Totoiana ("Totoian"), also known as the "Totoian language" (Romanian: Limba totoiană) or the "inverted language" (Romanian: Limba întoarsă),[1] is a speech form used in the village of Totoi in Alba County, Romania.[1][2][3] It is unique to the village and not spoken in the other villages that form part of the commune of Sântimbru, to which Totoi belongs.[3] Totoiana was created with the purpose of being unintelligible for normal Romanian speakers, although its origins or the reason why this would be needed are unknown.[1][2][3] It has been said that, since the inhabitants of Totoi were good wood artisans who traded with their products, Totoiana could have been created so that other merchants could not understand them. However, George Cadar, a member of the Romanian Association of Semiotic Studies, claims to have recorded a similar form of speech far from Alba County, although he did not elaborate on this.[2] Some also say it was created by servants so that their boyar employers in the nobility class could not understand them.[1][3]
Totoi
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Location of the village of Totoi in Romania, where Totoiana is spoken
Totoiana is still spoken in the village, and its inhabitants recall that Totoiana was once more widely spoken than standard Romanian in Totoi, even if it is now only used for fun "with a beer". To speak Totoiana, the Romanian word is said from the middle to the end and then the beginning is added to it.[2][3] For simple two-syllable words, the syllables are inverted. For example, masă ("table") would become săma.[1] A "u" is generally added for words that are harder to pronounce when inverted.[1][2][3] This is the case of pahar ("cup"), which becomes harupa in Totoiana.[1] Other examples of Totoiana are Fanuște,[2]Laenico and Anio[3] ("Ștefan",[2] "Nicolae" and "Ioan", Romanian names),[3]cava ("cow", vaca in Romanian) and nudru nubu ("farewell", drum bun in Romanian).[2]
An inverted speech form similar to Totoiana also exists in the French language and is known as verlan (from l'envers, "the inverse", but inverted).[4]
^ abcdefg"În localitatea Totoi, județul Alba, se vorbește o limbă specifică locului". Realitatea TV (in Romanian). 19 January 2009.
^ abcdefghArsenie, Dan (9 December 2011). "Totoiana – messengerul de pe uliță. Povestea unei limbi inventate de români". GreatNews.ro (in Romanian).
^ abcdefgh""Limba intoarsă" vorbită în Totoi". Ziare.com (in Romanian). 2 November 2009.
^Danciu, Cornel; Goia, Cornel (2010). Monografia satului transilvănean Totoi (in Romanian). Alba Iulia: Editura Altip.
May 03, 2024
totoiana, totoian, also, known, totoian, language, romanian, limba, totoiană, inverted, language, romanian, limba, întoarsă, speech, form, used, village, totoi, alba, county, romania, unique, village, spoken, other, villages, that, form, part, commune, sântimb. Totoiana Totoian also known as the Totoian language Romanian Limba totoiană or the inverted language Romanian Limba intoarsă 1 is a speech form used in the village of Totoi in Alba County Romania 1 2 3 It is unique to the village and not spoken in the other villages that form part of the commune of Santimbru to which Totoi belongs 3 Totoiana was created with the purpose of being unintelligible for normal Romanian speakers although its origins or the reason why this would be needed are unknown 1 2 3 It has been said that since the inhabitants of Totoi were good wood artisans who traded with their products Totoiana could have been created so that other merchants could not understand them However George Cadar a member of the Romanian Association of Semiotic Studies claims to have recorded a similar form of speech far from Alba County although he did not elaborate on this 2 Some also say it was created by servants so that their boyar employers in the nobility class could not understand them 1 3 Totoiclass notpageimage Location of the village of Totoi in Romania where Totoiana is spoken Totoiana is still spoken in the village and its inhabitants recall that Totoiana was once more widely spoken than standard Romanian in Totoi even if it is now only used for fun with a beer To speak Totoiana the Romanian word is said from the middle to the end and then the beginning is added to it 2 3 For simple two syllable words the syllables are inverted For example masă table would become săma 1 A u is generally added for words that are harder to pronounce when inverted 1 2 3 This is the case of pahar cup which becomes harupa in Totoiana 1 Other examples of Totoiana are Fanuște 2 Laenico and Anio 3 Ștefan 2 Nicolae and Ioan Romanian names 3 cava cow vaca in Romanian and nudru nubu farewell drum bun in Romanian 2 An inverted speech form similar to Totoiana also exists in the French language and is known as verlan from l envers the inverse but inverted 4 See also editGumuțeasca an argot spoken in Romania Romanian dialects even if Totoiana does not represent a dialectReferences edit a b c d e f g In localitatea Totoi județul Alba se vorbește o limbă specifică locului Realitatea TV in Romanian 19 January 2009 a b c d e f g h Arsenie Dan 9 December 2011 Totoiana messengerul de pe uliță Povestea unei limbi inventate de romani GreatNews ro in Romanian a b c d e f g h Limba intoarsă vorbită in Totoi Ziare com in Romanian 2 November 2009 Danciu Cornel Goia Cornel 2010 Monografia satului transilvănean Totoi in Romanian Alba Iulia Editura Altip Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Totoiana amp oldid 1177010185, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
