Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 13.019 March 9, 2004 1) yidishe hagode (Herman Taube) 2) yidishe hagode (Elye Palevsky) 3) shnorer (Jack Berger) 4) shnorer (Jascha Kessler) 5) shnorer (Leon Rosenberg) 6) shnorer (Mikhl Herzog) 7) shnorer (Michael Meckler) 8) yovn (Sylvia Schildt) Visit Mendele on the Web: http://www.mendele.net 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 9, 2004 From: Herman Taube Subject: yidishe hagode I mailed my personal Yiddish Haggadah to Arieh. My Haggada is a compilation of Yiddish-Englesg and Hebrew Haggados puplished by the 'Workmens Circle', 'Farband' and 'Gr. Washington Yiddish Clubs" (in 1998). If Yiddish Clubs still need a Yiddish Haggadah, please, write to Arieh and he will send you a copy. Have a nice Passover. Herman Taube Hershl218@Juno.com 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 9, 2004 From: Elliott Palevsky Subject: yidishe hagode der arbeter ring in nu york hot aroysgegebn a tsol "naye hagodes" af yidish mit lider un poezye fun der moderner yidisher literature vi oykh fun yehoyesh's tanakh un a naratsye /sipur hamayse mer oder veyniker politish geshlifn, gevent on der tsayt. in di 60er yorn hot men genumen zikh bantnutsn mit leyngere eynglishe iberzetsungn un vos vaytere iz der yidisher inhalt alts mer opgeshvakht gevorn, say in eykhes say in kames. ven kh"hob mit yorn krik gearbet in dertsiung's opteyl fun a"r hob ikh gehat gezen a zamlung fun ot di hagodes, nor ikh veins nit tsi zi iz nokh alts faran. The Arbeter Ring in N.Y. issued a number of New Hagodes in Yiddish, filled with song and modern Yiddish poetry and excerpts from the Yehoash Tanakh. The narration/story line was more or less politically honed depending on the times. In the 60's they began to include lengthy English translations. As time went of, the Yiddish content was diminished both in quality and quantity. Years ago, when I worked for the Education Dept. of the A"R, I saw a collection of these hagodes but don't know if it's still there. tsi iz do tsu bakumen an opdruk fun der "bundisher hagode" fun 1900. kh'volt zeyer a baln geven dos tsu hobn. Can one get a copy of the Hagode issued by the Bund in 1900. I'd very much like to have it. Mit khaverishe grusn elye palevsky 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 9, 2004 From: "Jack S. Berger" Subject: RE: shnorer How about a leech? I am of the opinion that it is derived from 'shnoddering' which in turn comes from the Hebrew, 'She-Nadar' to make a pledge. I think the image is right, insofar that the 'shnorer' is always coming back for more. However, 'moocher' is actually not bad. Jack Berger 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 9, 2004 From: rosenber@stanford.edu Subject: Re: shnorer shnorrer = cheepskate, miser. Leon Rosenberg 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 9, 2004 From: jkessler@ucla.edu Subject: Re: shnorer I think myself that schnorrer may be pejorative for beggar, having a taint of mockery and ridicule, when telling jokes or satirizing people less fortunate than oneself, or those who ride high, like Benya Krik of Odessa on the wagon of plenty [gangster-style], but I have used it as it were objectively for beggar in a tale that was published in MIDSTREAM in the latter '90s, part of a collection I am making. I used it, not beggar, because the tale is involved with what Chaucer says in the Preface to the CANTERBURY TALES, "radix malorum est cupiditas." Jascha Kessler 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 9, 2004 From: "mikhl herzog" Subject: shnorer/schnorrer The American Heritage Dictionary lists _schnorrer_ (slang) 'One who habitually takes advantage of the generosity of others; a parasite'. [Yiddish_snorer_ 'beggar', 'sponger', from _shnorn_ 'to beg', from Middle High German _snurren_ 'to hum', 'whir' (from the sound of musical instruments played by beggars)]. GEY VEYS! Mikhl Herzog 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 9, 2004 From: meckler.12@osu.edu Subject: Re: shnorer Hershel Bershady's query about a suitable English translation for "shnorer" (Mendele 13.018) yet again demonstrates the traduttore/traditore conundrum. I haven't been able to come up with a single word that is better than "moocher" (though I, too, am dissatisfied with "moocher"), but we shouldn't forget that shnoren iz a beruf. The shnorer is singleminded in his pursuit of a handout, in the same way that a businessman is consumed with running his business. The parasite of classical antiquity, famous from comedy and satire for finagling his way into the banquets and business affairs of the rich, comes to mind as the closest parallel. Alas, the meaning of "parasite" to most Americans today is a microorganism, but in its classical sense the word makes an excellent translation for "shnorer." Michael Meckler 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 9, 2004 From: sylvia schildt Subject: Re: yovn I had heard the derivative concept of someone boorish,clumsy and aggressive in the expression - er iz arayngefaln vi a yovn in suke - which interestingly enough is not in Schtutchkoff's "Oytser". I think also there is an interplay between Yovn - the Greek and the name Ivan - in fact, I remember one of our mitlshul lerer expounding on that point. Jews used many loshn-koydishdike convolutions so that the general gentile population, who had maybe picked up some Yiddish, would not understand. Yovn, was one such. Lomir makhn mit di reglayim - would be a circumlocution for - let's get out of here. It was a common practice. Sylvia Schildt Baltimore, Maryland ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 13.019 Address for the postings to Mendele: mendele@lists.yale.edu Address for the list commands: listproc@lists.yale.edu