Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 08.091 December 3, 1998 1) Concordance to the Weinreich's _Geshikhte_ (Marion Aptroot) 2) Mir Zaynen do tsu zingen! (Gail Gaston) 3) Meaning of "prokladin" (Elliot D. Rosenkrantz) 4) Shtrayml (Noyekh Miller) 5) Leykekh & Shtraymel (Ruben Frankenstein) 6) Wolf Tambur (Gershon Winer) 7) Itsik Fefer Recordings (Bob Freedman) 8) Another modern brokhe (Feygl Infeld Glezer) 9) Nineteen to the Dozen translated by Ted Gorelick (Dora Eagle) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 06:37:06 -0500 (EST) From: aptroot@phil-fak.uni-duesseldorf.de (Marion Aptroot) Subject: Concordance to the two editions of Weinreich's _Geshikhte_ Anke Kleine, _Parallelisierung von "Maks Vaynraykh: Geshikhte fun der yidisher shprakh. bagrifn, faktn, metodn (1973)" und der enlischen Uebersetzung "Max Weinreich: History of the Yiddish Language (1980)_ _Jiddistik-Mitteilungen. Jiddistik in deutssprachigen Laendern_ Sonderheft/November 1998. A few years ago the need for an index to Max Weinreich's _Geshikhte fun der yidisher shprakh_ (1973) was expressed on Mendele. Max Weinreich's _Geshikhte fun der yidisher sprakh. Bagrifn, faktn, metodn_ is a standard work on the linguistic history of the Yiddish language. The four volume work consists of two volumes of text accompanied by two volumes with notes to the text. The lack of an index has made it difficult to look up things in this monumental work. The English translation by S. Noble and J.A. Fishman (1980) does contain a detailed index, but the division of chapters and paragraphs is different from that in the Yiddish edition, so it is still difficult to go use the English index as an aid to find something in the Yiddish edition. It is a pleasure to see that such a concordance between the two editions is now available. The concordance has been compiled by Ane Kleine, a young Yiddish scholar at the University of Trier (Germany). It has appeard as a special issue (Beiheft) to _Jiddistik-Mitteilungen_, the journal on Yiddish Studies in German speaking countries which is published twice a year by the Yiddish Department in Trier. The concordance helps us to use the index of the English edition to find the corresponding pages in the text and footnote volumes. _Jiddistik-Mitteilungen_ can be found in the library of nearly every university which offers Yiddish courses and I believe the brochure can also be ordered separately. Marion Aptroot 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1998 23:10:56 -0500 (EST) From: gigi1924@webtv.net (Gail Gaston) Subject: Mir Zaynen do tsu zingen! I want to thank either Zalmen Mlotek or Mark Zuckerman (or both) for a most delightful Yiddish musical experience. I received the Di Goldene Keyt CD today and am listening to it as I write. It is much more than I expected. It would make a great Chanukah gift for your grandchildren (and their parents)!. Gut shabbos. Gail Gaston 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1998 09:03:50 -0500 (EST) From: "Elliot D. Rosenkrantz" Subject: Meaning of "prokladin" I've been unable to find the meaning of the word "prokladin," which I believe is a Yiddish plural noun. I found it in Nahman of Bratzlav's story "The Cripple." The passage tells of the protagonist (the cripple) and his two servants being set upon by thieves. The two servants fear to return home, for they have taken "prokladin" from the thieves and might be put in chains. I would appreciate any help on this word! Thanks Elliot D. Rosenkrantz 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 20:12:24 -0500 From: "N. Miller" Subject: Shtrayml David Herskovic asks (8.086) about the origins of "shtrayml". My guess is that it's based on the Polish root "stroj" for clothing. The shtrayml was in fact the headgear worn by Polish royalty and the nobility up through the 18th Century, and its adoption by some Hasidic courts is striking and ironic evidence of the modernizing nature of the early movement. Noyekh Miller 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 05:04:56 -0500 (EST) From: frankens@uni-freiburg.de Subject: Leykekh & Shtraymel To David Herskovic's query: Shtraymel or Shtraymhitel stems from Middle High German "Streim" or in diminutive "Streimel" that is strip indicating the furstrip of this hat, similar to the Spodek. Leykekh stems from the German "Lebkuchen", a sort of honeycake or gingerbread. But the 2-volume Yiddish-Hebrew dictionary by ABK printed by L. Beresniak in Paris 1939 prefers the german etymology "Leckerbissen" i.e. delicacy or titbit. Does somebody know who is hiding behind these letters ABK (Alef-Bet-Kof). The author dedicated his dictionary to his Wife Feyge, who died shortly before. Ruben Frankenstein 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 02:50:50 -0500 (EST) From: Nechama & Gershon Winer Subject: Wolf Tambur This is in response to a recent inquiry on Mendele about the Romanian Yiddish author, Wolf Tambur. Wolf Tambur passed away in Jerusalem at the age of 89 on September 20, 1995. He resided in Jerusaslem for the last decade of his life. This information was supplied by his wife. Gershon Winer 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 10:03:01 -0500 (EST) From: Robert Freedman Subject: Itsik Fefer Recordings Supplementing Henry Sapoznik's message dealing with the recordings of Itsik Fefer. The archive at the University of Pennsylvania has two 78rpm recordings in an album issued by Keynote Recordings, Inc. titled "Keynote Presents Lieutenant=Colonel Itzik Feffer in a recital of his own poems" The poems are "Ikh Bin A Yid" and "A Khasene In Birobidjan". English translations of each of the poems printed on the inside fron and back covers of the album. Bob Freedman 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 28 Nov 1998 21:00:22 -0500 (EST) From: yiddish1@juno.com (Feigl I Glaser) Subject: ANOTHER MODERN BROKHE OVER THE COMPUTER AND "MENDELE" A LOYB UN GEZANG A loyb un gezang far di hent un di moykhes, Di shafer fun der elektronisher mashin; Gebentsht zol zayn der groyser oyftu kompyuter Mit di "harte" un "veykhe"teyln derin. Gor gebentsht zoln zayn di kompyuter spetsn, Vos hobn geshafn dem Mendele-nets. Nokh undzer libinkn"zeydn" a nomen gegebn, Farbundn global di mit Yidish interes. Gebentsht zoln zayn yung un alt Mendelyaner, Vos shraybn, vos leyenen un gibn vos tsu, A groysn yasher-koyekh di veteranen, Un di vos leygn itst arayn tsayt un mi. Di kishef-mashinke brengt undz ale tsuzamen, Fun yedn vinkl fun der velt -- s'a farmest, Afile makhloykes veln nit shtern Dos vos es bindt undzer Yidish-vaksnde nets. A song and a praise to the hands and brains The creators of the electronic machine; Blessed be the achievement -- computer -- with the "hardware and software*" within. Particularly blessed be the computer specialists Who organized the "MENDELE" list, They named the network after our "Zeyde" and united globally all with Yiddish interest. Blessed be young and old Mendelyaner, Those who write, who read or add anything; A great appreciation to all the veterans And those who invest much effort today. The electronic magic box brings us together From every Terra corner -- its a great goal; Even our quarrels will never break The unity of our growing Yiddish network. * In Yiddish the words "harte un veykhe" have a double meaning: (1)"hard and soft" and (2)"illegally traded "American dollars and English pounds". Zayt ale gezunt! Feygl Infeld Glezer 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1998 08:27:16 -0500 (EST) From: DORAEAGLE@aol.com Subject: Nineteen to the Dozen translated by Ted Gorelick I have just read a very moving book entitled, Nineteen to the Dozen. It contains early and not well known stores by Sholem Aleichem. It is translated by Ted Gorelick who also tranlated "Fishke the Lame in Tales" in the book, Mendele the Book Peddler. The stories in Nineteen to the Dozen bring me back to table of my grandmother. Although I was very young, she told me tales like these over a glass of tea. Tales from Poland and tales from the cities -- she was a china painter and traveled all over. She gave me a great love of Yiddish -- although I have not mastered it. In "Nineteen to the Dozen" both men and women tell their own tales. Some of these people are well to do and others very poor. Their stories provide a very poignant portrayal of what life was like in the shtetl. Both Nineteen to the Dozen and Mendele the Book Peddler have received extraordinary praise by the NY Times. Dora Eagle ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 08.091 Address for the postings to Mendele: mendele@lists.yale.edu Address for the list commands: listproc@lists.yale.edu Mendele on the Web: http://www2.trincoll.edu/~mendele http://metalab.unc.edu/yiddish/mendele.html