Lingua halieutica - fishing language of Komi fishermen

On the Komiža waterfront, among the nets and the smell of the sea, a special speech could once be heard that only those who came from the sea could understand. This speech was called Lingua halieutica – the fishing language of Komiža fishermen. It was not a real, full language, but a special vocabulary that emerged from everyday life at sea. For centuries, fishermen created their own words for ships, tools, winds and fish. Thus, the falkuša had its own special parts and names, and tools such as the peškafonda were used for night fishing for squid. These words mixed Croatian, Venetian, Italian and other Mediterranean languages ​​– just as trade and fishing routes mixed on the open sea. Lingua halieutica was actually a small world in itself. Fishermen used it while they worked, sailed or cast their nets, and each word carried experience and knowledge passed down from generation to generation. That is why this language became part of the identity of Komiža – a code that connected the community and kept the secrets of the sea. Today, this speech is heard less and less often, but it has not been forgotten. Thanks to records, books and festivals, part of it is being revived. When falkuši are restored in Komiža or fishermen's festivals are held, along with the smell of sardines and the sound of the waves, you can hear a few words from this old language. It is more than words – it is a symbol of cultural heritage, proof that the sea not only shapes life but also the speech of the people who live by it.