On the northwestern corner of the Iberian Peninsula lies a country known in antiquity as Gallaecia, and now called
On the northwestern corner of the Iberian Peninsula lies a country known in antiquity as Gallaecia, and now called
The Galician Language
The beautifully soft and melodic Galician language might sound no different from Spanish to those who don’t speak either one, but it is much older and is closer to the original Latin root from which both languages developed. It also retains some influences of the languages spoken by the Central European settlers who established themselves in
When looking for landmarks, take into account the fact that signs can be either in Galician or in Spanish. For example:
- The word “street” is “calle” in Spanish, “rúa” in Galician, or “ruela” if very small.
- The word “plaza” (“square” in British English) is “plaza” in Spanish, “praza” in Galician.
- The word “church” is “iglesia” in Spanish, “igrexa” in Galician.
The names of some towns and geographical locations also change. For example:
-
- The letter “j” in Spanish usually becomes “x” in Galician; thus, the “Street of Jerusalem” in Compostela is called “Calle de Jerusalén” in Spanish, “Ruela de Xerusalén” in Galician.
- The Spanish articles “el” or “la” (meaning “the”) become “o” and “a” in Galician; thus, “
- The genders of nouns often change. For example, “the Roman bridge” is “el puente romano” in Spanish, and “a ponte romana” in Galician.
- The double “L” in Spanish becomes a single “L” in Galician; thus, the Galician language is called gallego in Spanish, and galego in Galician.
- The word “dos” in Galician means “of the,” unlike in Spanish where it means “two.” Thus, the Hostal dos Reís Católicos means the “Hotel of the Catholic Monarchs.”
Dining in Galicia
Some of my favorite regional dishes:
Caldo galego: Vegetable broth made with potatoes, beans, pork meat, sausages and either turnip tops, rapini or cabbage. I love caldo galego.
Empanada: Traditional Galician pie with different fillings including beef, chicken, vegetables, tuna, cod fish, octopus or other seafood. My favorites are empanada de pulpo (with octopus), or empanada de verduras (with vegetables).
Pementos de Padrón: These are tasty (and healthily full of antioxidants) little green peppers, originally grown in Padrón. They are fried and served with cooking salt. Galicians have a saying about their adored little peppers: Algúns pican e outros non, which means that some are hot and some are not, and the problem is you never know which are which, until, of course, you put one into your mouth, and then you have to call the fire department.
Pulpo: Octopus. My favorite way to have pulpo is á feira (in the style of the fairs) served on a wooden plate with olive oil and paprika, or con cachelos (with potatoes) served as before but on a base of boiled potatoes.
The Weather in Galicia
The weather in the coastal regions
For complete weather reports visit: www.meteogalicia.es
A Piece of Old Galician Poetry
(Galego-Portugués, Old Galician-Portuguese)
Sedia-m'eu na ermida de San Simón
E cercaron-mi-as ondas que grandes son.
Eu atendend'o meu amigo. E verrá?
Estando na ermida, ant'o altar,
Cercaron-mi-as ondas grandes do mar
Eu atendend'o meu amigo. E verrá?
E cercaron-mi-as ondas que grandes son:
Non ei i barqueiro nen remador.
Eu atendend'o meu amigo. E verrá?
E cercaron-mi-as ondas do alto mar:
Non ei i barqueiro nen sei remar.
Eu atendend'o meu amigo. E verrá?
Non ei i barqueiro nen remador:
Morrerei eu, fremosa, no mar maior.
Eu atendend'o meu amigo. E verrá?
Morrerei eu, fremosa, no alto mar.
Eu atendend'o meu amigo. E verrá?
Non ei i barqueiro nen sei remar:
Mendiño, Siglo XIII
(También escrito: Meendiño, Mendinho, Meendinho)
(English)
There in the chapel, before the altar,
The large waves of the sea surrounded me.
I wait for my beloved. Will he return?
I wait for my beloved. Will he return?
And the waves, so large, surrounded me.
I have neither boatman nor oarsman.
And the waves of the high sea surrounded me.
I have no boatman, nor can I row.
I wait for my beloved. Will he return?
I wait for my beloved. Will he return?
I have neither boatman nor oarsman.
I will die, a maiden, in the deep sea.
I wait for my beloved. Will he return?
I have no boatman, nor can I row.
I will die, a maiden, amid the rising sea.
Translations by Walter Aschiero