Born lucky

Source: http://www.caulbearersunited.webs.com

It turns out that the Russian expression родиться в рубашке (literally - to be born in a shirt), meaning to be lucky especially in happily avoiding accidents, implies a very special kind of "shirt". There is an equivalent in English (but I guess not widely used) - to be born with a caul (on one' s head). Caul refers to the membrane on the head of some (very very few!) new-born infants - remains of the embryonic amnion, that is removed at birth. It is held to be a charm, especially against death by drowning. They were once advertised for sale and frequently sought after by mariners. Sometimes it is also referred to as veil.
Different languages have similar terms as either a shirt (as in Russian mentioned above, Italian -  camisia) or a headdress (in German Galea - helmet, Polish czepek - a bonnet). In Polish the idiom "w czepku urodzony/a" (literally "born in a bonnet"). In the same vein, the French say etre né coiffé, but the Spanish are more practical with their Nacer con un pan bajo el brazo (born with bread under his arms). An interesting list of these expressions in various languages can be found here.
To be born with a caul was the Romans tantamount to being born with a silver spoon in one's mouth. This expression however refers more to luck in a sense of wealth, to be born in a well-off family.

So-called caulbearers have had troubled times, especially in Middle Ages, when they were persecuted. A number of historical persons, e.g. Napoleon Bonaparte, were known to be born with caul. Also fictional characters, such as Salinger' s Catcher in the Rye's Holden Caulfield  even has it in his name. An excerpt from Charles Dickens'  David Copperfield (1850) to finish off -

"I was born with a caul, which was advertised for sale, in the newspapers, at the low price of fifteen guineas. Whether sea-going people were short of money about that time, or were short of faith and preferred cork jackets, I don't know; all I know is, that there was but one solitary bidding, and that was from an attorney connected with the bill-broking business, who offered two pounds in cash, and the balance in sherry, but declined to be guaranteed from drowning on any higher bargain. Consequently the advertisement was withdrawn at a dead loss ... and ten years afterwards, the caul was put up in a raffle down in our part of the country, to fifty members at half-a-crown a head, the winner to spend five shillings. I was present myself, and I remember to have felt quite uncomfortable and confused, at a part of myself being disposed of in that way. The caul was won, I recollect, by an old lady with a hand-basket.... It is a fact which will be long remembered as remarkable down there, that she was never drowned, but died triumphantly in bed, at ninety-two."

Sunshine when it rains

When it rains while the sun is shining, Lithuanians say that the king has either lost his piece of bread or is counting his money (karalius duonos neteko; karalius skaito pinigus). This meteorogical phenomenon is called sunshower in English and it has many funny definitions in various languages - mostly to do with various animals or the devil playing tricks in spite of God's benevolence (you can see more here). 

For instance, the French call it "marriage de loup" (the wolf's wedding), if not - the devil beating his wife and marrying his daughter (le diable bat sa femme et marie sa fille). The latter expression has its roots in mythology, some story with Jupiter and his sister/wife Juno which you can find in French here.  
The naturalist Finnish refer to foxes taking a bath (ketut kylpevät). In Croatia and Macedonia the gypsies are getting married. And the Russians go mushrooming, as it is a "mushroom rain" (грибной дождь).

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Brother Baltic languages - so similar, and yet...

It's been a while since I proclaimed to start blogging. To turn it into a habit is my resolution for New Year 2015!
Today a quick look at some differences between two Baltic languages- Lithuanian and Latvian. Some ten years ago I moved to Lithuania and started learning the language. My native language is Russian, but as I come from Latvia I also speak Latvian. Latvian and Lithuanian languages are both part of the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages (the other better-known language in the same branch is the now extinct Old Prussian). Despite what many people have suggested to me, unknowingly, Latvian and Lithuanian are quite different and are not mutually intelligible. In fact, for me it turned to be rather confusing, as a number of same-sounding words often have different meanings. But then again, digging deeper in the etymology of such words, it turns out there is a lot in common and often the archaic / primary meaning of certain word correspond to the modern-times meaning of the same word in the other language. In my etymological explorations I was supported by Latviešu etimoloģijas vārdnīca by K. Karulis. So, lets cut to the chase - here come several examples:

Jėga (LT) - force, strength vs. Jēga (LV) - sense
             Similar words in ancient Greek hebe (strength of youth) and Proto Indo-European (original language similar to Sanskrit, Latin and ancient Greek) jega (youthfulness). In Latvian the term evolved into various words meaning "to understand, to grasp, to imagine" (sajēga, jēgt, sajēdziens) and the earlier meaning of "strength" remained only in dialects and folklore. For Lithuanians apparently force and strength is the same as an ability to make sense of the world?

Bauda (LT) - fine, penalty vs. Bauda (LV) - pleasure
                Word origins in "awaken, rouse" (hence Russian "будить") , also " to beat, to punch" - actually, to awaken by beating. So it seems Lithuanian stayed with the meaning of verb "(nu)bausti" to punish-->nouns bausmė (punishment) and bauda (penalty); Latvian - with the meaning "to taste, to experience, make be" , although Latvian word bauslis (commandment as in The Bible, bauslība - law) originates from the meaning "to urge, to spur, to push".
      

There are many more of such confusingly similar words, but let us finish with the notorious mix-up. Lithuanian briedis is Latvian alnis (RU - лось, ENG - moose deer, elk),  and Lithuanian elnias is Latvian briedis (RU - олень, ENG - deer). In fact, in earlier times Latvian also used the word alnis to mean deer, similarly to other languages (e.g. similarly sounding Russian олень, Belarussian алень, Czech jelen, Greek ellos). However, since 19th century alnis lost its original meaning in Latvian and turned into briedis. So much for the particular ways of individual languages.