This is a wonderful introduction to the Czech language; as a genealogist, Ive found it immensely helpful with foreign records. Besides the obvious info about days of the week, numbers, foods, etc, Ms. Svec includes info about the clusters of Czech communities (across the US) and Czech vs. non-Czech names (Jirina Svec = Georgia Shoemaker).
One of the biggest problems Ive faced in collecting Czech genealogy is the movements of the borders that took place so commonly over the past 100 years. She has maps that delineate the new borders in 1914, 1925 and after 1948. On another page, Ms. Svec has an Early Roman map that shows how the Slavs moved west.
I could talk about what has been left out of this book but it is more important what has been included. The author makes the point that Czech is not a Romance Language; it is in another language group including Russian, Polish, Bulgarian and others.
Want to know where there the highest concentration of Czechs live? Try: Wilber, Nebraska, where they are 90% of the towns population.
I found pages 5 6 to be most helpful; the author goes through the Czech alphabet and gives pronunciations as related to English. One example: The Czech a is pronounced as in ABOVE, such as in ARMARA (cupboard); MRAK (cloud); a is never hard, as in ate.
This 35 page booklet is full of information; Id be hard pressed to give a good synopsis in less than 1 and 1/2 pages!
One of the biggest problems Ive faced in collecting Czech genealogy is the movements of the borders that took place so commonly over the past 100 years. She has maps that delineate the new borders in 1914, 1925 and after 1948. On another page, Ms. Svec has an Early Roman map that shows how the Slavs moved west.
I could talk about what has been left out of this book but it is more important what has been included. The author makes the point that Czech is not a Romance Language; it is in another language group including Russian, Polish, Bulgarian and others.
Want to know where there the highest concentration of Czechs live? Try: Wilber, Nebraska, where they are 90% of the towns population.
I found pages 5 6 to be most helpful; the author goes through the Czech alphabet and gives pronunciations as related to English. One example: The Czech a is pronounced as in ABOVE, such as in ARMARA (cupboard); MRAK (cloud); a is never hard, as in ate.
This 35 page booklet is full of information; Id be hard pressed to give a good synopsis in less than 1 and 1/2 pages!
