Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 5.026 June 18, 1995 1) Tevye's name (Michael Shimshoni) 2) Leyvik's "J. C. R. S." (Refoyl Finkel) 3) Tzvey kashes (Henry Mullish) 4) Ashkenaz (Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan) 5) Yiddish in Halifax? (Jonathan Dembling) 6) Oyfn Pripetshik (Szalom-Lew Korbman) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 16 Jun 95 11:56:24 +0300 From: mash@weizmann.weizmann.ac.il Subject: Tevye's name In Mendele Vol. 5.023 Harvey Spiro replies to the question of Bernard Greenberg in Mendele 5.022 on the origin of the name Tevye. Harvey's contribution led us to the name Tovyah which is to be found in many ancient sources. He also mentioned Tobias of the Book of Tobit or Tobias of the Apocrypha. Later Rick Turkel writes in response to Harvey that the correct Hebrew vocalization of that name is Tuvia, that had been my view as well *before I checked*. Bob Werman than correctly points out that the Biblical form is Tovya, and adds that the name Tuvya is common in modern Hebrew. I have just a minor addition and a question. In the Tanakh we find both Toviya as the name of three different people and also the name Toviyahu as the name of someone else. Please note that there is always the "O" vocalization, and there is the added "i" vocalization. Indeed Tuvya (without the "i") is a not uncommon modern name in Israel. Many years ago when Habima had the play of Tevye it was called indeed Tuvya (with the "U") haHolev. I wonder if someone knows when the name Tuvya with the "U" became a Jewish name, de facto replacing the other forms. Michael Shimshoni 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 16 Jun 1995 09:11:31 -0400 From: Raphael Finkel Subject: Leyvik's "J. C. R. S." ot zaynen di verter fun Leyvik's J. C. R. S. kdey zen mit yidishe oysyes: http://www.cs.engr.uky.edu/~raphael/yiddish.html. J. C. R. S. fir bukhshtabn groyse oyf koymen un toyer, fir groyse, fir bukhshtabn: -- dzhey, ti, ar, es. -- april-teg geneenen. di bukhshtabn blien nokh eyder es blit der tulip un bez. a goldene zun geyt aroys in baginen, es kumt on der friling in frien vizit; mir ale -- mir trogn dos shtarbn in zinen, un kushn mit libshaft dem vizitors trit. dos layb iz geleytert, dos harts iz gereynikt, -- dos likhtikste likht oyfn tunklstn kop; s'iz gut mit a sakh'en in payn zayn fareynikt, un trogn di payn, vi a heylike gob. in toyt un in zun un in onheyb fun friling, gey oyf, un kum oyf, un in noentkeyt kum tsu, o, lid mayns, un zay vi a zalbike heylung, -- o, vort mayns, zay gloybn un koyekh un ru. in letste minutn di oygn alts zeen, baym goyses tsukopns -- dos eybike ye; mayn harts, vi a milgroym, iz ful mit adye'en, un ot blit oyf beymer a nayer adye. far mir zaynen shveln -- fartsiterte strunes, far mir iz a shoyb fun a fenster -- a nes; ikh nem-mit dem khesed fun friling un trunes, -- adye, tir un toyer fun dzhey, si, ar, es. -- -- H. Leyvik, 1932? -------- zayn lid, ,,di balade fun denver sanatorium'', iz 112 strophes; tsu fil lang arayntsushrabyn! ot iz der onheyb: nit yezus shtarbt es tsugeklapt tsum tseylem, nit moyshe -- oyf der shvel fun knoan-land, nor nosn niuman -- hert, ikh vel dertseyln -- oyf a prostn betl bay a proster vant. H. Leyvik, 1934 -------- Refoyl Finkl 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 16 Jun 1995 11:09:19 -0500 (EST) From: mullish@acfcluster.nyu.edu Subject: Tzvey kashes I was in a class recently where they were teaching German. The teacher asked the students to translate a phrase where the critical word to be used was supposed to be _viel_. Instead the student (who turned out to be Yiddish speaking) said: _a sach_, which the teacher didn't understand. I was wondering where the expression originates? While on the subject, when I was a kid and living in England I was often called a _lobbus_ by my family members. It clearly meant a mischievous boy, much like the word _shovov_ in Hebrew. However, whenever I have used the word _lobbus_ here in the United States people have looked at me strangely and have not understood the word. Is this a Yiddish word confined to the British Isles? I thank you in advance for your comments. Henry Mullish New York City 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 16 Jun 1995 15:51:10 -0400 From: shirshan@aol.com Subject: Ashkenaz Lagniappe or Hinter di Kolisn and Toronto's Ashkenaz Festival Lagniappe, the personal E-Mail, on Mendele is what makes the cup runneth over. Behind the scenes, hinter di kolisn, whole dramas are enacted. Dear new friends are born who exchange poems (oh what discoveries!), send endorsements or sharp criticisms of ideas you have posted, or who reach out to get to know you better. Every letter has been enriching, rewarding, or fun, as only Mendelniks can be. But to top everything, through Mendele's networking comes the fourteen page bulletin (yours for the asking from brosen@io.org) describing the events of the Ashkenaz Festival to celebrate Yiddish and Yiddishkayt in Toronto at the Harbourfront Center from July 4th through 9th. Most events are free. Just reading the catalogue is a celebration of the seven lively arts that thrive in Yiddish today. If your first love is music, drama, literature, poetry, dance, opera, the visual arts, storytelling, or all of them, it's all there, a Yiddish-loving dilletante's dream. Thank you, Bruce Rosensweet, (Mendele Vol 4.386) for informing us of the celebration, and for sending the lush details. We'll be looking for your Mendele nametags at the festival to get to meet you. Anyone who is interested in obtaining free nametags, just send an SASE to our summer address (for quick service): Marj and Bob Hirshan 521 Blueberry Lane North Conway, NH 03860 Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan North Conway, New Hampshire 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 16 Jun 1995 22:52:46 -0400 (EDT) From: bruce@ksgbbs.harvard.edu Subject: Yiddish in Halifax? I will be starting graduate school at St. Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia this fall. Does anyone know of any Yiddish activity in that lovely city? I would like to be able to continue taking classes, if there are any available there, or just to get a chance to speak Yiddish whenever possible. I also plan to spend a lot of time in Cape Breton, so if anyone is familiar with the yidishkayt of the Sydney-Glace Bay area, I'd love to hear from you also. A sheynem dank, Jonathan Dembling Somerville, MA 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 18 Jun 95 8:36:56 GMT From: s.korbman@agora.stm.it Subject: Oyfn Pripetshik A friend of mine dug out a (reduced) version of the song 'Oyfn Pripetshik', decided to use it in the chorus he sings in, gave me a copy and appointed me (oy vey!) as the official translator. I tried my best, but it was only through Rosalie Gerut and her music cassette 'Sleep my child' (Tzusamen Productions/Blue Hill Recordings) that I found the complete text and an (authorized) English translation. Nonetheless, I still have some doubts. Let us take the first set: Oyfn pripetshik brent a fayerl Un in shtub iz heys Un der rebe lernt kleyne kinderlekh Dem alef-beyz. It is translated like that: On the little hearth burns a little fire And in house it is warm And the rabbi teaches little children The alphabet. As you see, 'pripetshik' is translated as 'little hearth'. May be it corresponds to a Slavic word that has that meaning; but I do not understand the connection with the context: to me, it seems the definition of a location rather than the expression of a sentiment. There is also a river called Pripet. Does any Mendelnick have a convincing explanation of this first verse? My second question is more general. The refrain goes like that: Zet zhe kinderlekh, gedenkt zhe tayere, Vos ir lernt do Zog zhe nokh amol, un take nokh amol: Komets-alef-o. And here is the translation: Remember children What you are learning here Recite and repeat it again Komets alef is pronounced "o". My problem is the 'zhe'. By the sound of it, it is not Yiddish. I know it is right to use it with the imperative tense: but what does it mean, what is its function, where does it come from? Thanks in advance. Szalom-Lew Korbman Milan, Italy ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 5.026 Mendele has 2 rules: 1. 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