Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 08.144 April 26, 1999 1) mezinke (Sam Kweskin) 2) Mezinke tantz (Rifka Wein) 3) Mezinke Tants (Milt Koosman) 4) Der Dishvasher (Al Grand) 5) khoshever fodem (Marvin Meyer Engel) 6) galkhes/galkes (Mikhl Herzog) 7) Indefinite article (berish goldstein) 8) Yiddish Club Formation (Fishl Kutner) 9) Zangwill (Lilian Falk) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 11:21:03 -0400 (EDT) From: ESSAIKAY@aol.com Subject: mezinke Ida Selavan-Schwarz's comment on "mezinke" (08.139) reflects the word for "little finger"--that is, the YOUNGEST child--being wed. And it occurs to me that over the centuries, "leyzen" and "leynen"--both from Germanic and Latin --were used as the infinitive for "to read", the former for secular readings and the latter for liturgical. Possibly the "leynen" derived from Hispanic Jews who brought "leer"--to read--or "leyendo"--reading--into central Europe via France (aside to Sidney Belman). Sam Kweskin 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 15:46:58 -0400 (EDT) From: Rifka Wein Subject: Mezinke tantz Der Mezinke tantz is of very old Eastern European/Hassidic origin. It is danced only at a wedding where the bride or groom (or both) is/are the last in their family to be married ... It is danced for/around that child's parents ... as for the symbolism of the broom -- I have been told that it is in celebration of the parents' good fortune in "sweeping" their house clean (of children and the responsibilities that go with children). Rifka Wein New York, NY 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1999 21:46:11 -0400 (EDT) From: Miltonk2@aol.com Subject: Mezinke Tants Ida Selaven-Schwarcz asks about Mezinke Tants (08.139). I have seen this done at many weddings going back much longer that I care to admit. I do not believe that it is restricted to the Ukraine. The weddings i have seen it at have not been from the Ukraine but have been from various parts of Russia and Eastern Europe. I would rather doubt that it would also be a Sephardic custom, but who knows? Milt Koosman New Jersey 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 11:27:39 -0400 (EDT) From: Savoyid@aol.com Subject: Der Dishvasher In response to Anne and Louis Rublin's request for the complete words and sheet music for a Yiddish song titled "Der Dishwasher" (Vol. 08.140) - I own the original 1934 sheet music with a dashing picture of the composer, Herman Yablokoff (nee Chaim Yablonik) on the cover. The complete lyrics are there in a quirky Germanized transliteration (e.g., _Ich wash mit meine shwache hent_) which I will herewith set forth in standard YIVO orthography: (1) In a restoran - hob ikh gezen An altn man - in kitchn shteyn. Arum im rasht - er redt kayn vort, Er shteyt un vasht - di dishes dort. Un mit gefil brumt er shtil: [Chorus] Ikh vash, mit mayne shvakhe hent, Ikh vash, un vash, fardinen a por sent. Fun fri biz shpet, far a trukn shtikl broyt, Ikh vash un bet, oyf zikh aleyn dem toyt! (2) Amol geven - mit mentchn glaykh, Gehat a heym - gevezn raykh. Geven iz dan - der tate gut, Itst bin ikh alt - keyner darf mir nit, Un in dem rash, shtey ikh un vash - - (Repeat Chorus) (3) Kh'hob kinder fir - gebildet groys, Di eydems, shnir - varfn mikh aroys. Mayn tokhter fayt ["fight"??] - ikh zol geyn tsum zun, Mayn zun er shrayt - er ken gornit tun. Un in dem rash, shtey ikh un vash - - (Repeat Chorus) Al Grand 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 15:18:13 -0400 (EDT) From: "marvin engel" Subject: khoshever fodem Can someone parse the expression "khoshever fodem" or "koshere fodem" for me? The individual words are clear enough: kosher thread. But what is their idiomatic meaning? A friend remembers them as part of a disparaging expression and I think that I recall the words in some song lyrics. Thank you one and all. Marvin Meyer Engel 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1999 00:33:48 -0400 (EDT) From: "Mikhl Herzog" Subject: galkhes/galkes It's been said that etymologizing is a Yiddish speaker's sport. Sam Kweskin's assertions (08.141) demonstrate its dangers. In Yiddish, Hebrew origin _galkhes_ designates the Latin alphabet; in Hebrew, it refers to 'Christian priesthood'; cf. _galakh_ 'Christian (tonsured) priest'. Slavic-origin _goln zikh_ 'to shave' and _gol_/_hoyl_ (as in _a goln/hoyln kop_ 'bareheaded') are of Slavic origin, unrelated Hebrew-origin_galkhes_ Similarly Slavic-origin _galkes/halkes_ 'small balls' ('snowballs' if you like); and one of many regional designations for 'stuffed cabbage rolls' have nothing to do with _galakh/galkhes_. Mikhl Herzog 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1999 14:03:18 -0400 (EDT) From: Barry Goldstein Subject: Indefinite article Re Mikhoyel Basherives (8.135) and Noyekh Miller (8.139) on "eyn" (or "ayn"?) for "an" or "one" -- this is perhaps not 100% to the same point, but for what it's worth: I've been plowing slowly through "di ershte komune" by Sholem-Aleykhem (very slowly, what with my Yiddish and the old orthography) and was confused by the same "eyn" vs. "an". But I think in this case it is just a matter of the spelling of the period. "eyn" (as in "one (1)") is spelled shtumer-alef/tsvey yudn/langer nun, like now. Thus, the character's name "shoyn-EYN-mol-moyshe" and the phrase "EYN mol far ale mol". "an" (as in the indefinite article, however it would have been pronounced and/or transliterated) is spelled PASAKH-ALEF/tsvey yudn/langer nun. Thus the sentence: "nokh pesakh iz der tate gegangen iber der shtot zukhn AN ander dire af tsu dingen". Needless to say, there isn't a pasakh-tsvey-yudn in sight and I've left out a whole bunch of extra hey's, daled's, and ayen's. The book was published in 1918 by the Sholem-Aleykem Folksfund Edition, New York. nor mayn tsvey kopekes. berish goldstein Newtonville, MA 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1999 12:15:04 -0400 (EDT) From: "Philip \"Fishl\" Kutner" Subject: Yiddish Club Formation Feigel Glaser's reply to Sandra Tobias in Mendele vol 8.141 for advice on starting a Yiddish club is excellent. It may be worthwhile to add several good dictionaries-definitely Weinreichs's and also Galvin's romanized version. Have each person subscribe to a different Yiddish publication and then report on an article in the publication. Try to include the Yiddish Forward, NYBC, YIVO, League for Yiddish, Yugntruf, YKUF, and Zukunft, for they are all very reasonably priced. Several of the Yiddish clubs also have excellent newsletters with club activities. Each club has a distinct personality. Some just get together to shmooze some are serious about learning Yiddish while others just want to be entertained. Visit the wonderful Yiddish web sites for additional information. Once you are underway, you should join the International Association of Yiddish Clubs, for they have great conferences and club materials. Also, attend the wonderful, regional, Yiddish conferences, festivals and weekends. mit frayndshaft, Fishl Kutner San Mateo, CA 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 15:48:50 -0400 (EDT) From: "michael_falk" Subject: Zangwill I wish to respond to Linda Conti who is considering taking Israel Zangwill as subject for her thesis. The project seems very worthwhile. Zangwill was an important writer and, even though he wrote in English, he understood how important Yiddish was in the life of English Jews. His novel "Children of the Ghetto", for example, uses Yiddish words, phrases, and expressions that are an essential element in the book. In doing this, he championed Yiddish as a literary medium. Zangwill also had a special love for Italy, which he visited many times. I wish Linda Conti success in her undertaking. Lilian Falk, Halifax, Nova Scotia ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 08.144 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