Mendele: Yiddish literature and language
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Contents of Vol. 17.013
November 1, 2007

1) origin of name (Dimitri Ponomarenko)
2) es toyf oyf kapores (Rokhl Schaechter)
3) es toyg oyf kapores (Jack Berger)
4) es toyg oyf kapores (Avrum Yankev Amkraut)
5) can (Rukhl Schaechter)
6) can (Zulema Seligsohn)
7) farshteler (Zulema Seligsohn)
8) forshteler (Ute Mueller)
9) rezonyor (Martin Jacobs)

1)----------------------------------------------------
Date:  October 1, 2007
Subject:  origin of name

Could anybody explain the origin of the last name Rukenglaz, also
found as Rikenglaz or Rakenglaz?

Dimitri Ponomarenko

2)----------------------------------------------------
Date: October 2, 2007
Subject: es toyg oyf kapores

In response to Marvin Engel who writes:

One of my mother's favorite expressions... is "es toyg oyf kapores!" ... I
never parsed out the obvious connection to the rejection of religious
rites. I'd be interested in an exegesis of the origin of this expression."

The expression has absolutely nothing to do with rejecting religious 
rites.
It means that the object being talked about is worth practically nothing;
in other words, it's only good enough to be used for "shlogn kapores."

Rukhl Schaechter

3)----------------------------------------------------
Date:  October 2, 2007
Subject:  es toyg oyf kapores

I believe this to be a simple allusion to the ritual process of "shlogn
kpores" that takes place on Yom Kippur Eve.

The traditional form of this ritual was to use a rooster that was waved
over the head and then slaughtered for consumption (usually the remains
were made available to the poor). In more modern times, it was customary 
to
replace the rooster with coins or something of value that was then donated
to charity.

The implication of "es toyg oyf kapores," (or "es tayg of kapores," by us
Litvakes) is that whatever was being referred, to was not deemed to have
any value or utility except to be consigned for use in this ritual.

Jack Berger

4)----------------------------------------------------
Date:  October 3
Subject: es toyg oyf kapores

ikh gloyb az men zogt "toyg oyf kapores" tsulib dem vos a sakh mentshn 
hobn
nit gegesn zeyere kapores, hot men oysgeklibn di ergste oyfes oyf dem.

men zogt oyf a yidene vos zi is iber frum, khnyokedik un oykh makht zikh
tsu zayn zeyer a gute az zi "pisht mit shemen zayis(olive oil)."  Ikh 
gloyb
az dos iz gor a gute bashraybung

Avrum Yankev Amkraut

5)----------------------------------------------------
Date: October 2
Subject: can

In response to Chana Chaimovitz Kovalsky's query:
Is there an official Yiddish word for "can" (as in a can of vegetables)?

We always used the word pushke, as in "a pushke beblekh" (a can of beans).

Rukhl Schaechter
6)----------------------------------------------------
Date: October 2, 2007
Subject:  can

Blekhl is the only word I know for a can of something in the supermarket.
It's a diminutive of blekh, meaning tin.

Zulema Seligsohn

7)----------------------------------------------------
Date:  October 2, 2007
Subject: farshteler

The word is farshteler, the person who acts a specific role, with the 
basic
meaning of "bringing forward."  Farshteln is to cover up, but that there 
is
a pun or an underlying connection in farshteln, which is used only to 
refer
to performances, is an academic exercise in my view.   I do not believe
they are related.

Zulema Seligsohn

8)----------------------------------------------------
Date:  October 2, 2007
Subject: forshteler

I think "forshteler" is correct and it corresponds with
"forshtelung/forshteln" performance/ to perform. In the case of these
films, it`s important to consider that they were silent films, often very
short and with breaks.  The "forshtelers" had to "imagine" the absent 
sound
of the silent film, to explain, to entertain during the breaks. Sometimes
they had to calm the spectators who were excited by the appearance of
"living pictures." Many unemployed actors of the Yiddish theatre in 
Eastern
Europe worked as a "forshteler."

Ute Mueller

9)----------------------------------------------------
Date: October 2, 2007
Subject: rezonyor

My thanks to Shimen Neuberg, Hy Wolfe, and Lyuba Dukker for their
explanations of "rezinyor."  After posting the question I myself looked in
Stutchkof and figured that "rezinyor" was either a mistake or a variant of
"rezonyor."  Stutchkof, of course, gives no definition.  I now have two
questions: 1.  Why would the role of father be appropriate for a tenor
voice?  I would have thought a bass or bass-baritone would be more suited.
2.  What is the origin of the word?  Since most theatrical terms in 
Yiddish
seem to be taken, either directly or indirectly (e.g. through Russian),
from French, I would speculate that it is somehow connected with
"resonner," to echo or resound.  Did the role require a particularly
resonant voice?  Can anyone confirm this origin, or have other 
suggestions?

Martin Jacobs
______________________________________________________
End of Mendele Vol. 17.013


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