Dictionary of the Speech of Sveti Đurđi
Lexicographic monument of Ludbreg Podravina: over 10,000 words and confirmatory archaic sentences from Sveti Đurđi and surrounding villages—documented through Kajkavian speech and local tradition from the banks of the Drava and Plitvica.
About the Dictionary
Dictionary of the Speech of Sveti Đurđi (Dictionary of Ludbreg Podravina) represents a fundamental work of Croatian dialect lexicography. Belović and Blažeka published this dictionary in 2009 through the Faculty of Teacher Education at the University of Zagreb, creating lasting value for the study of Kajkavian dialects. The dictionary of some six hundred pages contains a systematic list of lexemes from everyday life in the Ludbreg region, combining scientific methodology with the authenticity of a local speaker.
The dictionary is organized into thematic units:
- Lexicographic corpus: over 10,000 words (lexemes) with detailed explanations and etymologies
- Confirmatory sentences: archaic sentences that contextualize dictionary entries and document real events from the life of Sveti Đurđi residents
- Dialectological analysis: Blažeka’s excellent processing that sets standards for Croatian Kajkavology
- Ethnolinguistic documentation: records of objects, customs, children’s games, and everyday activities that are disappearing with deruralization
Reviews
Prof. Dr. Josip Lisac evaluates that Blažeka’s processing is excellent and very necessary for Croatian dialectology, while the dictionary’s conception is thoughtful, appropriate, and inspiring. Great work has been invested in the Dictionary of Sveti Đurđi, and it will remain a lasting value of Croatian dialectology.
Prof. Dr. Anđela Frančić emphasizes that an attentive reader of sentence confirmations will notice that they are carefully chosen. Besides contextualizing dictionary entries, they are records of real events in which residents of Sveti Đurđi participated. Such an approach in selecting sentence confirmations gives the dictionary a tone of originality, credibility, and persuasiveness.
You will discover…
- Native speakers and scholars: Stjepan Belović as a native speaker of the local dialect of Sveti Đurđi and Đuro Blažeka as a distinguished Kajkavologist and best expert on Međimurje dialects
- Confirmatory sentences with names: records of real events in which residents of Sveti Đurđi participated, sometimes mentioned by name, surname, or family nickname
- Archaic lexicon: words that were common to the previous generation but are almost unknown to new generations—from objects and customs to children’s games
- Kajkavian phonology and morphology: detailed analysis of speech characteristics of Ludbreg Podravina in relation to standard Croatian
- Ethnographic authenticity: a dictionary that gives a tone of originality, credibility, and persuasiveness through the contextualization of each word
Perfect for
Dialectologists, lexicographers, ethnologists, genealogists, and all those interested in Kajkavian dialects—especially those seeking documentation of archaic lexicon, confirmatory sentences, and ethnolinguistic data from the Ludbreg region. The dictionary is essential for any further engagement with Kajkavian dialect lexicology or lexicography.