Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 6.298 May 7, 1997 1) A dermonung (Joshua Fishman) 2) Forming diminutives (Ellen Prince) 3) Shund (Hugh Denman) 4) Shund (Michael Steinlauf) 5) Bashert (Hugh Denman) 6) Translating a song into Yiddish (Mark van Brenk) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 12:45:52 -0400 (EDT) From: jfishman@aecom.yu.edu X-Sender: jfishman@post Subject: A dermonung Der termin af ontsugebn apliktsiyes tsu der "arn un sonia fishman fundatsiye far yidisher kultur", in shaykhes mit proyektn af tsu shtarkn yidish tsvishn kinder un yugnt, iz may dem 31stn. Aplikatsiyes darfn zayn af yidish, nit lenger vi fir zaytlekh, mit a genoyem budzshet, un muzn ongebn di fun-shtayern-bafrayte-agentur vos vet ufpasn af ale hoytsoes un aroysgebn a letsgiltikn finantsyeln barikht. S'rov subventsn zenen af eyn yor un bavilikn tsu $1000 biz $1500, khotsh a bisl lengere proyektn un gresere subventsn veln oykh batrakht vern. Aplikatsiyes (4 kopiyes) darf men shikn afn vayterdikn adres" Aaron and Sonia Fishman Foundation for Yiddish Culture, 3340 Bainbridge Ave., Bronx, NY 10467. N.B. Aplikatsiyes in shaykhes mit loyfike organizatsiyonele hoytoes kenen nit batrakht vern. Joshua Fishman 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 05 May 1997 13:15:42 EDT From: ellen@central.cis.upenn.edu Subject: Forming diminutives In Yiddish, as in many languages, syllables before the stressed syllable are often ignored when a diminutive is formed, e.g. Eng. Isaac /AYzek/ -> Izzy vs. French Isaac /iZAK/ -> Zizi Yid. (y)itskhok /(Y)ITSkhok/ -> itshe... vs. yisroel /yiSROel/ -> sroel... vs. yehoshue /yehoSHUe/ -> shue... Eng. Constance /KANstens/ -> Connie vs. Greek konstantinos /konstanTINos/ -> dino Yid. yosef /YOsef/ -> yosl... Eng. Joseph /DZSHOsef/ -> Joe vs. Fr. Joseph /zshoSEF/ -> Soussou Italian Giuseppe /dzhuSEPpe/ -> Beppo Ellen Prince 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 23:21:04 +0200 (MET DST) From: Hugh Denman Subject: Shund With reference to Goldie Morgentaler's query concerning shund [6294:3], it would seem that in Yiddish just as in German 'shund'/ 'Schund' is cognate with 'shinden'/ 'schinden' (to skin an animal) which in turn is derived from MHG 'schint' (meaning and cognate with English 'skin'). The literal meaning of 'Schund' is the worthless and distasteful waste material produced by the knacker's trade. The fact that in both languages '(op)shinden'/ 'schinden' is used metaphorically in the sense of 'to fleece' completes the picture of exploitative, distasteful rubbish. Hugh Denman 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 14:04:50 -0400 (EDT) From: yivo3@metgate.metro.org Subject: Shund In response to Goldie Morgentaler's request for information on the origins of the word "shund" as applied to literature and theater, may I suggest my article, "Fear of Purim: Y. L. Peretz and the Canonization of Yiddish Theater," which was published in Jewish Social Studies 1 (1995), no. 3: 44-65. And also see the two important articles by Chone Shmeruk as well as other material which I cite in my notes. Michael Steinlauf 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 00:38:38 +0200 (MET DST) From: h_denman@maier.vol.at Subject: Bashert With reference to Ray Clayton's query concerning the etymology of 'bashert' [6296:3], the answer is that it is the past participle of the verb 'bashern', derived from the MHG 'beschern' meaning 'to allot' or 'to apportion' (as by God, fate or other higher power). The English word 'share' is distantly cognate. One's 'basherte(r)' (the correct substantival forms) is thus the spouse alloted to one by providence. 'Bashert' used as a noun is Yinglish. The variant 'bashect' cited by Ray Clayton presumably represents the spasmodic neutralisation of reysh and khof (thus in this instance: 'bashekht') which is encountered at widely scattered points in White Russia and the Ukraine, with the consonant in question anglicised to [k] at some stage in the chain of transmission from bobe to wife to enquirer. Hugh Denman 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 05 May 1997 19:23:26 -0700 From: mvanbren@evcc.ctc.edu Subject: Translating a song into Yiddish Can anyone help me translate the following song into Yiddish. I was raised speaking it, but haven't practiced it in years. A friend, who speaks Yiddish worse than me (but plays the fiddle wonderfly) wants to write a klezmer song using these words. My dear, You're the only one I want, but you only want me to be your friend. I love you more than anyone else in the world, but you only want me to be your friend. I love you more than both heaven and earth, but you only want me to be your friend. I fell in love with you the first time I saw you, but you only want me to be your friend. I can't be your friend, but I can be so much more, but you only want me to be your friend. But, so goes life. Any help would be appreciated, and time is of the essence, so please e-mail responses. Mark van Brenk ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 6.298