DALMATIAN STATE OF MIND STORY
LOCAL WORDS

URA
an hour, also stands for 1 a.m. and 1 p.m.

ČOVIK
noun
A man, a dear person, a trusted one, someone we’re compassionate about.
An acquaintance who gets us whatever we may need. Every Dalmatian person knows at least one.

FJAKA
noun
A psychophysical condition of a person wanting nothing. Mistaking „fjaka“ for laziness is an easy mistake to make. Unlike the latter, „fjaka“ is a blissful condition of body and mind the whole humankind is searching for. In India, „fjaka“ is attained by decades of meditation and fasting. In Dalmatia, it’s simply a gift from God.

JUŽINA
noun
Rainy weather combined with low air pressure.
Every Dalmatian resident blames „južina“ for their bad mood and lack of concentration. Even the greatest workaholics are unable to think, let alone move, when „južina“ strikes.

BURA
noun
A cold wind blowing away everything in its path including the clouds, making weather sunny.

SUNCE
noun
The Sun.
An absolute staple of Dalmatian lifestyle and, less importantly, the economy through tourism.

TOVAR
noun
A donkey, the most popular working animal of Dalmatia.
A Split resident, the least popular working animal of Dalmatia, known for avoiding labor.

ŠTEKAT
noun
An outside terrace of a bar where a resident of Split tends to spend most of their days.

REDIKUL
noun
A derogatory term used to describe a cringeworthy person oblivious of their lapses.

PRIŠA
noun
A hurry.

POMALO
phrase
The most desired tempo of performance in Dalmatia and the polar opposite of „priša“.

ALA, ASTI
expressions; each used on its own, never together
Frequently used exclamations of joy, cheering and pleasant surprise, but also criticism, displeasure and anger.
When used on its own, translates to „oh my“.
When combined with a noun, translates to „holy“, such as ‘holy guacamole’.

TORCIDA
The supporters’ group of HNK Hajduk Split, the local football club.
Torcida is the oldest European football firm, founded days after the conclusion of 1950 World Cup in Brazil, hence the name.