Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 2 no. 201 May 13, 1993 1) Naar (Zev Kesselman) 2) Fractured posuk drashes (Zev Kesselman) 3) More on nar/naronim (Mikhl Herzog) 4) More on aler/ayin (Mikhl Herzog) 5) Convention announcement (Elisheva Schwartz) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu May 13 05:01:42 1993 From: Zev Kesselman Subject: naar A Hebrew sliding pond is a "magleisha", from the Hebrew root GLSh (to slide); the yiddishy pronunciation "magleitcha" (from Yiddish glitchen) does not leave me with any doubt of it's Hebrew origin. Similarly, the Hebrew sweater "sveder" HAS to be Yiddish related, with all due respects to the talmudic "sudar". Yiddish may have gotten it from English, but even my Polish acquaintances use this word. Where is all the assurance coming from, regarding the origin of "naar"? Zev Kesselman 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu May 13 06:03:38 1993 From: Zev Kesselman Subject: Fractured posuk drashes Dan Breslauer's 'naarish' drash of the posuk at the end of birkat hamazon, viz >"narishkeit", only the foolishness of an old fool, that >could claim that a Zaddik is never abandoned or his >children sent out to seek bread! reminded me of a similar fractured interpretation of shabbes mincha's "adam uvhema toshia, hashem". It became repunctuated with a dash between the second and third words, and farteitched as: "az a mentsch iz a behema, zul em gut helfen". Zev Kesselman 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu May 13 08:10:58 1993 From: ZOGUR@CUVMB.Columbia.edu Subject: P.S. on nar-naronim After all of that, "iker shokhakhti". I've obviously neglected to account directly for the precise form of "naronim". I don't think I can, but I do believe that the explanation resides within the structure that I set up. Mikhl. 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu May 13 08:51:26 1993 From: ZOGUR@CUVMB.Columbia.edu Subject: More on aler/ayin Meylekh, I just noticed the parenthetic remark in your message of May 3--the one I was ostensibly replying to. I think you may be confusing the issue when you say that "ayin" is not always a vowel in Yiddish. It is, except in the traditional spelling of words of Hebrew origin, where it's simply an artifact of a totally different system. As for "alef", it too, it, too, is either a vowel (as in the case of [a] and [o]) or strictly an orthographic symbol, either as a "dummy" consonant in non-Hebrew words, or as whatever, in the traditional spellings of Hebrew words. Yes? No? Mikhl. 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu May 13 10:12:51 1993 From: Elisheva Schwartz Subject: AJL convention CONVENTION ANNOUNCEMENT The 28th Annual Convention of the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) will be held on June 20-23, 1992 at the New York Hilton, New York City. This year's keynote address will be given by Dr. Menahem Schmelzer of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, speaking on "When Hebrew Books are Endangered: The Jewish Response." Other presentations will cover: automation, Jewish storytelling, children's literature, media selection and storage, archives, Holocaust literature, reference cataloging, the Internet, Jewish booklore, RLIN cataloging, research resources, and MUCH MORE. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to meet and speak with distinguished authors at a reception honoring the 50th anniversary of the Jewish Book Annual. The final highlight of the convention on Wed., June 23, will be a luncheon address by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, noted author, speaking on "Jewish Humor: What the Best Jewish Jokes Say about the Jews." EXHIBITS Judaica Books and Crafts Marketplace, June 20-22. The largest gathering of Jewish books, videos, software, and Judaic crafts and art work in New York Metropolitan Area this year. Jewish storytelling marathon led by master storytellers and author signings on Sunday, June 30. For Convention information, please contact: Edith Lubetski (212) 340-7720 FAX (212) 340-7788 For information about exhibiting at the marketplace, contact Carolyn Storman Kessel: (516) 692-8616 FAX (516) 694-0313 Elisheva Schwartz ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol 2.201