Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 3.207 January 24, 1994 1) Poter vern (Mottel Lakin) 2) Poter vern (Arn Abramson) 3) Poter vern (Khayem Bochner) 4) Poter vern (David Sherman) 5) Mayses far yidishe kinder (Khayem Bochner) 6) Invitation to Yiddish (Cecile Kuznitz) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri Jan 21 15:24:11 1994 From: Martin Lakin Subject: Poter vern In response to Ari Komar, ich mein poshut az "poter veren kumpt takeh fun der herbraishe vort Potur (get rid of. absolved from, not responsible for) tzuzamen mit veren : und in ainem macht dos: to get rid of (mostly because "who needs it anyway") As to kerick onshtot tzu--rik, meine eltern hoben azoi geredt, Zeinen zei takeh geven Russische oder "vais Russische", ober ich gedenk az ich fleg es heren fun Litvische Yidden oich, Un efsher hob ich a toies in dem. Mottel Lakin@acpub.duke.edu 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri Jan 21 22:17:52 1994 From: "Arthur S. Abramson" Subject: Poter vern To Arre Komar: The Yiddish word poter is from the Hebrew patur 'exempt, free,' although, of course, with the Ashkenazic pronunciation, including the Yiddish stress on the first syllable. The underlying Hebrew verb is patar'dismiss, send away; exempt (from obligation).' Arn Abramson 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun Jan 23 21:51:33 1994 From: bochner@das.harvard.edu Subject: Re: poter vern Arre Komar fregt: > Zay azay git tsi emetsen vayst fun velkher urshprkh kumt dos > Yiddishe vort "poter vern". S'iz loshn koydesh, funem shoyresh pey, tes, reysh. "poter" (oyf ivrit "patur") heyst "fray, bafrayt fun". > Aykhet hob ikh fun Russishe Yidn dos vort "kerick" gehert ven zay > maynen "tsirik". Yo, me ken zogn "karik" oder "krik". Bay undz zogt men gikher "tsrik". Khayem 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun Jan 23 22:31:32 1994 From: dave@cai.lsuc.on.ca (David Sherman) Subject: "poter vern" > From: "Dr. Arthur Komar" > > Zay azay git tsi emetsen vayst fun velkher urshprkh kumt dos > Yiddishe vort "poter vern". It's Hebrew: the root PTR means "to release" and related concepts. Someone who dies is "niftr" (in Yiddish too). In halakha generally, someone who may have committed an aveyre (sin) is either khayev (liable, guilty, obligated) or poter (innocent, free). David ("Daniel Moishe") Sherman 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun Jan 23 22:18:48 1994 From: bochner@das.harvard.edu Subject: Re: mayses far yidishe kinder Zachary Baker shraybt: > Dina Abramowicz told me that in Prof. Shmeruk's view, Sholem > Aleichem's story "Dos meserl" ... was in fact aimed at adults and not > children, and that the same should be said of S.A.'s other "Mayses far > yidishe kinder." Ikh frey zikh dos tsu hern, vayl etlekhe fun di mayses zenen, dakht zikh mir, tsu troyerik far kinder. Ikh fregt zikh, tsi der nomen, "Mayses far yidishe kinder", ken efsher zayn a min vits. In onheyb meynt men az der nomen redt take vegn kinder; di mayes hobn dokh ale tsu ton mit kinder. Ober a sakh fun di mayses redn zeyer erntst, un zeyer troyerik, vegn di shverikaytn fun yidishn lebn, un fun lebn biklal; zey zeen mir oys tsu zayn mayses nisht far kinder, nor far dervaksene. Falt mir ayn a gedank: efsher zenen di "yidishe kinder" do nisht emese kinder, nor "bney yisroel", di kinder fun Yankev Avinu; dos heyst, yidn. Oyb azoy, iz es a min vort-shpil. Di mayses zenen _vegn_ emese kinder, ober zey zenen _far_ di "bney yisroel", di dervaksene yidn. Vos meynt ir, "Yidishe Kinder" ;-) A gute teorye, oder nisht? Khayem 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon Jan 24 00:13:37 1994 From: Cecile Esther Kuznitz Subject: Invitation to Yiddish Khayim Bochner mentioned Yudl Mark's "Invitation to Yiddish." I have a copy of that record and I remember fondly the dialogues between the old Jewish couple that comprised the lessons. Everything was repeated several times for reinforcement, giving the impression that these people were either incredibly dense or slightly senile. The husband, in particular, didn't seem too bright. An example: Vayb: Di kinder vet kumen fir azeyger. Man: Di kinder vet kumen fir azeyger? Vayb: Yo. Man: Vi veystu as di kinder vet kumen fir a zeyger? Vayb: Perl hot gezogt. Man: Du host geredt with undzer tokhter Perl? Vayb: Yo. Man: Vos hot Perl gezogt? Vayb: Perl hot gezogt, "Mir veln kumen fir azeyger." I always expected the husband (Leybl, I think his name was) to have a heart attack in the next lesson. Anyway, Khayim, if you are really interested I could copy the booklet the next time I'm back in New York (and btw, I hope you enjoyed the rest of KlezKamp). Cecile Kuznitz ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 3.207 To subscribe, send SUB MENDELE FIRSTNAME LASTNAME to: LISTSERV@YALEVM.YCC.YALE.EDU Mendele has 2 rules: 1. Provide a Subject: line. 2. Sign your article. Send submissions/responses to: mendele@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu Other business: nmiller@starbase.trincoll.edu Anonymous ftp archives available on: ftp.mendele.trincoll.edu in the directory pub/mendele/files