Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 09.032 October 7, 1999 1) "Pious Voices" - addendum (Miriam Isaacs) 2) Yiddish romance literature (Norman Simms) 3) Il Dibuk (Shimen Kass) 4) Yiddish lessons ideas (Motel Koperwas) 5) diln/duln a spodek (Rick Gildemeister) 6) frebl; frebelistn (Cecile Kuznitz) 7) Mikhl Hertzog on kitke (Aaron Krishtalka) 8) u as i in Brezin (Ben Fogel) 9) word on a jar (Marc Agronin) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 10:39:53 -0400 (EDT) From: Miriam Isaacs Subject: "Pious Voices" - addendum Tayere khevre, Ven ikh hob ongegebn vegn Pious Voices: Languages Among Ultra-orthodox Jews, IJSL Vol 138 hob ikh fargesn dos vikhtigskte un dos iz vifl hilf un geduld un fershtand ikh hob bakumen fun Shikl Fishman in dem. Ven nisht im volt dos nisht gekent aroys. Vil ikh im danken un im vuntshn ales guts. To my recent notice on Pious Voices: the volume of IJSL, International Journal of the Sociology of Languages, I want to simply and most importantly add the name of the general editor, Dr. Joshua Fishman, who supported this project over many years in advice and encouragement as well as tracking down other reseachers and collaborators. My heartfelt gratitude. Miriam Isaacs 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 20:21:37 -0400 (EDT) From: Norman Simms Subject: Yiddish romance literature Does anyone have bibliographical information or ready data to share on the medieval Yiddish traditions in courtly romance literature, troubador and trouvere traditions, and Yiddish responses to the Arthurian fad from the 12th-15th centuries. Thanks, Norman Simms Hamilton, New Zealand 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 21:48:53 -0400 (EDT) From: SY KASS Subject: Il Dibuk We all know the Yiddish film The Dybbuk (in recent years restored with some new footage). I understand that the source of the film is the play, Tsvishen Tsvei Velter, by Shalom Anski. (circ. 1920) I have recently learned that there is an Italian opera called Il Dibuk , by Lodivico Rocca, based on the original story. According to the Grove Book of Opera, it opened in Teatra alla Scala Milano on March 24, 1934, and was performed from time to time in Italy until the 1980's. Has anybody ever seen Il Dibuk ? Does anyone know if there exists a recording? And, if it exists, how does one get a copy? Shimen Kass 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 00:57:23 -0400 (EDT) From: mk Subject: Yiddish lessons ideas Can you direct me to any sites which provide Yiddish lessons ideas for young adults. I have a group of young people who want to learn more about Yiddish and I will lead them through various grammatical, stories and humourous ideas. Thanks for your ideas. Motel Koperwas 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 09:27:59 -0400 (EDT) From: Riquili@aol.com Subject: diln/duln a spodek I first came across this expression, if I remember correctly, in Ghitta Sternberg's book about the Romanian shtetl Stefanesti, and I also heard Isa Kremer use it in one of her songs. I didn't find "diln" in Weinreich, so I just assumed it was a Romanian/ Bessarabian Yiddish expression. Silly me, to miss the obvious, that in Southeasten Yiddish, the vowel vof is pronounced like yud. Dil mir nisht keyn spodek! Hak mir nit keyn tshaynik, gey klop zik kop in vant! These are all very rich expressions, and wonderful to the ear when spoken. Rick Gildemeister 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 17:04:55 -0400 (EDT) From: Cecile Esther Kuznitz Subject: frebl; frebelistn I have found references to "frebl-kursn" and "frebelistn," presumably the students in those courses. Can anyone help translate these terms? The references pertain to activities in the Vilna Yiddish schools in the 1920s. Thank you, Cecile Kuznitz 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 11:59:50 -0400 (EDT) From: Aaron Krishtalka Subject: Mikhl Hertzog on kitke Thanks to Mikhl Hertzog, I know a (to me) new yidish word. Our family and friends never used 'kitke': ours was the yidish of Lublin province and Volin (Volhynia), with enunciation modified by Vilna. As asked for in the bakery, the Friday night-Shabbes khale was either a 'geflokhtene khale' or 'koylitch' or 'koyletch' - the braided khale; or a 'bulke khale' - the oblong khale with sections; or 'a khale mit a flekhtl' or a 'flekhtl khale'. The latter is a plain (no egg), lozenge shaped khale with a thin braid laid across its length. This braid is 'dos flekhtl', regarded as a treat by the children. The Rosh Hashana khale is round, turban shaped, called a 'foygl'. A. Krishtalka 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 22:02:01 -0400 (EDT) From: Ben Fogel Subject: u as i in Brezin Mikhl Herzog says kime, piter, git, etc. in which the etymological "u" is realized as "i" is of Southern Yiddish, possibly Southeastern Ukraine. My people came from Brezin, a town near Lodz, Poland and that is exactly how we pronounced those words. I never thought of Lodz being southern or in the Ukraine.Is there any connection? Ben Fogel 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 23:28:32 -0400 (EDT) From: Ruggyman@aol.com Subject: word on a jar Several years ago my parents brought me back from a trip to Hungary a ceramic jar with a carved wooden top (most likely a reproduction) that resembled an old medicine jar, with the following hebrew letters on the front: zayin-nun-gimel-bet-yud-lamed sofit. The first letter, I presume a zayin, also resembles a daled. Does anyone know what word this might be? I am guessing that it is some sort of medicine or remedy. Marc Agronin Miami, FL ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 09.032 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://metalab.unc.edu/yiddish/mendele.html