Discussion in 'Other Slavic Languages' started by Encolpius, Apr 10, 2014.
Hello, do you know that proverb? What form do you use? Thanks.
Яка муня - така й моня, яка мати - така й доня.
cow - milk, mother - daughter.
Jaka mać, taka nać. -- literally: Like mother like tops/leaves.
Jaki ojcec, taki syn. -- Like father, like son.
aká matka, taká Katka (lit. like mother, like Katka; Katka - a pet form of the name Katarína)
aký otec, taký syn (like father, like son)
aký pán, taký krám - an equivalent of "like master, like man" (pán = master/owner, krám = 1. shop, store 2. thing)
aký pán, taký pes (lit. like master, like dog)
aké prasa, taký kvik, aký človek, taký zvyk (lit. like pig, like oink , like man, like habit)
We also have this in Polish:
jaki pan, taki kram przysł. the house shows the owner przysł., rzad. (PWN-OXFORD, Polish-English dictionary)
I also heard longer versions of these proverbs:
Jaki owoc - taka skórka, jaka matka - taka córka.
Jaki korzeń - taka nać, jaka córka - taka mać.
One phrase in Ukrainian (that also exists in English) that I've always liked to convey the same meaning is:
Яблуко від яблуні далеко не пало - The apple did not fall far from the tree.
We've got this one in Polish too:
Niedaleko pada jabłko od jabłoni. -- literally: Not far from the apple tree falls an apple.
In Slovak: Jablko nepadá/nespadne ďaleko od stromu. (lit. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.)
Яка Марія, така й дочка зріє (ripen)
Яка клепка (clapboard), така й бочка (barrel), яка мати, така й дочка
Який кущ (bush) така й калина (guelder rose), яка мати, така й дитина
Чого не дала (give) мама, того не купиш (buy) і в пана
Який дуб (oak), така й бочка (barrel), яка мати, така й дочка
In Bulgaria we have the same sentence, but it is about the pear : The pear doesn't fall far from the tree.
In Slovak there's also
Aká práca, taká pláca. - Like work/job, like salary/wage.
In Polish: "Jaka praca, taka płaca".
The same is in Russian: Яблоко от яблони недалеко падает.
And they also say: Каков поп таков и приход. (= Like parson, like parish)
Also in Russian:
По мощам и елей
Как аукнется, так и откликнется
Что посеешь, то и пожнёшь
Another Slovak saying:
Aký požič, taký vráť ~ Like loan, like return
Kakva majka/mati/mater, takva kći/kćer.
Nice one. Never heard it before. We have:
Aký požičaj, taký vráť.
I have also many times heard the two from the post #4 connected in one sentence (probably in order to encompass both genders in a more general statement):
Aká matka taká Katka, aký otec taký syn.
Slovak too has:
Jablko nepadá ďaleko od stromu.
Ut mater sic filia:
Nosse cupis, qualis tibi virgo futura sit uxor?
Matris ad ingenium respice; tutus eris.
Since Czechs haven't given any example I've got the feeling there is no such proverb in Czech....
There are such proverbs in Czech. I suppose that you know them since you are living in Czech Republic 20 years or something like that or you can ask someone. : D
Каквато майката, такава и дъщерята.
And we also have this: Крушата не пада по-далеч от дървото.
Literal translation would be: Kakva majka, takva kći. And there is nothing wrong about using that sentence, it is realy common in everyday speech.
But we also have a nice proverb that could be used in this case: Neće iver daleko od klade or Ne pada iver daleko od klade.
Каква мајка, таква ќерка = Like mother, like daughter
Каков татко, таков син = Like father, like son
Крушата под круша паѓа = The pear falls under the pear tree (круша[та] is used for both pear tree and a single pear)
If used in a negative context to express judgement, then Russians may say:
"От осинки не родятся апельсинки"
which roughly means "Oranges are not born on aspen trees".
Encolpius, we Czechs have copied pretty much all of those. Jaká matka, taká Katka. Jaký otec, takový syn. Jaký pán, takový krám. Jablko nepadá/nepadne daleko od stromu. We also have many of the unrelated proverbs that just match the structure but not the meaning, as they really translate the English "as you sow..." or "when in Rome...". Here is a link you might enjoy:
I have asked a Czech friend of mine, quite intelligent, and she did not know "jaká matka, taká Katka"..... if you use it it is a Slovakism....
Honestly, I just responded to what appeared to be a premature conclusion that there "is no such proverb in Czech", and listed a few of those that I recalled (knew) for your consideration as evidence of their existence. The one about Katka may or may not have come from or through Slovakia. But I do wonder what that's got to do with anything. Does the origin of a proverb in another language, or its transit through one, disqualify it from achieving proper status as a proverb in the destination language? As a counterweight to your quite intelligent friend's report, I would point out that this recent article in the not exactly brainiac Blesk assumed enough penetration of that potential Slovakism to use it in the Czech headline: http://www.blesk.cz/clanek/zpravy-u...aka-katka-zemanovy-zeny-maji-novou-vizaz.html
Separate names with a comma.