Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 2 no. 116 December 8, 1992 1) Shvartse (Howard Isaac Aronson) 2) Shvartse (Moshe Taube) 3) Shikse/sheygets (Paul Weichsel) 4) Shikse/sheygets (Gerald M. Phillips) 5) Shikse/sheygets (Lewis Leavitt) 6) Shikse/sheygets (Moshe Taube) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 7 Dec 92 22:41:47 CST From: howard isaac aronson Subject: Shvartse Cal Pryluck notes that: >>It also occurs that schvartze is also derogatory; my meager vocabulary includes no synonyms. Are there any? To the best of my knowledge, the "official" term for an African-American -was- "neger," but this goes back to a time when Negro was the politically correct English form. When the preferred English form became "black," the Yiddish "shvartser" became the preferred form. If I recall correctly, this is the form used nowadays by the Forverts. So I think that one must conclude that "shvartser" is no longer derogatory. (By the way, in my family the word "shvartser" was replaced by "geler" because it was (correctly) feared that the term "shvartser" was understood by blacks.) Howard Aronson 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 08 Dec 92 13:46:25 EST From: Moshe Taube Subject: shvartse This term in Israeli Yiddish referred (and still does) to Sephardi Jews (not to Moslems of same countries, mind you). It's Hebrew counterpart, however, recent ly acquired a new denotation: religious Jews (mostly askenazy, but also Shas-ty pe Sephardi) wearing black Kapottes. They are called sheh.orim. An alternative term is pingwinim. Moshe Taube 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 8 Dec 1992 10:33:55 -0600 From: Paul Weichsel Subject: Shikse/sheygets The sole basis for my characterization of "shagetz" and "shikse" as pejorative is the manner in which I have observed these terms being used by a wide variety of people today. Some of these people know Yiddish very well and some know it only in passing. They share a common understanding about the tone of these words. A very common object of these terms is the nonjewish member of a mixed marriage. I find that very offensive. Paul Weichsel 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 8 Dec 92 11:00 EST From: "Gerald M. Phillips 238-2943" Subject: Shikse/sheygets When Max Shapiro was serving in Viet Nam and the High Holy Days were approach- ing, he began to feel very nostalic. He consulted the chaplain who told him there was a "native" synagogue in the hills. He sought it out, found it, and attended the Rosh Hashanah morning service. He found it remarkable that these little saffron colored slant-eyed humans were praying in Hebrew. At the close of the service, the rabbi stopped him, and in sing-song, barely intelligent English thanked him, commenting, "it is reassuring to see a shaygetz interested in our customs." "I'm not a shaygetz," Max declared vehemently, "I'm Jewish!" "That's funny," replied the rabbi, "you don't 'rook' Jewish." I trust the point is clear. One person's ordinary noun is another's epithet. Gerald M. Phillips 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 8 Dec 1992 12:12 CST From: Lewis Leavitt Subject: Shikse/sheygets i agree with ellen prince on the tsatske /chachke distinction. but must dissent from her analysis of the negative/positive valence of shaygets/shikse. shaygets/shikse is a "default" description of those people who are "other"---unless specially and specifically modified by fayne(r),shayne(r) etc. it is a pejorative term. lewis leavitt 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 08 Dec 92 13:31:55 EST From: Moshe Taube Subject: Shikse/sheygets 1. sheygets When used as compliment, it refers not to good looks but rather to character (e.g. cunning, expressing heretical views) judged benevolently. 2. shikse Since a friend of mine christened the infamous Barbie doll "the ultimate shikse " I cannot call her any other name, it's so perfect. 3. o > u I've been thinking about this raising, and I suspect that the raising vs. lower ing is due to different syllabic structure. lowering occurs exclusively (?) in closed syllables with a consonant cluster ((C)uCC > (C)oCC), whereas raising (t he only example I could think of so far being psure/psire) in open ones. Moshe Taube ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol 2.116