone? 


Edit: Aha! I have answered my own question here with a little help from Google. The "makói vöröshagyma"-> "makói" ("yellow onion from Makó, Hungary") is a special variety of onion that inspires great pride in Makó. For some undoubtedly breathtakingly fascinating diversions on this topic, please see my accompanying blog, Magyar Ramble. To keep things on-topic I'll spill over there when I shift from an explicit language focus in the writing. And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

“Laska gomba” à “latyi” = “oyster mushroom” (this one was one I heard in the market; the full form of the name is on the placard).

. . . And I saved the very best for last!

“Sertés töpertés” à “Röfi töpi” = “pork rinds” (Right? I don’t eat these, so I’m not totally down on the lingo in English). From the Hungarian word for the sound that pigs make, “röf.”

Afterword:

On the tram the other night, too, there was a fun exchange. The typical full length version would go like this:

“Bocsánat” (“excuse me”). And when the fellow moves to the side, “köszönöm” (“thank you”). And then he might say, “Szívesen” (“you’re welcome”)

But instead: “Bocsi! Köszi!”

“Szívi!”