# μαλώνουνε



## Ben Jamin

Hello!
I am a beginner in Greek, but I try to decipher texts using dictionaries, Google translate and ready translations in the net. The three are not always of much help. I am trying to understand the song "η χώρα μας" sung by Antonis Kalogiannis. The first word causing difficulty is μαλώνουνε. The Google translates it as "fighting", which is obviously wrong, as it is the third person plural, and should rather be "they fight". In a "translation" of the whole text found on the net the translation of "Τη χώρα μας μαλώνουνε" is "our country is fighting", which is also apparently wrong, as *Τη χώρα μας* is, as far I can see, in accusative, and the country cannot be the subject of this sentence. Google translate gives the translation of  μαλώνω as: chide,  jaw,  berate , scold ,  chide and bawl! So, the person has changed and the meaning too, no fighting any more, but those words suit better with an impersonal verb and country in accusative: something like "our country is being scolded" is much more plausible. Am I on the right track?


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## Δημήτρης

Yes, you translated it right. Just a technicality though, it's not that is an impersonal verb, but rather that it can be used both as transitive and intransitive.
Μαλώνω με κάποιον, that's intransitive and it means to get in a fight with someone.
Μαλώνω κάποιον, it's used as transitive and it means to scold someone. _Τη χώρα μας μαλώνουν - (Some people) are scolding our country._


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## sotos

In this case it probably means "come down on (critisize strongly) my conutry". We need more context.


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## Perseas

_Tη χώρα μας μαλώνουνε ποιος να την πρωτοπροστατεύσει_ ~ _They ( the protectors) are fighting over our country who is going to protect it first_

My translation may be not accurate or correct, but it may help you.


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## Ben Jamin

I am not sure if this is allowed by the rules of the forum, but here is the whole text of the first stanza:
Τη χώρα μας μαλώνουνε 
ποιος να την πρωτο προστατέψει 
προστάτες ακριβοί 
κοστίζουνε πολύ 
προστάτες και μαλώνουν 
στο δικό σου μαγαζί
Now I kind of understand the lexical and grammatical meaning of the stanza, but I still need the historical background to understand the meaning. Who are the protectors "προστάτες ακριβοί "?. Why are they expensive? And what does it mean that they fight in your store? The year was, I think 1977, not so long after democracy was restored in Greece. Can anyone explain this?


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## Perseas

_Στο δικό σου μαγαζί_ means in this context in your home i.e. Greece. They are fighting in your own home, not elsewhere, which may be more humiliating for its citizens.
By _προστάτες _are meant the lenders of loans, who are lending at high interest , which results in their controlling of Greece's economy. Hence the "expensive". 
That's my feel. Maybe there are some other intepretations.


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## Ben Jamin

Perseas said:


> _Στο δικό σου μαγαζί_ means in this context in your home i.e. Greece. They are fighting in your own home, not elsewhere, which may be more humiliating for its citizens.
> By _προστάτες _are meant the lenders of loans, who are lending at high interest , which results in their controlling of Greece's economy. Hence the "expensive".
> That's my feel. Maybe there are some other intepretations.


Are you sure that was the issue back in 1977?


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## Perseas

I don't know why exactly was written this song, but the issue of loans has always been a reality for Greece. 
I' ve heard the song on YouTube and at a spot says that our country always owes and it is sold out to everyone at a low price (for a pittance) and this never stops.
The lyrics.


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## apmoy70

Ben Jamin said:


> I am not sure if this is allowed by the rules of the forum, but here is the whole text of the first stanza:
> Τη χώρα μας μαλώνουνε
> ποιος να την πρωτο προστατέψει
> προστάτες ακριβοί
> κοστίζουνε πολύ
> προστάτες και μαλώνουν
> στο δικό σου μαγαζί
> Now I kind of understand the lexical and grammatical meaning of the stanza, but I still need the historical background to understand the meaning. Who are the protectors "προστάτες ακριβοί "?. Why are they expensive? And what does it mean that they fight in your store? The year was, I think 1977, not so long after democracy was restored in Greece. Can anyone explain this?


 The «ακριβοί» is ambiguous, for it can be interpreted as both _expensive_ and _precious_. Here the song-writer "plays" with that ambiguity.



Ben Jamin said:


> Are you sure that was the issue back in 1977?


He probably refers to the default of 1897 (yes it's not the first time in our modern history we are facing default)


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## Ben Jamin

The subject becomes more and more intriguing. It would be very interesting to read more about the background of the song and what the allusions refer to. It is also interesting to see that Antonis Kalogiannis changed from a politically committed artist to a kind of Greek Frank Sinatra. He is, however, a fantastic singer in bot genres. It is a pity that there is no biography of his available on the net.


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