La acuile coçone, grant uciel di rapine amirât pe sô fuarce e maestositât

In yesterday’s videoclip in Friulian (tal filmât di îr par furlan), the presenter named a large bird of prey (la presentadore e à nomenât un grant uciel di rapine): the bald eagle (la acuile coçone). Let’s speak a little about this great bird (fevelìn un pôc di chest grant uciel).

The bald eagle is an iconic raptor (la acuile coçone e je un rapaç iconic) of North America (de Americhe dal Nord). North America is also known (la Americhe dal Nord e je ancje cognossude) in the Friulian language (in lenghe furlane) by the name of (cul non di): la Americhe setentrionâl. The bald eagle is one of the national symbols (la acuile coçone e je un dai simbui nazionâi) of the United States (dai Stâts Unîts), admired for its strength and majesty (amirade pe sô fuarce e maestositât).

The wingspan of the bald eagle (la largjece des alis de acuile coçone) is two metres (e je di doi metris) and its body is a little less than a metre long (e il cuarp al è lunc pôc mancul di un metri). Its white head (il cjâf blanc), its yellow beak (il bec zâl) and its dark brown body (e il cuarp maron scûr) render the bald eagle unmistakeable (a fasin deventâ inconfondibile la acuile coçone).

This raptor lives near rivers, lakes and coasts (chest rapaç al vîf dongje di flums, lâts e cuestis), where it feeds on fish (dulà che si nudrìs di pes), caught with its sharp talons (cjapâts cu lis sôs sgrifis uçadis). It makes enormous nests (al fâs nîts enormis) and often reuses them for years (e dispès al torne a doprâju par agns).

In the Friulian language (in lenghe furlane), the adjective coçon means (l’adietîf coçon al vûl dî): bald. A man without hair (un om cence cjavei) or who has little of it (o che a ’nd à pôcs) is bald (al è coçon). We can also say that he is (o podìn ancje dî che al è): crop. Let’s do an example in Friulian (fasìn un esempli par furlan): he went bald at age fifty (al è deventât crop a cincuante agns).

Of the bald eagle (de acuile coçone), it is said to be bald (si dîs che e je coçone) due to the white feathers on its head (par vie des plumis blancjis sul cjâf), which contrast with its dark body (che a fasin contrast cul cuarp scûr). From afar (di lontan), this particularity gives us the impression (cheste particolaritât nus da la impression) of a bald head (di un cjâf coçon).

Final remark. Indi means: thereof {of it, of them}; but if the next word begins with a vowel, indi can contract to ind. Un om cence cjavei o che ind à pôcs means: a man without hair or who has little thereof; ind à pôcs sounds like: indapôs. In the spoken language (and in the text above), you will also encounter: a ’nd a pôcs, which sounds like: andapôs. Therefore, an especially spoken version is: un om cence cjavei o ch’a ’nd a pôcs, where ch’a ’nd a pôcs sounds like: candapôs.

Robis di no crodi: L’astronaute Greg Linteris al è lât intal spazi cu la bandiere furlane [4]

PART 4. The astronaut Gregory Linteris and the Friulian flag (l’astronaute Gregory Linteris e la bandiere furlane).

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Tornât su la tiere, al è stât ospit de Famee Furlane di Toronto, là che al à presentade la bandiere furlane puartade in mission, intant de prime videoclamade de storie fra Friûl e Canadà. Gregory nol è stât dome astronaute. Al à lavorât tant che ricercjadôr tes istituzions sientifichis plui impuartantis dai USA; e ancjemò vuê al è un sienziât dal National Institute of Standards and Technology. Bulo, eh? In pratiche, se o cirìs la definizion di studiât sul dizionari, o cjatais la sô foto in bande. Ma par nô furlans, Gregory al è stât soredut un esempli di amôr pe sô tiere e di determinazion, insegnantnus che cu la fuarce di volontât si pues rivâ propit di cualsisei bande. Un piçul pas par un furlan, un grant pas pe furlanetât.

Back on earth, he was hosted by the Famee Furlane of Toronto, where he presented the Friulian flag carried on the mission, during the first videocall in history between Friûl and Canada. Gregory wasn’t just an astronaut. He worked as a researcher in the most important scientific institutions of the USA; and even today, he’s a scientist with the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Impressive guy, eh? Basically, if you look up the definition of a scholar in the dictionary, you’ll find his photo beside it. But for us Friulians, Gregory was above all an example of love for his homeland and of determination, teaching us that with willpower, you really can go anywhere. One small step for a Friulian, one giant leap for Friulanity.

Furlanetât: the community of Friulians (la coletivitât dai furlans) throughout the world (in dut il mont). 

Neil Armstrong said (Neil Armstrong al à dit): One small step for a man (un piçul pas par un om), one giant leap for mankind (un grant pas pe umanitât).

Why Toronto? (Parcè Toronto?) Linteris has paternal Friulian relatives (Linteris al à parincj furlans dal pari) who live in Toronto (che a son a stâ a Toronto) and are very active (e che a son une vore atîfs) in the Famee Furlane of that city (te Famee Furlane di chê citât); these relatives gave Linteris (chescj parincj i àn dât a Linteris) the Friulian flag that he took up into space (la bandiere furlane che al à puartade cun se tal spazi).

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Robis di no crodi: L’astronaute Greg Linteris al è lât intal spazi cu la bandiere furlane [3]

PART 3. The astronaut Gregory Linteris and the Friulian flag (l’astronaute Gregory Linteris e la bandiere furlane).

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Nol podeve lassâ a cjase il simbul de sô tiere, cundut che chei de NASA, sul imprin, no volevin permeti cheste ecezion a lis regulis. Ma i furlans se si metin tal cjâf alc, no molin, e a puedin puartâ il Friûl tal lôr cûr, ma ancje tal spazi. Dì po! What âstu lì? {Ce âstu lì?} This is not acuile çocone americane. {Cheste no je l’acuile çocone americane.} Ce eagle ise cheste? {Ce acuile ise cheste?} Furlan eagle? (La acuile furlane?} Bon, dai, o close the eyes par cheste volte. {Bon, dai, o sieri i voi par cheste volte.} Va là, va là. Monte up. {Monte sù.} Al è cussì che Gregory al à fat svolâ la acuile dal Friûl ator dal mont e parsore dai cjâfs di miliarts di personis. Tra la prime mission e la seconde, Greg al à viazât par siet milions e votcent mil chilometris in tresinte e cutuardis orbitis ator de tiere. Cui sa se di là sù si viôt il Friûl...

He couldn’t leave at home the symbol of his homeland, though the NASA people, at first, didn’t want to allow this exception to the rules. But if Friulians get something in their head, they don’t give up, and they can carry Friûl in their heart, and even into space. Say now! What have you there? This is not the American bald eagle. What eagle is this? The Friulian eagle? Fine, go ahead, I’ll close my eyes this time. Go on, go on, board. That is how Gregory made the eagle of Friûl fly around the world and over the heads of billions of people. Between the first and second missions, Greg travelled seven million and eight hundred thousand kilometres in three hundred and fourteen orbits around the earth. Who knows if you can see Friûl from up there...

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