Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 09.050 January 11, 2000 1) letzter numer "lebns-fragn" fun dem milenium (Itzhak Luden) 2) reshime fun veberter vegn yidish (Shikl Fishman) 3) translation questions (Jeffrey Shandler) 4) Biografishe dates (Gilles Rozier) 5) use of "lung" (Toby Brookes) 6) "Mershkuts gevorn" and "ale shvartse yorn" (Diane Rabson) 7) learning Yiddish (Aaron Meyer) 8) Levin Kipnis in TMR (Seth Wolitz) 9) ptshah/ptseh (Michael Meckler) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 7 Dec 1999 15:59:52 -0500 (EST) From: Itzhak Luden Subject: letzter numer "lebns-fragn" fun dem milenium Tsum nayem milenium - iz dos kepl funem leyt-artikl fun dem norvos dershinenem nayem numer "lebns-Fragn", vos vert aroysgegebn in Isroel. Oykh der numer anthalt, vi alemol, interesante artiklen oyf di farsheydnste temes fun yidishn un fun isroeldhkn lebn, vi oykh fun algemeyn mentshlekhn kharakter. in dem magazin iz oykh faran a rubrik "oyf der bikher-politse" mit informatsyes vegn di nay dershnene yidishe bikher un a breyte khronik vegn dem yidishn kultur-front un vegn dem kampeyn unter dem deviz: "yidish lebt un vet lebn". Dem zhurnal kon men abonirn un bashteln loyt dem folgndikn adres: "lebns-Fragn", 48 Kalisher st., Tel Aviv 65165, Israel. tel.(03)5176764. Itzhak Luden 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 26 Nov 1999 15:30:19 -0500 (EST) From: ZeydeShikl@aol.com Subject: reshime fun veberter vegn yidish Tsi iz ergets faran a lefi-erekh fule reshime fun di faranene veberter vegn yidish (shprakh, literatur, folklor, lider, kultur-aktivitetn uaz"v)? Hot emetser shoyn ongezamlt a tsol azelkhe adresn fun veberter? Shikl Fishman 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 10:30:00 -0500 (EST) From: JAShandler@aol.com Subject: translation questions Dear Mendele subscribers, In editing translations of texts for a forthcoming YIVO publication I have come across several terms mentioned in Yiddish manuscripts written in various locations in Poland during the 1930s, which the translators and I are unable to translate. I would greatly appreciate your assistance with any of the following terms familiar to any of you (I've indicated what they might possibly be based on context in parentheses): florekh (a chemical or dye?) kravapke (a disease) khoyak (horse or other barn animal?) gribl (children's game) tsushnelerlekh (children's game) babik (children's game) klaperlekh (children's game) pukankes (children's game) estraykhishe shiflelekh (lit. Austrian boats, but what does that mean?) Fodzhek (child's nickname--does it mean anything?) tseler (an honor roll student?) dominik (dominoes? or dice?) If you wish to respond off-list, kindly contact me at jashandler@aol.com Many thanks, Jeffrey Shandler 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 10:06:39 -0500 (EST) From: "Gilles Rozier" Subject: Biografishe dates Tayere mendelyaner, Charles Dobzynski, a bavuster frantseyzisher poet un der aroysgeber fun der antologye 'Le miroir d'un peuple', di greste antologye fun yidishe lider ibergezetste oyf frantseyzish, zukht, far a neyer oyflage fun der antologye, etlekhe biografishe dates. Er vil visn ven zenen geshtorbn di vaterdike poetn un poetesese : Yeremiohu Hesheles Malke Khayfets-Tuzman Yoysef Papiernikof Yankev-tsvi Shargel Zyame Telesin Sholem Shtern A dank fun foroys Gilles Rozier Paris, France 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 11:47:00 -0500 (EST) From: "Toby Brookes" Subject: use of "lung" I am looking for an explanation of why the lung is used in Yiddish expressions when the intent is the mind or one's thoughts. For example, (roughly) "vos iz af'n lung is af'n tsung." A dank for your help on this. Toby Brookes Columbia, MD 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 11:47:01 -0500 (EST) From: "Diane Rabson" Subject: Curious about two expressions "Mershkuts gevorn" and "ale shvarts yorn": I'm curious about these two expressions and would like to know if they were/are in common usage in Yiddish-speaking communities. My mother's family used them daily; they came from the Keidan area of Lithuania. A sheynem dank, Diane Rabson Boulder, CO 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 15:42:24 -0500 (EST) From: "Arthur Meyer" Subject: learning Hello, What is the best way to learn Yiddish online or by others means. I am interested in learning the language as a Jew as well as a physician who deals with a great number of Hasidim. Thanking you Aaron Meyer 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 1 Dec 1999 10:19:06 -0500 (EST) From: slwolitz@mail.utexas.edu (seth l. wolitz) Subject: Levin Kipnis in TMR (The Mendele Review Vol. 03.018) This is a brilliant tour de force which deserves the widest possible appreciation and usage. It provides an entree into the mondset of the Yiddish culture at its best and provides a deep vision of the inside Jewish world of Eastern Europe and the vision of alterity to the surrounding world. I commend the whole pedogagical effort. Seth Wolitz 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 07:31:09 -0500 (EST) From: Michael Meckler Subject: ptshah/ptseh Apologies for a query on tish loshn, and for the yinglish of this message. In speaking to my grandfather the other day af inglish, he began extolling the virtues of calf's foot jelly, which he calls "ptseh." (In hebrayishe alefbays: PAY-TSADEK-AYIN.) My grandfather was born in the United States, but his family came from Bessarabia. From other Yiddish speakers, however (speakers from Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine), I have always heard the pronunciation "ptshah" (with the "tsh" representing the sound of "tch" in the English word "kitchen"; in alefbays: PAY-TES-SHIN-ALEF). Knowing nothing of the etymology of this word and being somewhat hesitant about the reliability of my grandfather as a reporter of Yiddish pronunciation, nonetheless I was struck by the difference. Are there other examples of Bessarabian/Romanian/SW Yiddish "ts" for "tsh"? Michael Meckler ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 09.050 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