Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 4.240 December 17, 1994 1) Kartuz B(e)reze (Zachary Baker) 2) Response to an [RR] (Zellig Bach) 3) Yidish Sof-Vokh, mir zukhn a nomen (Ruvn Millman) 4) A styfbruder fun ayn muter (Philip J. Leonard) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 15 Dec 94 09:49:44 PST From: bm.yib@rlg.stanford.edu 0Subject: Kartuz B(e)reze As Michael Steinlauf indicates, the Yiddish name for Bereza Kartuska is Kartuz B(e)reze. In 1993, a memorial book for the Jewish community was published: Kartuz-Berezah; sefer zikaron ve-'edut le-kehilah she-hushmedah hy"d [English title-page: Kartuz-Breze, our town; memorial book]. It is primarily in Hebrew, with an English introduction and some poems in Yiddish. Zachary Baker 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 16 Dec 1994 16:28:59 -0500 From: zellig@aol.com Subject: Response to an [RR] The recent posting by Anno Siegel (4.236,2) was signed off with "Zayt ir ale gezunt, [RR]." Permit me to review this sentence. "Ir ale" sounds to me redundant. Might it be a literal translation from the English "you all"? (or possibly the influence of another language?) Formally and grammatically "ale" is not necessary here since "zayt" is plural (the singular is "zay"). Still, "zayt *ale* gezunt" sounds to me friendly and informal, expressing warmth, like offering not just a collective parting to the entire group, but an individual "zay gezunt" to each one present. Whether you use "zay" or "zayt" depends, of course, not only according to the number of people, but also on the nature of the relationship. If you _irts_ each other, you use the plural form even if you are addressing your words to an individual. There are two possible variants: a) "Zay mir gezunt" or "Zay zhe mir gezunt" (singular); b) "Zayt mir gezunt" or "zayt zhe mir gezunt" (plural). Both these variants are colloquial and familial: 1. "Zay (or zayt) mir gezunt" is a way of courteously and warmly terminating a brief encounter with acquaintances or friends. 2. "Zay (or zayt) zhe mir gezunt" may occasionally connote -- but not necessarily and not always-- a minute but unarticulated touch of annoyance. If you have, for example, a friendly argument and you become convinced that your esteemed opponent is close-minded and not ready to see the light of your logic, you close the discussion with "zay (or zayt) zhe mir gezunt." On the other hand, however, "zay (or zayt) zhe mir gezunt" can also be a very friendly and warm closure of a conversation. So, you see, it all depends... This response to an [RR] developed into a lengthy shmu'es about the sign-off phrase. May I say that an [RR] preceding a posting to Mendele is not expected to enter into the kind of digressions and "side" tours, as in the present comment, but will be delimited to just shaping up the Yiddish of the text as submitted. Well, zayt mir ale gezunt un shtark! Zellig Bach 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 16 Dec 1994 16:40:59 GMT From: roland.millman@weiser.com Subject: Yidish Sof-Vokh, mir zukhn a nomen Der organizir komitet fun der Hemshekh Tvayg 105 (Arbeter-Ring) Yidish redndiker sof-vokh '95 bet aykh tsu helfn gefinen a nomen far undzer gesheyenish. Der sof-vokh vet zikh forkumen di dray teg fun "Memorial week-end," der 27tn, 28tn un 29tn mai in der "Circle Lodge" in di Catskills. Mir viln az dos gefil zol zayn freylakh, hayntik, mit a bisl lernen...a tsuzamenkum vu mir kenen nitzn Yidish tog ayn tog oys. Di nomen vos mir hobn oysgetrakht biz atsind folgn. Zayt azoy gut shik mir (roland.millman@weiser.com) ayere gedanken vegen zey un ayere firlegn af andere. * * * The organizing committee of the Hemshekh Branch 105 (Workmen's Circle) Yiddish language weekend '95 invites you to help us create a name for this event. The "weekend" date is set for Memorial weekend, May 27th, 28th and 29th at Circle Lodge in the Catskills. We are creating a program that is fun and up-to-date with some learning thrown in - A gathering at which we use Yiddish day-in and day-out. The names that we have thought-up so far are as follows. Please send me (roland.millman@weiser.com) your thoughts and suggestions for others. Undzer Sof-Vokh Yid Sof-Vokh '95 Mame-Loshn '95 Vilde Metzieh '95 Loshn '95 Durkhn Doyres Dor-tsu-Dor: Under Yidish Loshn Doyres: Yidish Yidishe Doyres Doyres: A Yidishe Sof-Vokh Vayn un Roysn Hemshekh Sof-Vokh Onkum Treff Hemshekh Yidish Yidishe Randke Afs Land In Di Berg In Vald Yidish in Vald Doyres in Vald Vortslen Yidishe Tvaygn Pasirung Yidishe Shtimes Geistig Tsaytn Yidishe Koyles ...u.a.v. A dank alemen! Ruvn Millman 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 17 Dec 94 01:18:12 PST From: mike@order.ph.utexas.edu Subject: "a styfbruder fun ayn muter" [This is] forwarded this from the Jewish Genealogy Digest. Has some questions about Yiddish. Perhaps someone could help him. >From: richard sobel Opinions on a Yiddish and relationship questions would be much appreciated: In the Yizkor book for Horodetz, my gggf is described (in transliterated) Yiddish as "a styfbruder fun ayn muter," rendered by a translator as "a stepbrother (from the same mother)." What would people interpret this to mean--simply a relationship through remarriages or a biological relationship through the mother (and wouldn't that actually mean halfbrothers)? The dates don't work out for a biological relationship, so thoughts on the meaning would be most welcome. (Also can someone identify the meaning of "Ein-Yaakov"?) RS [Please send replies directly to Richard Sobel. nm] Philip J. Leonard ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 4.240 Mendele has 2 rules: 1. Provide a meaningful Subject: line 2. Sign your article (full name please) A Table of Contents is now available via anonymous ftp, along with weekly updates. Anonymous ftp archives available on: ftp.mendele.trincoll.edu in the directory pub/mendele/files Archives available via gopher on: gopher.cic.net Send articles to: mendele@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu Send change-of-status messages to: listserv@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu a. For a temporary stop: set mendele nomail b. 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