Lavengro by George Borrow (read me a book txt) 📕

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Lavengro, the Scholar, the Gypsy, the Priest, published in 1851, is a heavily fictionalized account of George Borrow’s early years. Borrow, born in 1803, was a writer and self-taught polyglot, fluent in many European languages, and a lover of literature.

The Romany Rye, published six years later in 1857, is sometimes described as the “sequel” to Lavengro, but in fact it begins with a straight continuation of the action of the first book, which breaks off rather suddenly. The two books therefore are best considered as a whole and read together, and this Standard Ebooks edition combines the two into one volume.

In the novel Borrow tells of his upbringing as the son of an army recruiting officer, moving with the regiment to different locations in Britain, including Scotland and Ireland. It is in Ireland that he first encounters a strange new language which he is keen to learn, leading to a life-long passion for acquiring new tongues. A couple of years later in England, he comes across a camp of gypsies and meets the gypsy Jasper Petulengro, who becomes a life-long friend. Borrow is delighted to discover that the Romany have their own language, which of course he immediately sets out to learn.

Borrow’s subsequent life, up to his mid-twenties, is that of a wanderer, traveling from place to place in Britain, encountering many interesting individuals and having a variety of entertaining adventures. He constantly comes in contact with the gypsies and with Petulengro, and becomes familiar with their language and culture.

The book also includes a considerable amount of criticism of the Catholic Church and its priests. Several chapters are devoted to Borrow’s discussions with “the man in black,” depicted as a cynical Catholic priest who has no real belief in the religious teachings of the Church but who is devoted to seeing it reinstated in England in order for its revenues to increase.

Lavengro was not an immediate critical success on its release, but after Borrow died in 1881, it began to grow in popularity and critical acclaim. It is now considered a classic of English Literature. This Standard Ebooks edition of Lavengro and The Romany Rye is based on the editions published by John Murray and edited by W. I. Knapp, with many clarifying notes.

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id="men" epub:type="glossterm"> Men

We.

Mensar

(Mensa), with us.

Mer

(Merava), to die.

(Me), I.

Miduveleskoe lil

Divine or godly book.

Miró

F, my, mine.

Miry

(Mirí), my.

Morro

Bread.

Muchtar

(Muktar), box, toolbox.

Mullo

(Muló), dead.

Nashkadó / Nashkadí

(Nashavdó), lost, ruined; hanged (George Borrow).

Nashky

Gallows (George Borrow).

Nav

Name.

The.

Odoi / Odoy

There, here.

Opré

On, upon, up.

Over, for.

Pal

(Pral), brother; friend, mate.

Palor

(Pralá), brothers.

Parraco

(L.L. Paracrow; Zinc. parauco), I thank.

Patteran

(Patrín), leaf of a tree, Gypsy trail.

Pawdel

(Perdál), on the other side, across.

Pellengo

(Pelengro, from pelé, testicles), with gry, a stallion.

Pen

(Penava), to say, to tell.

Peshotá

Plural of peshót pishót, bellows.

Petúl

(Pétalo), horseshoe.

Petulengro

Head of the clan “Smith.”

Pindró

(Pinró), foot, hoof.

Pios

(From piava, I drink), health, in toasting.

Piramus

MS. “Priamus.”

Plaistra

(Klashta), pincers, tongs.

Plastramengro

Runner, detective.

Poggadó / Poggadí

(Panghiardó), broken.

Poknees

(Paknís, a man of trust), magistrate.

Prala

Vocative of pal or pral, brother.

Pré

(Opré), on, upon.

Pudamengro

(From purdava or pudava, I blow), bellows.

Puró

Feminine purí, plural puré, old, ancient.

Pus

Straw.

Puv

(Or phuv) earth, ground.

Ran

Stick, rod, cane.

Ráni

Lady, wife.

Rarde

(Ratt), night.

Rat

Rate and rati, blood, race.

Rawnie

See ráni.

Rig

(?) to carry.

Rin

A file.

Rinkenó

í, pretty, fine.

Rom

Husband; Gypsy.

Roman

Borrovian tor Gypsy.

Romaneskoenaes

In Gypsy fashion.

Romanies

Gypsies.

Romanly

In Gypsy, Gypsy-like.

Romanó

í, Gypsy.

Romany Chal

Gypsy.

Romany Chi

Gypsy (girl).

Romany Rye

Gypsy gentleman.

Romany

(Anglicised form of Romanó, Romaní), Gypsy.

Rome and dree

(Rom andré? Gypsy at heart).

Romí

Wife.

Rommanis

In Gypsy, also wife (George Borrow).

Rommany

I.q. Romany.

Rové

(Third person singular of rovava), he weeps.

Rup

Silver.

Rye

(Ráï), gentleman.

Sanpriel

Sanspareil.

Sap

Snake.

Sapengro

Snake-catcher.

Sar shan

How art thou?

Sas

It was, were it.

Saster / Sastra

Iron.

Sastramescro

Worker in iron, smith.

Saulo

(MS. sorlo), morning; early (?)

Savó

What kind of a man? who?

Scoppelo

Ninny.

(Isi), is, are.

Shan

(Isán), thou art.

Sherengro

(From sheró, the head), head man, chief.

Shom

(Isóm), I am.

Shoon

(Shunava), to hear, to listen.

Shukaro

(Tchokanó), hammer.

Shunella

(Shunéla, 3rd singular of shunava), is listening.

(Isí), is, are; si men, are we; si mensar (mensa), is or are with us.

Sinaba

(Spanish Gypsy), was.

Sore

(Saré), plural all, all who.

Sos

[Verb](Isás), was.

[Pronoun] Who.

Sove

(Sovava), to sleep.

Swety

(Plural of Russian sviet), people, folks.

Synfye

Cinthia (Slavic th is pronounced ph).

And.

Tachó

í, true.

Tan

Place, tent.

Tasaulor

(Read ta-sorlo), tomorrow.

Tatchenó

í, modest, chaste.

Tatchipen

Truth.

Tawnie

Feminine of.

Tawnó / Tawní

(Tarnó), little, short.

Tove

(Tovava), to wash.

Trin

Three.

Truppo

(Trupo), body.

Thou.

Tute

(Tut), thee, to thy.

Vagescoe

Adjective of yag.

Vassavie

Feminine of.

Vassavó

í, vile.

Villaminni

(Hungarian villám), it lightens.

Wafodo

I, bad, raise.

Wel

(Corrupted from avella), to come, to go.

Welling

Coming.

Wendror

(Connected with andró, within?), the insides.

Wesh

(Vesh), forest.

Wust

To throw (better the first MS. form, chiv).

Yag

Fire.

The.

Yeck

(Yek), one.

Yov

(Ov), be.

Zigeuner

(Ger.), Gypsy.

Zingaro

(It.), Gypsy.

Endnotes

We are all relations, all alike; all who are with us are ourselves. ↩

Chal is simply the contraction of chavál, a form cognate with chavoró the diminutive of chavó, a lad. Chavál is still common in Spain, both among the Gypsies and the lower orders of Spaniards. —⁠Knapp ↩

East D⁠⸺⁠: East Dereham, a small town in Norfolk, 16 miles west of Norwich, and 102 northeast of London. Here Capt. Thomas Borrow, the father of George, was often stationed from 1792 to 1812. —⁠Knapp ↩

East Anglia: This Anglo-Saxon kingdom comprised the present counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridge. —⁠Knapp ↩

MS., “On the fifth day of July, 1803, at East D⁠⸺, a beautiful little town in the western division of Norfolk, I first saw the light.” —⁠Knapp ↩

Tredinnock, read “Trethinnick;” Parish of St. Cleer, Cornwall. —⁠Knapp ↩

“In Cornwall are the best gentlemen.” —⁠Corn. Prov. ↩

MS., “after being insulted by him.” —⁠Knapp ↩

So in MSS.; “manly,” an erratum. —⁠Knapp ↩

Big Ben: Benjamin Brain or Bryan was born in 1753. Some