Bordurian

SPOKEN BY

Bordurian is spoken by the inhabitants of Borduria.

DOCUMENTED BY

Hergé (Georges Prosper Remi) (1907–1983) wrote and illustrated Tintin’s adventures, using the fictional country Borduria in works like The Adventures of Tintin: The Calculus Affair.

BEHIND THE WORDS

Hergé wrote the adventures of Tintin starting in the late 1920s and thus placed the intrepid young reporter amidst events shaking the continent of Europe: the Russian Revolution, the rise of fascism in Germany, and the growing interwar tensions. To date, more than 350 million Tintin books have been sold.

In this story, Tintin and Haddock are trying to stop Bordurian agents from obtaining a sonic device that could be turned into a weapon.

DERIVATION OF THE LANGUAGE

The language used by the inhabitants of Borduria appears to have been largely modeled on Hungarian and Romanian, with some Polish and Albanian thrown in for good measure.

A TASTE OF THE LANGUAGE

amaïh! (interjection)—hail!

hôitgang (noun)—exit

mänhir (adjective)—mister

ointhfan (noun)—reception desk

opernska (noun)—opera

platz (noun)—plaza

Pristzy! (interjection)—Darn!

szonett (noun)—bell

sztôpp (interjection)—Stop!

tzhôl (noun)—customs

zsnôrr (noun)—moustache

PHILOLOGICAL FACT

Borduria is located in the Balkans and referred to in several Tintin adventures. As depicted in The Calculus Affair, it seems a cross between a fascist state (leaders give the Nazi salute) and a Stalinist dictatorship.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Review the works listed above, the resources listed in the bibliography, and the web pages: “Bordurian” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bordurian) and “Tintin” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tintin_(character)).

SPEAKING OF LANGUAGES

Any man who does not make himself proficient in at least two languages other than his own is a fool.

—Martin H. Fischer