# Serbian (BCS): Bečlijka



## reka

Hello,

citizen of which country, or inhabitant of which city or region is "Bečlijka"?

Or maybe it is none of the above? In short - what is Bečlijka? I have no clue whatsoever!

Thanks for your help!


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## TriglavNationalPark

Wait for confirmation from our Serbian members, but since *Beč* = Vienna in Serbian, I'm almost certain that the word refers to a woman from Vienna (*Dunajčanka* in Slovenian). A Google search seems to confirm this.


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## Christo Tamarin

reka said:


> Hello,
> 
> citizen of which country, or inhabitant of which city or region is "Bečlijka"?
> 
> Or maybe it is none of the above? In short - what is Bečlijka? I have no clue whatsoever!
> 
> Thanks for your help!



Vienna, Vienna.


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## phosphore

TriglavNationalPark said:


> Wait for confirmation from our Serbian members, but since *Beč* = Vienna in Serbian, I'm almost certain that the word refers to a woman from Vienna (*Dunajčanka* in Slovenian). A Google search seems to confirm this.


 
That's right. Beč = Vienna, Bečlija = Viennese (male), Bečlijka = Viennese (female).


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## Duya

Though it's funny how we plant suffix -lija of Turkish origin to a word of Hungarian origin, (and present the end result as authentically Serbian, as with many meals  )


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## Christo Tamarin

Duya said:


> Though it's funny how we plant suffix -lija of Turkish origin to a word of Hungarian origin, (and present the end result as authentically Serbian, as with many meals  )


Most probably, that name was taken into Serbian from Osmanlı Turkish.


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## Duya

Christo Tamarin said:


> Most probably, that name was taken into Serbian from Osmanl Turkish.



That makes more sense indeed, thanks.


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## reka

Thanks everyone, yes, I figured it was a woman from Vienna, but I got really confused


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## Mishe

Although I'd never say Bečlijka, I'd always go for Bečanka.


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## Duya

Mishe said:


> Although I'd never say Bečlijka, I'd always go for Bečanka.



...which would be more regular -- but wrong -- way to say it.


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## phosphore

I have never heard that form before but I checked it now and it is actually correct.


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## Mishe

Duya said:


> ...which would be more regular -- but wrong -- way to say it.



Are you sure it's wrong?


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## Duya

Like Phosphore said, I've never heard anyone saying it. However, he checked in the dictionary, and it is registered indeed. Some googling reveals that Bečanin/Bečanka is more common in Croatia than in Serbia or Bosnia, and it has 10x more hits on .hr domains than "Bečlija". Thus, you're right.


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