Mendele: Yiddish literature and language
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Contents of Vol. 20.019
May 15, 2011

1) Yiddish proverbs (Sonia Kovitz)
2) Yiddish in writings of Rav Hutner (Rochelle Eissenstat)
3) Der eybeshter iz der mekhutn or mazel-tov (Rochelle Eissenstat)
4) Yiddish in universities (Hershl Hartman)
5) zeyer a sheyner film oyf yidish: A-Maiseh (Leybl Botwinik)
6) Malka (Mark Froimowitz)
7) tshipik (Perets Mett)
8) tshipik (Yale J. Reisner)
9) tshipik/tshepik (Noyekh Miller)
10) "Shlepe-bobe" (Perla Sneh)

1)----------------------------------------------------
Date:  April 22
Subject: Yiddish proverbs

Does anyone know in what contexts these folk sayings might be used?

"Der khazer zol hobn herner, volt di velt keyn kiem nit gehat." (Ignaz
Bernstein,
"Juedische Sprichwoerter und Redensarten").

"Ven a khazer zol hobn herner, volt er ibergekert di velt." (Israel
Furman, "Yidishe
shprikhverter un rednsartn)

Thank you,
Sonia Kovitz

2)----------------------------------------------------
Date: April 24
Subject: Yiddish in writings of Rav Hutner

In a Hebrew commentary by Rav Hutner, there is inserted, in mitn drinen, a
Yiddish expression:

"Avrom iz der gevorener, Yitshok iz der geboyrner, un Yankev iz der
farfalener." The interpretation our lecturer gave does not exactly fit the
Yiddish. The rabbi stated that in this phrase, R. Huttner was saying that
Avraham was the one who became a Jew [gevorener] and re: Yaakov,
farfalener meant follower!  I am not familiar with the word "gevorener"
and my understanding of "farfalen" does not fit the meaning"follow."

Can anyone explain?

Rochelle Eissenstat

3)----------------------------------------------------
Date: May 4
Subject: Der eybeshter iz der mekhutn or mazel-tov

Does anyone know if there is an audio or video for the melody of this song
available on the web? Youtube or any other source?

Rochelle Eissenstat

4)----------------------------------------------------
Date: April 13
Subject: Yiddish in universities

Vi a tsugob tsu dem shameses bamerkung in shaykhes mit Henry Sapoznick's
frage, vert oft gedrukt in gelt-zamlung briv un broshurn  fun YIVO a bild
fun Max Weinreichs ershter klas in CCNY, vos iz demolt nokh nit geven an
universitet. azoy vi ikh gefin zikh afn bild, hob ikh a kopye in mayn
kompyuter-arkhiv un volt dos gern  geshikt Sapoznickn un nokh vemen es
volt interesirt.

As an addition to the Moderator's comments regarding Henry Sapoznick's
query, YIVO frequently publishes in fund-raising letters and brochures a
photo of Max Weinreich's first class at CCNY, then not yet a university.
Since I'm shown on the photo, I have a copy on my hard disk and would
gladly send it to Sapoznick and anyone else interested.

Hershl Hartman

5)----------------------------------------------------
Date: May 9
Subject: zeyer a sheyner film oyf yidish: A-Maiseh

ot hot ir a sheynem kurtsn film kimat in gantsn oyf yidish - gemakht in
yisroel.

very nice short Israeli film in Yiddish with English subtitles.

www.omanoot.com:80/Film-2038,1271-A-Maiseh.aspx

a freylekhn yom haatsmaut!
Leybl Botwinik

6)----------------------------------------------------
Date: April 12
Subject: Malka

In examining Jewish genealogical records from Poland, one encounters the
feminine name Matla.  Is this a real name, or it is possibly Malka since
the "L" in Polish sometimes as a strike through it that may make it look
like a "T"?

Mark Froimowitz

7)----------------------------------------------------
Date: April 14
Subject: tshipik

Harkavy has "tshop" for tuft of hair, and that is the word I am familiar
with (pronounced tshup in the Polish accent)

He also has tshub (presumably pronunced tshup) and tshuprine, meaning
forelock.

Tshuprine also appears in Uriel Weinreich's dictionary.

Perets Mett

8)----------------------------------------------------
Date: April 14
Subject: tshipik

In Polish, a tuft of hair or a topknot is called a czub (pronounced
"tshub"). The diminutive form is czubek ("tszubek"). It is not a long way
from tshubek to tshipik and, though I do not know Belarussian, I surmise
that tshipik is either Belarussian for the same thing or a
Belarussian-influenced pronunciation of the Polish term.

If anyone has a better hypothesis, please educate me!

A freylekhn un koshern peysakh alemen,

Yale J. Reisner


9)--------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:20:53 -0400
Subject: tshipik/tshepik

The tshipik my bobe (b. 1860 in Podolye gubernye, Ukr.) wore under her
vatsheyle/fatsheyle was a tight-fitting cloth cap (with a bendl in the
back) that served to keep her hair from straying into view.  It belongs I
suppose to the broader category of "mob cap."  Among the Questions I Never
Asked was when exactly she began wearing the thing: while still a girl (as
seen among the Amish and Mennonites ad hayom) or only after marriage, and
if the latter had she ever shorn her hair?  "Orthodoxy" comes in more than
one flavor.

Noyekh Miller

10)----------------------------------------------------
Date:  April 11
Subject: "Shlepe-bobe"

In "A Kindershpil in geto," written by Yerakhmiel Briks (in "Dos kind in
der yidisher poesie"), the author mentions a game called "Shlepe-bobe."
Could anyone tell me what game it is?

Thank you in advance and a gutn peysakh.

Perla Sneh
______________________________________________________
End of Mendele Vol. 20.019

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