Glossary for the Reschen Valley Series

Apfelstrudel/Strudel is a strudel, sweet pastry

Außenseiter literally, outsider. A foreigner

Bauernschlau this refers to a type of intelligence that might be unexpected from an “uneducated” folk. When someone refers to this “farmer’s cleverness”, it is usually in reference to a brilliant and unexpected idea, or prank, or joke. Kind of like “playing dumb” and getting the best out of something.

Braunvieh the typical cattle breed in the area

carabinieri the Italian gendarme, or military corps police

Dirndl the traditional Austrian dress of women.

fidanzata girlfriend, the catcalls Annamarie hears from Italian men in her valley

Frau Mrs

Fräulein out of date today, but Miss

Gipfel pastry shaped like a croissant but not as flaky, usually more like a sweet bread, can be filled with a hazelnut paste

Goulasch a traditional Hungarian beef stew

Herr Mr

Hof refers to a farm or homestead, similiar to an American ranch

Kärner a sneaky salesman

Lederhosen leather britches or breeches

Podestà the prefect or magistrate

Schupfnudeln like Italian gnocchi but without the egg

Schütze the local guard, literally means “shooter” or “rifleman”

Segratario the secretary

Senner the dairy man, the person in charge of processing the milk from cows for butter, yoghurt and cheese, usually hired on at the pastures / alps during the summers

Signor Mr

Signora Mrs

Signorina out of date today, but Miss

Sommerfrischler a slang term for vacationers, literally meaning someone who is out to take in the fresh summer air

Speck smoked side of pork, bacon (very special to the region and as unique as Canadian bacon is to Canada).

Stadl stable

Stube in a home is like a parlour, but it’s not. There is usually a tiled oven, table and chairs, and sometimes a single bed near the tiled oven or something else to lounge on. It was used as the multi-functional gathering room in every house.

Stube in a guesthouse was usually the dining area, also containing the main heating source of the house, the tiled oven.

Tracht traditional dress, man or woman but can sometimes refer to only the man’s suit

Vorsäß literal meaning, “before the pasture”. There are three stages when taking livestock up to the alpine pastures. Before the snow melts at the very top, farmers took their animals to the Vorsäß to lower pastures, then to the higher fields, then back down to the lower pastures before bringing them home to the valley for the winter.

If you have any additions you would like me to add, let me know! inktreks@cec-world.at