Mustkolbász

[Sov_owl]

Greetings, everyone!

One of my favorite books during my childhood was "Tanár úr kérem" by Karinthy Frigyes, in Russian translation "Извините, господин учитель".
Many years after, I found English translation of this book ("Please Sir!") and certain strange translations caught my eye.

In the chapter "A BUKOTT FÉRFI" the "failed student" is buying a "Mustkolbász" and a "ementálit".

"Mustkolbász! a nyál összefolyik a szájában. Milyen furcsa neve van, mi lehet az? olyan barna, bütykös valami, ott lóg a csemegekereskedésben - de túlvilágian jó lehet, must is, kolbász is."

In Russian version "Mustkolbász" was translated as "виноградная колбаса"("grape sausage", which is almost the same as churchkhela(Churchkhela - Wikipedia))
In English version it was translated as "mustard-sausage". But that's strange, because churchkhela doesn't contain any meat or mustard, even though Karinthy writes "must is, kolbász is".
It supposed to be a sweet, isn't it?

 

[Zsanna]

Hello Sov_owl and welcome
I had to look it up and - to my surprise - I immediately found recepies for it in Hungarian (most mentioning that it is a Georgian sweet* originally).
As you say, it is made of walnuts dipped into a pancake thick (sort of) dough made with sweet fresh wine syrup, flour and spices.
But I have never seen it in shops in Hungary...
So the English translation is probably a mistake. (And not a small one because must - fresh grape juice - is not mustár - mustard.)

*transcribed as csurcsela in Hungarian

 

[Sov_owl]

Hello Sov_owl and welcome
I had to look it up and - to my surprise - I immediately found recepies for it in Hungarian (most mentioning that it is a Georgian sweet* originally).
As you say, it is made of walnuts dipped into a pancake thick (sort of) dough made with sweet feesh wine syrup, flour and spices.
But I have never seen it in shops in Hungary...
So the English translation is probably a mistake. (And not a small one because must - fresh grape juice - is not mustár - mustard.)

*transcribed as csurcsela in Hungarian

Thank you for your answer!

Yes, just minutes before I found, that "must" is fresh grape juice in English and Russian. Probably, a loan word.
So it's really a "grape sausage" or "must sausage".
Churchkhela is quite well known in former USSR south republics and in southern Russia. But it's a surprise, that it was also popular in Austria-Hungary.)

 

[AndrasBP]

even though Karinthy writes "must is, kolbász is"

In this case, the word "kolbász" only refers to the shape of the product.

So the English translation is probably a mistake.

It is definitely a mistake.

I have never seen it in shops in Hungary

Me neither. I suppose most people have never even heard about it. However, one recipe I've found says 'mustkolbász' comes from Bánát, a region in Greater Hungary, now divided between Serbia and Romania. Apart from Georgia, it is also known in Turkey and other areas of the former Ottoman Empire, so the Bánát version may have originated from there.

And not a small one because must - fresh grape juice - is not mustár - mustard.

Interestingly, the words 'must' and 'mustard' do share the same etymology, as I've just found out.

 

[Zsanna]

Hello AndrasBP,
I didn't know about the same etymology, however, when it comes to their translation, it is not an excuse to mix them up. (Unless..., see later.)
I wrote "probably" about the mistake because I cannot interpret the reasoning behind the English translation, nevertheless it may have some...
(The classic example - the other way round - is Karinthy's translation of Winnie the Pooh which is more of an adaptation at places than a translation but it is still wonderful.)

 

[AndrasBP]

however, when it comes to their translation, it is not an excuse to mix them up.

Of course not, but I don't think the translator had any idea about the etymology of the words.