Category Archives: 18F Tongue Twisters

Full Project Link: https://journeys.dartmouth.edu/folklorearchive/tongue-twisters-3/

Serbian Tongue Twisters

_____________________________________________________________________________

 Title: Serbian Tongue Twisters

General Information about the Item:

  • Tongue Twister
  • Language: Serbian
  • Informant: Katarina Nesic
  • Date Collected: 10/24/18

Informant Data:

  • Katarina Nesic was born in Serbia. She spent most of her high school years at a boarding school in Sweden.
  • She is currently double majoring in Government and Russian at Dartmouth College and aspires to go to graduate school for public policy.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural context: I spoke with Katarina on October 24, 2018 in lobby of Baker Library. Katarina shared tongue twisters were a part of the Slovak culture and he learned most of them from her school teachers.
  • Social context: In Serbia, tongue twisters are used to teach school children how to pronounce words correctly. The children often have competitions amongst themselves to see who can perform the best at saying the tongue twisters.

Transcriptions/Translations:

 The following tongue twister were both translated from Serbian into Latin, and then into English by Katarina Nesic. To my knowledge, these transcriptions and translations are taken verbatim from the tongue twisters spoken in the recording.

  • Serbian Translation: “Stala mala Mara na kraj stara hana sarna.”
  • English Translation: “Little Mary stood at the end of the old inn alone.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • Hana is actually a Turkish word for place where traders would stay over for the night.

Collector’s Name: Ryan Spence – NH

Tags/Keywords:

  • Slavak
  • Serbia
  • Tongue-twister

_____________________________________________________________________________

Title: Serbian Tongue Twisters

General Information about the Item:

  • Tongue Twister
  • Language: Serbian
  • Informant: Katarina Nesic
  • Date Collected: 10/24/18

Informant Data:

  • Katarina Nesic was born in Serbia. She spent most of her high school years at a boarding school in Sweden.
  • She is currently double majoring in Government and Russian at Dartmouth College and aspires to go to graduate school for public policy.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural context: I spoke with Katarina on October 24, 2018 in lobby of Baker Library. Katarina shared tongue twisters were a part of the Slovak culture and he learned most of them from her school teachers.
  • Social context: In Serbia, tongue twisters are used to teach school children how to pronounce words correctly. The children often have competitions amongst themselves to see who can perform the best at saying the tongue twisters. 

 Transcriptions/Translations:

The following tongue twister were both translated from Serbian into Latin, and then into English by Katarina Nesic. To my knowledge, these transcriptions and translations are taken verbatim from the tongue twisters spoken in the recording.

  • Serbian Translation :”Mis uz pusku, mis niz pusku.”
  • English Translation : “A mouse went up against the rifle and down the rifle.”

Collector’s Comments:

  • Sh and Ch are very similar sounds in english, and therefore are hard to pronounce
  • Very similar to the English tongue twister “She sees Cheese 3x”

Collector’s Name: Ryan Spence – NH

Tags/Keywords:

  • Slavak
  • Serbia
  • Tongue-twister

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

Title: Serbian Tongue Twisters

General Information about the Item:

  • Tongue Twister
  • Language: Serbian
  • Informant: Katarina Nesic
  • Date Collected: 10/24/18

Informant Data:

  • Katarina Nesic was born in Serbia. She spent most of her high school years at a boarding school in Sweden.
  • She is currently double majoring in Government and Russian at Dartmouth College and aspires to go to graduate school for public policy.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural context: I spoke with Katarina on October 24, 2018 in lobby of Baker Library. Katarina shared tongue twisters were a part of the Slovak culture and he learned most of them from her school teachers.
  • Social context: In Serbia, tongue twisters are used to teach school children how to pronounce words correctly. The children often have competitions amongst themselves to see who can perform the best at saying the tongue twisters.

 

Transcriptions/Translations:

The following tongue twister were both translated from Serbian into Latin, and then into English by Katarina Nesic. To my knowledge, these transcriptions and translations are taken verbatim from the tongue twisters spoken in the recording.

  • Serbian Translation: “Na vrh brda, vrba mrda.”
  • English Translation :“At the top of a hill a willow is moving.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • Many Serbian tongue twisters are non-sensical and are actually used for educational purposes.

Collector’s Name: Ryan Spence – NH

Tags/Keywords:

  • Slavak
  • Serbia
  • Tongue-twister

_____________________________________________________________________________

Title: Serbian Tongue Twisters

General Information about the Item:

  • Tongue Twister
  • Language: Serbian
  • Informant: Katarina Nesic
  • Date Collected: 10/24/18

Informant Data:

  • Katarina Nesic was born in Serbia. She spent most of her high school years at a boarding school in Sweden.
  • She is currently double majoring in Government and Russian at Dartmouth College and aspires to go to graduate school for public policy.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural context: I spoke with Katarina on October 24, 2018 in lobby of Baker Library. Katarina shared tongue twisters were a part of the Slovak culture and he learned most of them from her school teachers.
  • Social context: In Serbia, tongue twisters are used to teach school children how to pronounce words correctly. The children often have competitions amongst themselves to see who can perform the best at saying the tongue twisters.

 

Transcriptions/Translations:

The following tongue twister were both translated from Serbian into Latin, and then into English by Katarina Nesic. To my knowledge, these transcriptions and translations are taken verbatim from the tongue twisters spoken in the recording.

  • Serbian Translation:”Nevesele snene zene, plele tesle mreze.”
  • English Translation: “Unhappy, sleepy women were weaving heavy nets.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • This tongue twister is actually considered to be Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian.

Collector’s Name: Ryan Spence – NH

Tags/Keywords:

  • Slavak
  • Serbia
  • Tongue-twister

_____________________________________________________________________________ 

Title: Serbian Tongue Twisters

General Information about the Item:

  • Tongue Twister
  • Language: Serbian
  • Informant: Katarina Nesic
  • Date Collected: 10/24/18

Informant Data:

  • Katarina Nesic was born in Serbia. She spent most of her high school years at a boarding school in Sweden.
  • She is currently double majoring in Government and Russian at Dartmouth College and aspires to go to graduate school for public policy.

Contextual Data:

 

  • Cultural context: I spoke with Katarina on October 24, 2018 in lobby of Baker Library. Katarina shared tongue twisters were a part of the Slovak culture and he learned most of them from her school teachers.
  • Social context: In Serbia, tongue twisters are used to teach school children how to pronounce words correctly. The children often have competitions amongst themselves to see who can perform the best at saying the tongue twisters.

Transcriptions/Translations:

The following tongue twister were both translated from Serbian into Latin, and then into English by Katarina Nesic. To my knowledge, these transcriptions and translations are taken verbatim from the tongue twisters spoken in the recording.

  • Serbian Translation:”Kuja je zajalaja i prolajala.”
  • English Translation: “A female dog began barking and barked.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • It is very hard to pronounce words with S’s and N’s in the Serbian language.

Collector’s Name: Ryan Spence – NH

Tags/Keywords:

  • Slavak
  • Serbia
  • Tongue-twister

Spanish Tongue Twister “Pablito Clavo”

Title: Pablito Clavo

General Information about Item:

  • Tongue Twister
  • Language: Spanish
  • Country of Origin: Mexico
  • Informant: Juanita Morales
  • Date Collected: 10-4-18

Informant Data:

  • The informant is Juanita Morales. She was born April 22, 1999 in Laseigha, Colombia. She came to the United States when she was nine and is now an American citizen. She is currently a sophomore at Dartmouth College. She is a Spanish native speaker and speaks with her family in Spanish. Most of her family still resides in Colombia and she retains a close connection with the culture.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Tongue Twisters in Spanish speaking countries are used in a similar way and in similar places as other cultures. Tongue Twisters are most common with children who are taught them in order to learn difficult sounds and methods of speaking. These tongue twisters can be used as entertainment for children during playtime or be part of a tongue twister contest where students compete be able to speak it the fastest or the best at speaking it are some of the most popular uses. Spanish language has many difficult sounds and words with many consonants that have to be said rather fast.
  • Social Context: This is an extremely common Spanish language tongue twister. There is no specific group that this is said by, but it is extremely common and known by many people. It is found in numerous Latin American countries, including Colombia and Mexico. -ito/-ita is used as a diminutive in Spanish. It is used in order to show the age of a person being young or little. Pablito is a common Latin American name. -ito can also be used to create another name from an already common name, such as adding -ita to the name Juana to create Juanita or “little Juana”. It is also used as a term of endearment.

Item:

  • Original Spanish: Pablito clavo un clavito en la calva de un clavito. En la calva de un clavito un clavito clavo Pablito.
  • Translation: Pablito hammered a little nail on the head of a little nail. In the head of a little nail, a little nail (did) Pablito hammer.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Tongue Twister

Full Interview:

 

Informant’s Comments:

  • One of the most common Spanish tongue twisters.

Collector’s Comments:

  • The other person that I interviewed (Yasmin Ochoa) also wanted to tell this tongue twister.

Collector’s Name: Caroline Atwood

Tags/Keywords:

  • Tongue Twister
  • Spanish
  • Colombia

Spanish Tongue Twister “Pancha Plancha”

Title: “Pancha Plancha”

General Information about Item:

  • Tongue Twister
  • Language: Spanish
  • Country of Origin: Colombia
  • Informant: Juanita Morales
  • Date Collected: 10-4-18

Informant Data:

  • The informant is Juanita Morales. She was born April 22, 1999 in Laseigha, Colombia. She came to the United States when she was nine and is now an American citizen. She is currently a sophomore at Dartmouth College. She is a Spanish native speaker and speaks with her family in Spanish. Most of her family still resides in Colombia and she retains a close connection with the culture.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Tongue Twisters in Spanish speaking countries are used in a similar way and in similar places as other cultures. Tongue Twisters are most common with children who are taught them in order to learn difficult sounds and methods of speaking. These tongue twisters can be used as entertainment for children during playtime or be part of a tongue twister contest where students compete be able to speak it the fastest or the best at speaking it are some of the most popular uses. Spanish language has many difficult sounds and words with many consonants that have to be said rather fast.
  • Social Context: This is an extremely common Spanish language tongue twister. There is no specific group that this is said by, but it is extremely common and known by many people. It is found in numerous Latin American countries, including Colombia and Mexico. “Pancha” is not a common name in Latin America and is most likely only used due to the way it sounds for the tongue twister.

Item:

  • Original Spanish: Pancha plancha con cuatro planchas. ¿Con cuantas planchas Pancha plancha?
  • Translation: Pancha irons with four irons. With how many irons (does) Pancha iron (with)?

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Tongue Twister

Full Interview:

Informant’s Comments:

  • Some words are left out that are used in English to make it make sense as they are not necessary in Spanish, such as “does” and “with”.

Collector’s Comments:

  • The other interviewee (Yasmin Ochoa) commented later that this is her favorite tongue twister.

Collector’s Name: Caroline Atwood

Tags/Keywords:

  • Tongue Twister
  • Spanish
  • Colombia

Spanish Tongue Twister “Tres Tristes Tigres”

Title: “Tres Tristes Tigres”

General Information about Item:

  • Tongue Twister
  • Language: Spanish
  • Country of Origin: Colombia
  • Informant: Juanita Morales
  • Date Collected: 10-4-18

Informant Data:

  • The informant is Juanita Morales. She was born April 22, 1999 in Laseigha, Colombia. She came to the United States when she was nine and is now an American citizen. She is currently a sophomore at Dartmouth College. She is a Spanish native speaker and speaks with her family in Spanish. Most of her family still resides in Colombia and she retains a close connection with the culture.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Tongue Twisters in Spanish speaking countries are used in a similar way and in similar places as other cultures. Tongue Twisters are most common with children who are taught them in order to learn difficult sounds and methods of speaking. These tongue twisters can be used as entertainment for children during playtime or be part of a tongue twister contest where students compete be able to speak it the fastest or the best at speaking it are some of the most popular uses. Spanish language has many difficult sounds and words with many consonants that have to be said rather fast.
  • Social Context: This is an extremely common Spanish language tongue twister. There is no specific group that this is said by, but it is extremely common to hear young children on playgrounds challenging each other to say it to show off to their friends and classmates. It is found in numerous Latin American countries, including Colombia and Mexico.

Item:

  • Original Spanish: En tres tristes trastos de trigo, tres tristes tigres comían trigo. Comían trigo, tres tristes tigres, en tres tristes trastos de trigo.
  • Translation: In three sad plates of wheat, three sad tigers ate wheat, (they) ate wheat, three sad tigers, in three sad plates of wheat.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Tongue Twister

Full Interview:

Informant’s Comments:

  • The very similar words make it difficult and enjoyable to say.

Collector’s Comments:

  • Both of my interviewees knew this tongue twister by heart and they enjoyed saying it faster and faster together after the first interview.

Collector’s Name: Caroline Atwood

Tags/Keywords:

  • Tongue Twister
  • Spanish
  • Colombia

Spanish Tongue Twister “Parangaricutirimícuaro”

Title: Parangaricutirimícuaro

General Information about Item:

  • Tongue Twister
  • Language: Spanish
  • Country of Origin: Mexico
  • Informant: Yasmin Ochoa
  • Date Collected: 10-18-18

Informant Data:

  • The informant is Yasmin Ochoa. She was born in Michoacán, Mexico. She came to the United States when she was a toddler. She is currently a sophomore at Dartmouth College. She is a Spanish native speaker and only speaks with her family in Spanish. A lot of her family still resides in Mexico and she returns there for a month every year. She still feels very connected to the culture and people due to her visits to see her family in Mexico.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Tongue Twisters in Spanish speaking countries are used in a similar way and in similar places as other cultures. Tongue Twisters are most common with children who are taught them in order to learn difficult sounds and methods of speaking. These tongue twisters can be used as entertainment for children during playtime or be part of a tongue twister contest where students compete be able to speak it the fastest or the best at speaking it are some of the most popular uses. Spanish language has many difficult sounds and words with many consonants that have to be said rather fast.
  • Social Context: This is a common Spanish language tongue twister. Considered an extremely challenging tongue twister that is focuses on the main word Parangaricutirimícuaro and is expanded to a full tongue twister, which makes it even more difficult. Not many people learn the whole tongue twister, but it would be expected that almost every Spanish speaker would know the word. It is a difficult word for non-Spanish speakers to say. Parangaricutirimícuaro is the name of a town in Mexico, but people learn how to say it all over. It is something that as a Spanish speaking child you learn to do, like you would learn the alphabet or count. As a child you must learn how to say it or other children will make fun of you for not being able to say it. It is considered fun to say and it is expected that a native Spanish speaker knows how to say it. The words in the tongue twister that rhyme with Parangaricutirimícuaro are all made up words and have no real meaning, however, one can tell from their endings the first two are treated as verbs and the last as a noun.

Item:

  • Original Spanish: El volcán de Parangaricutirimícuaro se quiere desparangaricutirimicuarizar y quien lo desparangaricutirimicuarise será un gran desparangaricutirimicuarizador.
  • Translation: The volcano in Parangaricutirimícuaro wants to desparangaricutirimicuarizar and who desparangaricutirimicuarise will be a great desparangaricutirimicuarizador.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Tongue Twister

Full Interview:

 

Informant’s Comments:

  • The word was taught to her very young by her father and the entire tongue twister was taught to her in school.

Collector’s Comments:

  • The informant  attempted to teach me this tongue twister for 25 minutes but eventually we gave it. The word is extremely long and difficult to say, especially quickly. For the sake of the recording I allowed her to say it slow because attempting to say it quickly she was unable to say it.

Collector’s Name: Caroline Atwood

Tags/Keywords:

  • Tongue Twister
  • Spanish
  • Mexico

Spanish Tongue Twister “Pepe Pecas”

Title: Pepe Pecas

General Information about Item:

  • Tongue Twister
  • Language: Spanish
  • Country of Origin: Mexico
  • Informant: Yasmin Ochoa
  • Date Collected: 10-18-18

Informant Data:

  • The informant is Yasmin Ochoa. She was born in Michoacán, Mexico. She came to the United States when she was a toddler. She is currently a sophomore at Dartmouth College. She is a Spanish native speaker and only speaks with her family in Spanish. A lot of her family still resides in Mexico and she returns there for a month every year. She still feels very connected to the culture and people due to her visits to see her family in Mexico.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Tongue Twisters in Spanish speaking countries are used in a similar way and in similar places as other cultures. Tongue Twisters are most common with children who are taught them in order to learn difficult sounds and methods of speaking. These tongue twisters can be used as entertainment for children during playtime or be part of a tongue twister contest where students compete be able to speak it the fastest or the best at speaking it are some of the most popular uses. Spanish language has many difficult sounds and words with many consonants that have to be said rather fast
  • Social Context: This is a common Spanish language tongue twister. There is no specific group that this is said by, but it is extremely common to hear young children on playgrounds challenging each other to say it to show off to their friends and classmates. It is more popular in Mexico than in other Latin American countries. The longer length makes it more difficult to learn.

Item:

  • Original Spanish: Pepe Pecas pica papas con un pico, con un pico pica papas Pepe Pecas. Si Pepe Pecas pica papas con un pico, ¿Dónde está el pico con pepe pecas pica papas
  • Translation: Pepe Pecas chops potatoes with a pick, with a pick chops potatoes Pepe Pecas. If Pepe Pecas chops potatoes with a pick, where is the pick with which Pepe Pecas chops potatoes?

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Tongue Twister

Full Interview:

 

Informant’s Comments:

  • Pepe Pecas is the name of a person, but it is not a very common name.

Collector’s Comments:

  • I had heard this one before the informant told me about it from taking Spanish classes. You are supposed to say it extremely fast while having perfect pronunciation. It is found in other places than Mexico.

Collector’s Name: Caroline Atwood

Tags/Keywords:

  • Tongue Twister
  • Spanish
  • Mexico

Spanish Tongue Twisters “Sucesion Sucesiva”

Title: Sucesion Sucesiva

General Information about Item:

  • Tongue Twister
  • Language: Spanish
  • Country of Origin: Mexico
  • Informant: Yasmin Ochoa
  • Date Collected: 10-18-18

Informant Data:

  • The informant is Yasmin Ochoa. She was born in Michoacán, Mexico. She came to the United States when she was a toddler. She is currently a sophomore at Dartmouth College. She is a Spanish native speaker and only speaks with her family in Spanish. A lot of her family still resides in Mexico and she returns there for a month every year. She still feels very connected to the culture and people due to her visits to see her family in Mexico.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Tongue Twisters in Spanish speaking countries are used in a similar way and in similar places as other cultures. Tongue Twisters are most common with children who are taught them in order to learn difficult sounds and methods of speaking. These tongue twisters can be used as entertainment for children during playtime or be part of a tongue twister contest where students compete be able to speak it the fastest or the best at speaking it are some of the most popular uses. Spanish language has many difficult sounds and words with many consonants that have to be said rather fast.
  • Social Context: Growing up many Spanish-speaking children have difficulty pronouncing the s sound properly and this tongue twister provides a big challenge as they attempt to learn to say it. Mostly said by children on playgrounds as a challenge.

Item:

  • Original Spanish: La sucesión sucesiva de sucesos sucede sucesivamente con la sucesión del tiempo.
  • Translation: The successive succession of events happens successively with the succession of time

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Tongue Twister:

Full Interview:

 

 

Informant’s Comments:

  • This is mostly said by children all over Latin America, not only in Mexico.

Collector’s Comments:

  • This was one of the shorter tongue twisters and one of the more easy ones. The informant attempted to teach me all of the tongue twisters and I was able to do this one after a few tries.

Collector’s Name: Caroline Atwood

Tags/Keywords:

  • Tongue Twister
  • Spanish
  • Mexico

Spanish Tongue Twisters

Title: Erre Con Erre

General Information about Item:

  • Oral Tradition: tongue twister
  • Language: Spanish
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: Joseph Estrada
  • Date Collected: October 15, 2018

Informant Data:

  • Joseph Estrada was born in Austin, Texas in 1998. His mother’s family has lived in Texas for many generations, and his father’s family immigrated to America from Cuba after the Cuban Revolution. Growing up, Joseph spent much time with his grandparents in Miami, but rarely spoke Spanish. Although his grandparents pushed for him and his cousins to learn Spanish, it wasn’t until Joseph developed an interest in Latin America literature in high school that he began exclusively speaking Spanish with his grandparents. At Dartmouth, he is studying French Literature and often takes courses on Spanish Literature.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: This is a very common Spanish tongue twister found in Central and Latin American countries, though it is not specifically limited to these countries. In the Spanish language, tongue twisters are often used as fun verbal drills that help young children learn more difficult pronunciation practices – this case deals specifically with the Spanish letter “rr.”
    Social Context: Joseph described how this tongue twister was taught to him at a young age by his grandmother. The purpose of this tongue twister was to help interviewee learn to practice rolling his r’s, a very important aspect of the Spanish language. The tongue twister itself does not have very much significance outside of its educational function.

Item:

  • Spanish transcription: “Erre con erre cigarro, erre con erre barril. Rápido corren los carros, cargados de azúcar del ferrocarril.”
  • English translation: “An R with an R cigar, an R with an R barrel; rapidly run the cars loaded with sugar off to the railroad.”

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file): Audio

Informant’s Comments:

  • “Once mastered, this was a very fun tongue twister to say over and over again.”

Collector’s Comments:

  • Though difficult to say, this tongue twister seems very useful in helping to learn a sound that is crucial in the Spanish language.

Collector’s Name: Karam Sandhu

Tags/Keywords:

  • Verbal Lore
  • Tongue Twister
  • Spanish

 

German Tongue Twister: Fischers Fritze…

Title:

German Tongue Twister (Tongue Breaker in German): Fischers Fritze fischt frische Fische; Frische Fische fischt Fischers Fritze

General Information about the Item:

  • Oral tradition: tongue breaker
  • Language: German
  • Country of Origin: Rostock
  • Informant: Marie-Luise Kieseler
  • Date Collected: October 26, 2018

Informant Data:

Marie-Luise Kieseler and her family are from Rostock, Germany where she grew up and spent most of her life. Now, Marie is twenty seven years old, is a graduate student at Dartmouth College, and conducts Neuroscience research on facial perception and animal cognition. Marie loves to be outside, and she has enjoyed meeting a lot of different people from various backgrounds and ages at Dartmouth. She is interested in learning about unique cultural customs, so she was pleased to share information about her own culture.

Contextual data:

In Germany, Marie reflected on the seriousness of her childhood and the pertinence of a solid educational background. The tongue twisters are used for educational purposes to help with pronunciation of difficult words and sounds, and served as a type of practice for children to master certain aspects of the language. Therefore, she remembers her parents teaching her tongue breakers at a young age to solidify her pronunciation and diction, so that her speech was pristine. In addition to their educational purpose, tongue breakers were also a form of entertainment. Marie remembers learning tongue breakers from her relatives and then learning from and teaching her friends at school. It was a way for her to bond with the other students, make new friends, and even impress other boys, because they were also used as a determining factor for who was the most impressive. It became a friendly competition of who could pronounce the most difficult tongue breakers. To this day, she loves tongue breakers, and as she has learned english, she has enjoyed mastering english tongue breakers as well.

Item:

Orally transmitted tongue twister:

Fischers Fritze fischt frische Fische; Frische Fische fischt Fischers Fritze.

Translation:

Fritz, the fisherman’s son, fishes for fresh fish; For fresh fish fishes Fritz, the fisherman’s son

Collector’s Names: Shae Wolfe and Ashley Martinez

Tags/keywords:

  • German
  • Tongue twister
  • Tongue breaker