Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 6.227 February 14, 1997 1) Mezinke (Andrey Bredstein) 2) Mezinke (Hershl Hartman) 3) Tevye's quotations (Mechl Asheri) 4) Scholem Asch and bullfighting? (Miriam B. Mandel) 5) New Sutzkever book (Stephen Dowling) 6) Dovid Bergelson (Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 23:00:57 +0300 From: anbredstein@glas.apc.org Subject: Mizinikl Khoshever fraynt Dovid Lidski hot geshtelt an interesante frage [6.224] vegn dem vort "mizinke" (mizinik, mezinikl, mezhinikl). Ikh hof az mayne ameratsishe hashores (keyn lingvist bin ikh tsum badoyern nisht) veln kumen tsu nuts far ale farinteresirte in dem inyen. 1. Der ershter vokal iz dakht zikh take 'i' - azoy shteyt geshribn in Vaynraykh (mizinke; mizinik), Harkavi (mizinke=mizinitse; mizinik; mezinik=mizinik) un Shklyar/Rokhkind verterbikher. In ale dray mekoyrim iz gegebn dem batayt 'di(der) yingste(r) tokhter(zun)'. 2. Vos shayekh dem folgndikn konsonant ('z' tsi 'zh'), hobn mir do punkt di zelbe mayse vi mit a vort 'blondz(h)en'. Der poylisher klang 'z' shteyt akurat tsvishn yidishe 'z' un 'zh'; derfun nemen zikh ot di tsvey variantn. In Moskve, lemoshl, zogn ale mayne khaveyrim 'blondzhen'. 3. Der lamed in same sof iz a simen fun deminutiv un beshum oyfn endert nit dem hoypt-batayt funem vort. Me kon nit derfar zogn, az mit a lamed iz eyn vort un on im - an ander. 4. Es iz a groyser sofek tsi 'mizinik' shtamt fun 'mezniec' (=vern a dervaksener), vayl in aza fal felt es ingantsn di taytlekhe farbindung tsvishn di-o verter. Oyb ikh hob nit keyn toes, in poylish iz faran a vort 'mizynek' mit tsvey bataytn: a) a yingster zun un b) a mindster/kleyner finger. Agev, in moderner rusisher, ukrainisher un vaysrusisher shprakh iz dos vort geblibn nor in zayn tsveytn batayt, khotsh in andere slavishe shprakhn vert dos vort banutst inem ershtn batayt: in serbish-khorvatisher 'mjezinac', in slovenish 'mezinec', in alt-tshekhish 'mezenec' ua"v. S'iz keday tsu bamerkn, az in alt-rusish, a shtamfoter fun ale slavishe leshoynes, hot men gebroykht dos vort 'mezinec' in beyde bataytn un dos iz gants farshtendlekh: der hoypt-gedank iz dokh 'kleyn', - a zun tsi a finger, makht es nit oys. Der indo-eyropeisher yesod iz gikher fun alts "moi-g'h-"; der shoyresh iz "mei-/moi-/mi-", un di yesodbildungs-elementn zaynen "-neu, -nu, -no". In alt-hoykh-daytsh hobn mir 'min' (klener) un 'minniro' (yinger, kleyner); in lataynish - 'minor' (yingster, klenster); in grikhish 'meion' (klener) un afile 'meirax' (yingele, meydele). Nokh a pshat: der indo-eyropeisher yesod funem vort 'mizinik' iz "mei-g'h-" (pishn, hashtone, tsoye). Oyb yo azoy, bakumt dan dos alslavishe vort an ander batayt: 'a kleyn pitsl kind, vost pisht unter zikh', khotsh far mir vayzt dos oys a bisl mesupedik... Andrey Bredstein Moskve, Rusland 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 16:58:19 -0500 (EST) From: hershl@aol.com Subject: Di mezinke oysgegebn The song referred to is by Mark M. Warshavsky (varshavski) and appears in Ruth Rubin's "A Treasury of Jewish Folksong" (p. 104, Schocken Folio Edition, 1964) with the following introduction: "Morris (Mark) Warshavsky (1848-1907), 'discovered' by Sholom Aleichem, is author both of text and tune of this song. He was a true folk poet and composer; most people are unaware even today that he was author and composer of so many of their beloved songs. Some of these are: _Oyfn pripetshek brent a fayerl, Der becher, Dos lid fun broyt, Der zeyde mit der bobe (or Achtsig er un zibetsig zi), Dem milner's trern._" The song also appears (with one verse missing in the Yiddish, but retained in the singable English translation by Henry Goodman) in _lomir kinder zingen_Let's Sing a Yiddish Song, Kinderbuch Publications, NY 1970. I'm sure it's available in many other collections. Hershl Hartman 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 01:07:51 +0200 From: donnom@netvision.net.il Subject: Tevye's quotations (see Shul memories) As for David Herskovic's [6.224] and Louis Fridhandler's [6.226] discussion of a typical mangling by Tevye of Rashi, contrary to Mr. Fridhandler, you don't have to te a buki b'shas to find it. Rashi always makes his comments right after the text, in this case Shmois 20:3, and the text says exactly that. Im b'gapoy yovoy, b'gapoy yeytsey (if he comes by himself he goes by himself). But what Rashi says has nothing to do with Teyve's mistranslation -- that's of the posik itself. Rashi simply explains that if he's unmarried when he comes, he goes out the same way. The humor is in the fact that Tevye thinks the posik reads, "Im m'geyfo yovoi, m'geyfo yeytsey" and that's how he (mis)translates it: If he comes with a m'geyfo (plague) he leaves with a plague. In writing the difference between b'gapoy and m'geyfo is one letter, the first one. The quotation, "M'zanavto d'chazirto loy machant shtreimilto" is worth quoting in its entirety. Tevye attributes it to what Onkelos had to say about Lovon Ho-Arami (a paskudnyak from the word go) and then he says that the fellow he's addressing "kukt er oyf mir vi a hon in Bney Odom". Now that's what you call a geshmakn Idish and the question is, how many Mendelenikes know what it means? David Herskovic probably, although being modern if he shlogs kaporo at all he probably does it with money. And the point is that when reciting Bney Odom nothing has happened to the poor chicken yet: he's just hanging in someone's hand waiting for it to happen. What about Louis Fridhandler, does he know what it means? I'd bet a hard round dollar he does, but I'd bet the same mayontek that 90% of Mendelenikes don't. And that goes to show what I've been saying all along: you can have Idishkayt without Idish, but you can't have Idish without Idishkayt -- at least not the kind Sholom Aleichem writes. Mechl Asheri 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 16:19:09 +0200 (IST) From: mbmandel@post.tau.ac.il Subject: Scholem Asch and bullfighting? I wonder if this list can help me with my problem. I am currently working on Hemingway's Death in the Afternoon (1932). Towards the end of this book, in a chapter detailing "Some Reactions of a Few Individuals to the Integral Spanish Bullfight," Hemingway mentions S.A. S. A. is described as an "Internationally famous novelist writing in Yiddish. Had luck to see excellent bullfight his first time in Madrid--declared there was no emotion comparable in intensity except first sexual intercourse." A few people have suggested that S.A. is Scholem Asch. I wonder if you agree? My problem is that in order to make a plausible identification I need evidence: evidence that Asch was in Spain, that he saw a bullfight, or that he made remarks of any sort about bullfights. Any help, including suggestions for further reading, would be much appreciated. Miriam B. Mandel Ramat Aviv, Israel 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 13:54:01 -0500 (EST) From: stdowling@aol.com Subject: New Sutzkever book The new Sutzkever book _Laughter Beneath the Forest_ that Zachary Baker mentions [6.226] is available at The Jewish Book Center, 212-889-6800 ext.285 or 800-922-2558 ext285. The book sells for $25.00. Stephen Dowling Queens, NY 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 13:06:22 -0500 (EST) From: shirshan@aol.com Subject: Golda Werman's translation of Bergelson I regret that I omitted some data that the shames would like to become automatic response in our future postings. For Golda Werman's _Stories of David Bergelson_ from Syracuse U Press, the ISBN is 0-8156-0402-5; the price is $14.95 Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan Boynton Beach, Florida ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 6.227