# testvérenmek szorgalma jutalmaúl



## camaysar

Hi... I see this written as an inscription in a book. What does it mean?

Thank you!


----------



## Zsuzsu

Hi camaysar,

It means something like "To my sibling for (or as a reward for) his/her diligence".

"Testvér" is a neutral word in Hungarian, so I can't tell if the sibling is a brother or a sister.

(I think this inscription might not be recent because the form "jutalmáúl" does not exist in educated style any more (but maybe a century ago) - we would write "jutalmául" nowadays.)

Hope that helps!


----------



## Zsanna

I agree with Zsuzsu and would add just some minor comments:
- The expression is old because of the whole expression ("szorgalma jutalmául"). Nowadays it would be simply something like "szorgalmáért" (although brothers and sisters do not reward each other for that sort of thing - if ever they did...)
- Thinking further this last remark, I'd think that "testvéremnek" (_to my brtoher/sister_) could possibly be interpreted here in a larger sense, like "sorstárs" (= somebody I share my fate with - usually referring to an unpleasant event).


----------

