Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 2 no. 65 September 15, 1992 1) Mazl-tov (Berl Hoberman) 2) Frum (David Sherman) 3) 80-90 (David Sherman) 4) Pan/pani/panie (Ronald F. Feldstein) 5) Yold (Noyekh Miller) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 14 Sep 1992 13:33:26 -0400 (EDT) From: Robert D Hoberman Subject: Mazl-tov In his comments on mazl-tov (Mendele 2.05, from May -- I've been catching up on reading) David Braun parenthetically suggested that the expression means 'good luck' in Hebrew, and is not used in Israeli Hebrew. Not exactly. The expression does, of course, mean 'good luck' or 'a good constellation', but that doesn't necessarily imply it means 'Good Luck!' i.e. 'I hope it will turn out well for you' (which is, as David says, be-hatslakha). It would be interesting, and not difficult, to check the uses of the phrase in pre-modern, i.e. pre-Yiddish, Hebrew. In Israeli Hebrew /mazal-tov/ (stress on the /-zal-/) is indeed used, in just the same way as in Yiddish and English, to mean 'congratulations'. I wouldn't be surprised if that meaning is from Yiddish. But to be sure, we'd have to check how it was used in Hebrew earlier, and in non-Ashkenazic Jewish communities. I always wonder about the expression in the "mi shebeyrakh" prayer said for the welfare of a newly delivered mother and child, "...may [God] bless so-and-so and the son/daughter who has been born to her be-mazal tov...". What does this mean? '...who has, luckily, been born to her...', or '...who has been born to her, and congratulations to the proud parents!...'? Bob/Berl 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 1:19:58 EDT From: dave@cai.lsuc.on.CA Subject: Derivation of "frum" What's the etymology of "frum", which means (today) observant of Orthodox Jewish law? Did it ever have a different meaning? David Sherman 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 1:25:19 EDT From: dave@cai.lsuc.on.CA Subject: RE: 80-90 The discussion of 80-90 for "putz" reminds me of the origin of the surname Katz. As I understand it, it's kuf-tsadi, the acronym for Kohen Tzedek. Katz's are generally Kohanim. Are there other names or words in Yiddish that have come into existence through this kind of acronymming? (In modern Hebrew there are plenty, like Tzahal for the army; and of course it's common for the names of sages, such as Rashi, Rambam, Ramban and the Gra. What about in Yiddish, though?) David Sherman 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 01:03:40 EST From: "Ronald F. Feldstein Subject: Pan/pani/panie Pani Aleychem would have to be Sholem's wife. The masculine term is Pan, and the feminine is Pani. A possible vocative for the masculine is Panie, so a man could be addressed this way. Ronald F. Feldstein 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 11 Sep 92 From: nmiller@vax1.trincoll.edu Subject: Yold From J.J. Trunk's _Poyln_: ..di n'gidishe yungelaytlekh vos zenen--mit di yoldishe taleysim-zeklekh untern arem-- gegangen in shtibl arayn davenen. I'd never known "yold" to mean amything other than fool or twerp. What then does Trunk mean? Lost zikh oys az in Harkavy shteyt take: "son of a wealthy man". Thus a word whose older meaning has just about disappeared _and quite recently_. Is that a correct inference? If so, does anyone have a proposed explanation? Are there other words whose meanings have changed that drastically in the last 50 years? And the etymology? Yeled? I somehow don't think so. Scandinavian maybe? Noyekh ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol 2.65 If your message is intended for MENDELE, please write to: mendele@vax1.trincoll.edu If you want to discuss personal business or have a shmues with the shames, please write to: nmiller@vax1.trincoll.edu Please sign your articles.