Unusual Proverb? Doxeo_Zonvop
On October 7, 2003, I had written on Goanet in mild Konkani language:
“Kortolo korun gelo, sopear bosteleache andd kaddlet”, which is the same
as: “Zonvtolo zonvon gelo, bankar nidhleleacho andd katorlo.”
It so happened that a wife was having an illicit relationship. One day
her husband came prepared to catch them in the act. Fortunately, her
friend finished his job and left the scene. Unfortunately, one of the
passers by who was tired and was looking for a place to relax, saw a
“sopo” in front of the house and decided to rest on it. The husband
mistook him for his wife’s lover. Without wasting any time, he caught
the guy and castrated him!
To me, the usage of the word “sopear” sounds contextually better than
“bankar” because I don’t think there were benches when the adage was coined.
Here is one of the most common colloquial expressions: Zonv baêk or
“Zonv kolgeak!”
In the olden days, we got to hear many phrases with the word “zonv” or
its derivatives from our old friend the “zotkar vo zot-koxi” during
paddy field cultivation. He would beat each of the ox with a “lingddachi
boddi”, twist its tail and say:
Ala-la-la-la-la – cholta poi re to avxik zonvnneancho.
Iri, iri, iri, iri – avsai kaddtta poi to; chol re soddsodit bhoinnink
zonvnneanchea.
Arre hatt; twists the tail and says: cholta poi re to zonvnnarecho!
Moi-mogan,
Domnic Fernandes
Anjuna, Goa
Mob: 9420979201
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