Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 08.004 May 26, 1998 1) Khalaburde: vos meynt es? (Louis Fridhandler) 2) Yakhne (Yosef Gilboa) 3) Yakhne (David Sherman) 4) Yiddish periodicals (pe'rets mett) 5) vilde chaya (Alice (Chane) Honig) 6) vilde chaya (Deena H. Mersky) 7) vilde khaya (Hershl Bershady) 8) vilde chaya (Edith Cohen) 9) Yom Yerushalayim (Sema Chaimovitz Menora) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 16:00:52 EDT From: Lfridhan Subject: Khalaburde: vos meynt es? In a briv tsu Mendele Moykher Sforim, geshikt fun genf, shveyts, peysekh 1908, hot Sholem-Aleykhem genutst a vort vos ikh gefin nisht in ergets. Dos vort iz _khalaburde_ geshribn fonetish. Zen zayt 182 in Mitlman un Nadel's Oysgeveylte Briv, Moskve, 1941. Nokh mayn meynung darf es meynen epes enlekh tsu english, _confusion_ oder _mix-up_ oder _a puzzling consternation_. Ken emetser es derklern? Louis Fridhandler 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 19 May 1998 12:45:24 -0700 From: AJ Gilboa Subject: Yakhne I have read someplace that "Yente" is the Yiddish equivalent of the very complimentary name, Gentilla (or Spanish and Italian derivatives thereof). Yachtsn is properly yachsn (yod het samekh nun) and is Hebrew for a person of pedigree (yichus). It seems unlikely that this is connected with Yakhne. Yosef Gilboa 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 23:22:23 -0400 From: "David M. Sherman" Subject: Yakhne I had always though the etymology of "yakhne" was an accentuated imitation of how a person (woman) from a particular region pronounced "ikh" -- i.e., "iiiyekh", drawn out more and more, eventually becomes "yakh". And indeed, that are people who use "yakh" for the first person pronoun. Perhaps Mikhl Herzog can clarify which region(s) this applies to, and whether there's any connection to the word "yakhne". David Sherman Toronto 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 19 May 1998 19:21:46 +0100 From: Percy Mett Subject: Yiddish periodicals While on the subject of Yiddish periodicals (recent posting), the Jewish Tribune - a weekly published in London - has a page or two in Yiddish (of sorts) in each issue. The Yiddish section is known popularly as the 'sports page'. [English newspapers tend to publish sports news on the final pages.] pe'rets mett 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 19 May 1998 19:26:50 -0400 (EDT) From: Alice Honig Subject: vilde chaya In response to the query of Dr. Roy Greenberg vegn Vilde Chaya... it is amusing that my 97 year old mother remembers to this day how much she hated being called Vilde chaya and taunted by the kids!.. She was headstrong( still is) and bedcame a teacher for 45 years before retiring.. her name was Chaya oif Yiddish.. so everyone teased her apparently by chanting vilde chaye to her.. since she was not an obedient shtetl child.. As a matter of fact, of all the sisters in the family, only my mom ever went to college...defying paternal orders to go out and earn a living primarily right after high school. nu, sometimes a maydele ken oichet zayn a vild chaye..und es ken helfen tsu lebn und kampfen oichet..night nor tsu zayn a hooligan! Alice Honig (Chane) 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 09:31:59 -0500 From: dmersky@mail.utexas.edu (Deena H. Mersky) Subject: vilde chaya I haven't heard that in almost fifty years! I have been called a few things by my own family, but nothing ever much worse than a paskutsve, nudnik or, on occaision a mazik. But when I was eighteen, I went to Israel for a year---it was 1949-50. Some of my relatives were so taken aback by my non-conforming, and in their view, wild and adventursome behaviour, I earned the nickname of "vilde chaya". Since I am female, I assumed it was a term of derision equally applicable to males and females. Of course, I could be wrong about that, and I guess other Mendelayners will tell us how gender specific it is. In any case, I would like to continue believing that there was an element of affection in the appellation. DEENA H. MERSKY Austin, Texas 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 11:05:39 -0400 From: "Harold J. Bershady" Subject: vilde khaya Harvey Roy Greenberg asks about the epithet "vilde khaya." As I recall, there is a set of gradations of such epithets, reserved only for boys, to wit: "Bandeet," is a much milder form -- which I believe our shamis emeritis told me he was was once dubbed. A Bandeet was a bit of a "bad boy," but one that everyone liked because although he broke the rules and tended to shock people a bit, he was charming about it, often got things done, and did not hurt a soul. "Shcutz," or "Shkutz," take your pick, is a more severe form -- a boy who is veering towards apostasy, hanging out with gentile street urchins, and is suspected of beginning to engage in unclean dietary practices, at the very least. This approbation implies worry and at least potential contempt; it has no kindness or pleasure associated with it. I have not met any Jewish men under the age of 40, other than scholars, who know these terms. Hershl Bershady 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 13:40:03 -0700 (PDT) From: bd016@scn.org (Edie Cohen) Subject: vilde chaya Hello Mendele readers, This is in reply to Harvey Greenberg's comments about the phrase, vilde chaya. I too was sometimes called this especially when I was running around and screaming while playing with friends. As a young child it generally meant that one was somewhat lacking in manners, but as an older teenager it could take on some more serious offenses, especially of sexual nature. I am female, so I can say that I too got this name when I was young and somewhat undisciplined. I grew up in Brooklyn, NY and am of the baby boom generatgion. My parents had come from Poland and Russia. Edith Cohen 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 19 May 1998 01:39:17 EDT From: Lights4607 Subject: Yom Yerushalayim I think it is fitting that all Medeleyeners be aware of the upcoming celebration/holiday known as Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) on Sunday, May 24, the 28th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar. It celebrates the thirty-second anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, one of the major accomplishments of the six-day war. This festive occasion is highlighted among the orthodox by special tefillos and, in general, by lively parties which, in Jerusalem proper, include siyurim (local tours) within the old city. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel has, as with Yom Ha'aztmaut, accorded Yom Yerushalayim a Yontiff designation that permits musical celebrations, even though the holiday falls within the proscribed "sphirat Ha'omer " period that otherwise, except for Lag B'Omer and Rosh Khodesh, prohibits muscial programming. Sema Chaimovitz Menora Chicago, Illinois ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 08.004 Address for the postings to Mendele: mendele@lists.yale.edu Address for the list commands: listproc@lists.yale.edu Mendele on the Web: http://mendele.commons.yale.edu http://sunsite.unc.edu/yiddish/mendele.html