by an English-Finnish dictionary
an immigrant’s tool, an almost-bible, a book of days
a history of heartache, homesickness, hope and a new home
UPDATE Feb.28, 2011: this has also been published in qarrtsiluni’s translation issue
July 29, 2008 in Being an Artist, Found Objects, History, Linguistics, Photoworks by Marja-Leena
Oooh, scrumptious photo that last one. Has it set off ideas for work? Why are collapsing things so attractive?
Yes, I want to know too: has it set off ideas for work??
Määrittelet sanakirjan erinomaisesti!
Olga, thanks. I’ve been thinking about this from time to time and just felt like playing with it this rainy morning. I think ‘collapsing things’ fit my inner archaeologist. And anthropologist and family historian as well, with thoughts of my late parents and our emigration overwhelming me.
Olga and Pica, yes, I sense a possible new series germinating…
Tuima, kiitos!
As a little celebration of your wonderful dictionary, here’s a daft collage from some online Finnish language sites.
Apua! Puhuuko kukaan täällä englantia?
En ymmärrä. En puhu suomea.
Mikä tuo korvastasi pilkottava juttu on?
Kukka purppura, En halua, että se vedetään pois.
Vieras.
Olen suomalainen vaarallinen
Jätä minut rauhaan!
Haluaisitko tanssia kanssani? Rakastan sinua.
Näkemiin. Hyvää päivänjatkoa
Nähdään myöhemmin! Soittakaa poliisille!
Anna, a very daft collage indeed! Did you see the translations when you picked these?
I want to know what they mean now!
Lovely scanner art, most unusual, and a very cherishable object in itself. I also liked the words for ‘honk’ on the same page!
Lucy, some of the Finnish doesn’t make sense to me, so I hope Anna will have the translations. If not, I’ll try my best.
I was very excited to find how well my scanner captured a thicker object, even the dictionary on edge. I’m going to play some more…
One of the most poignant and encouraging sights in the world – a well-used dictionary.
A missed opportunity on my part. In an attempt to keep up-to-date with French I’ve given away or recycled three or four Collins/Robert (at £25 a pop) over the past quarter-century. Being breast-fed, or non-potty-trained, or whatever, I cannot abide a loose page in a work of reference. So I am doomed to watch Marja-Leena’s gorgeous celebration from the sidelines.
Oooh — I have that same dictionary, it was my grandmother’s! Far less dilapidated, though. I guess she didn’t look up much.
Barrett, poignant it is for me, in the memories it evokes! Something made me keep it when I found it in my parents’ belongings years ago. I’m not usually one to hang on to broken things, but I have kept mother’s worn-out old Finnish cookbook and my favourite Finnish copy of Grimm’s fairy tales.
Kate, really? How interesting! Was it published in 1945? Did your grandmother emigrate sometime after? We came in 1951.
Such beautiful photos of a wonderful book. The details of age in the yellowed tape, torn edges, and broken binding are gorgeous.
Seth, thank you and welcome! What a surprise and pleasure to have you visit after I’ve been browsing through your blog over the past couple of days, thanks to a link at Boogie Street. Love your collage work, and felt an odd frissure seeing your sketchbook/journal looking a bit like my last photo here!
I was trying for surrealism but it’s probably just gobbledygook. It goes something like this if I remember without going over the translation again:
Hello, is there anyone here who speaks English?
I understand, but only a little
What is that sticking out of your ear?
It’s a purple flower.I don’t want it pulled out.
How strange.
I am…. dangerous
Leave me alone!
Would you like to dance with me? I am in love with you
Goodbye. Have a nice day. I’m outta here. See you!
(I said it was daft.)
Anna, thanks! Funny thing about translations. Because of local idioms, some strange to me, it’s hard to translate to another idiom sometimes. And some phrases are ‘poetic’. Here’s my take, rather literally yet pretty much the same:
Help! Does anyone here speak English?
I don’t understand. I don’t speak Finnish.
What is that story sticking out of your ear?
Flower purple, I don’t want it pulled out.
Stranger
I am a Finnish danger
Leave me alone!
Would you like to dance with me? I love you.
Goodbye. Good day.
See you later! Call the police!
It is daft, like taking phrases from a short language guide and throwing them together willy-nilly. I had to chuckle, thanks again.
What a wonderful book
Is it yours?
Hi Mouse, it belonged to my parents, bought in Finland before we emigrated to Canada. It’s mine now, a treasure and memory of them in that struggle.
Best of all, I like your description of this “immigrant’s tool. Dictionaries have always seemed to me to be important, but none so important as this one. Worn thing like old faces speak of experience, hard work and pain, and some joy. How well these photographs of a well used book bring that out.
Joe, thank you for your lovely words.
Beautiful images and your words encapsulated it all.
Herhimnbryn, thanks for the kind words and the visit!
We, too, have a copy of that dictionary. It belonged to my wife’s aunt Miriam and passed on to us on Miriam’s death. Miriam was born in Canada, but her older siblings, Rauha, Signe and Kullervo, were born in Finland.
Peter, that is so amazing. Is yours as worn out as this, especially if used by all the siblings?
I’m now thinking that this was quite likely also used by my aunts and uncles who came over at the same time, and that may explain the extra wear.
These are beautiful photographs of a dictionary from another time. Very Stunning! Thank you for sharing…Roxanne
Thanks, Roxanne and welcome! I’ve peeked at your blog – lovely! Will be back.