_The Mendele Review_: Yiddish Literature and Language (A Companion to _MENDELE_) ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 02.008 6 March 1998 1) Yiddish Matters: From the Editor (Leonard Prager) 2) "daytshmerish toyg nit" (maks vaynraykh [Max Weinreich]) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 6 March 1998 From: Leonard Prager Subject: Yiddish Matters 1. In this issue In "daytshmerish toyg nit" ('Germanized Yiddish Will Not Do'), a fundamental article written for the popular yet high-level_Yidish far ale_ in Vilna six decades ago (1938), Max Weinreich probed "eyne fun di getseylte gruntproblemen fun yidish" ('one of the few basic problems of Yiddish') -- the problem of daytshmerish. Uriel Weinreich's widely used _Modern Yiddish-English English-Yiddish Dictionary_ (whose thirtieth anniversary we celebrate this year) is anti-daytshmerish and consequently highly prescriptive. Harkavi's still invaluable Yiddish-English-Hebrew Dictionary (1928) is, as Max Weinreich writes below, full of daytshmerisms because it is not concerned with making lexical recommendations. Each generation of Yiddish-writers grapples with the question, "What is good Yiddish usage?" The essay below, with its programmatic "eight rules of antidaytshmerish" is an important document in the ever current forum on Yiddish stylistics. One must add that there is always an element of pain in returnimg to a time, just yesterday, when a Yiddish linguist practicing his trade saw before his very eyes masses of Yiddish-speakers in thousands of cities, towns and townlets, a vibrant Yiddish culture. 2. In future issues Next week's Special Purim Issue will feature Sholem-Aleykhem's story "A frier peysekh" and a brief look at the subject of (literary) _lukhes_ 'calendars'. 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 6 March 1998 From: Claus Buryn Subject: "daytshmerish toyg nit" fun maks vaynraykh daytshmerish toyg nit* maks vaynraykh in _yidish far ale_ numer 2 shraybt Arn tseytlin vegn dem vort _farrikt_: "men darf khlebn zayn farrikt nisht tsu hobn keyn mol gehert dos vort oysn moyl fun poylishe yidn." zeyer a harber psak un zeyer a kategorisher. nor fun dest vegn shtel ikh ayn un loz visn, az ikh bin oykh fun yene vos paslen dos vort _farrikt_ in yidish, un oykh dos vort _alzo_, vos tseytlin rekomendirt es in dem eygenem artikl. to lomir zikh farhern mit undzere rayes. fun dem vos men zogt iz nokh nisht gedrungen, az men darf zogn. a befeyresher grayz vert dokh oykh nisht geboyrn frier vi emetser zogt im aroys oder shraybt im on. un faran nisht nor individueler grayzn, nor oykh kolektive, shtark farshpreyte. a sakh mentshn zogn _yurist-konsul_ anshtot _yuris-konsult_. masn mentshn zogn _prekvents_ anshtot _frekvents_. iz vos, akhrey rabim lehatos? ikh halt oykh fun demokratye, ober nisht oyf dem oyfn, az men zol khapn oyf traf a por minyonim yidn un makhn bay zey oyfn ort an opshtimung, un vi zey zogn, azoy zol blaybn. a mol flegt men brengen fun di minsker yidns vegn: "di derevyes pakhnen mit a priyotnem zapakh," un oyb dos iz a voylerishe guzme, zaynen ober _gulyayen_, _katayen zikh_, _pshekonirn zikh_ loyt der farshpreytung gevis a sakh gikher folksverter eyder _alzo_. ober undzer kulturshprakh vet zikh bageyn on zey. ikh hob oykh, punkt azoy vi a. tseytlin, keyn plebistsitn nit gemakht, nor der seykhl trogt oys, az a sakh mer poylishe yidn zogn bay hayntikn tog _sond_ un _sendzhiye_, eyder _gerikht_ un _rikhter_. fun dest vegn, oyb ikh kvenkl zikh nokh, tsi _gerikht_ un _rikhter_ zaynen ideale yidishe verter, bin ikh ober lakhlutn zikher, az _sond_ un _sendzhiye_ toygn nit. vos zhe iz derfun gedrungen? az oyb men vil klor vern mikoyekh verter un formen, tsi zey toygn undz yo oder zey toygn undz nisht, iz nit genug tsu konstatirn, az zey zaynen bimtsies, men darf zey analizirn. un vos mer mir veln zikh kenen oyfheybn ibern prat, vos mer mir veln zayn bekoyekh dem prat vos interesirt undz arayntsushteln in der breyter rem fun undzer algemeyner bahovntkayt in der shprakh, alts mer megn mir zikh rikhtn tsu kumen tsu oysfirn vos zoln zayn nit stam geredt, nor ayngefundevet vi s'geher tsu zayn. tseytlins psak-din rirt on di algemeyne problem vegn daytshmerish. dos iz eyne fun di getseylte gruntproblemen fun yidish -- a problem vos hot zikh nokh ersht avekgeshtelt. oyf tsu farentfern zi darf men hobn nit nor a sakh diskusyes, nor oykh a sakh forshung. vayt nit alts iz shoyn do oyf azoy fil fest, az men zol vegn dem kenen reydn mitn fuln moyl; ober tsurik geredt veysn mir shoyn genug vegn dem inyen, az men zol pruvn kumen tsu a shtikl formuliring. dos vet konkretizirn di diskusye un gringer makhn tsu geyn foroys. ikh breng mayn kuk mayse tezisn, vi vayt miglekh bekitser. derbay bet ikh hobn in zinen, az ikh reyd dos mol nor vegn verter-oytser, hagam daytshmerizmen hobn zikh arayngekhapt in ale sferes fun der yidisher shprakh -- in der fonetik, in der morfologye, in zatsnboy u.az"v. nor bay di verter varfn zey zikh tsum merstn in di oygn, un der verter-oytser iz efsher take dos ershte in undzer arbet tsu shafn di eynheytlekhe yidishe kulturshprakh. 1. vos daytsh iz, veysn mir, vos yidish iz -- oykh. nor voz iz daytshmerish? daytshmerish iz shatnez; dos zaynen azoyne shprakhike elementn vos kumen fun daytsh un viln makhn dem onshtel fun yidish; elementn, vos in der emesn zaynen zey nit keyn yidish un nit keyn daytsh(1). farglaykht tsvey zatsn: "er hot fil gelaystet" (men leyent azoyns borekh-hashem genug oft, iber hoypt in di gehoybene shraybekhtsn fun undzere bleter) un "er hot hipsh oyfgeton." i do i dort, vet aykh zogn der lingvist, hobn mir tsu tun hoyl mit "daytshe" elementn. nor vi dukht zikh aykh, faran a nafkemine tsvishn daytshmerish un yidish? 2. verter vos zaynen faran inem rov yidishe dialektn un zaynen arayn tsu undz in an elterer tkufe fun yidish zaynen kosher lekholadeyes. umzist heyst es der ironizirndiker khshad, az di puristn hobn zikh farmostn aroystsuvarfn fun yidish ale verter vos kumen fun daytsh. dem purizm lomir do beser in gantsn lozn tsu ru: dos iz a bagrif vos men darf arumreydn bazunder oyf tsu derklern zikh tsu zayn tokh. lomir beser zogn "antidaytshmeristn." di antidaytshmeristn haltn nit, az _tish_, _shtub_, _erd_, _himl_ zaynen posle verter. faran take in daytsh oykh verter vos klingen punkt azoy oder in dem erekh, ober fort zaynen dos yidishe verter. heyst es nisht ale verter vos vaksn fun daytsh zaynen posl; es vendt zikh, vu der khamer shteyt. 3. mir veysn shoyn azoy fil vegn der geshikhte fun yidish, az mir kenen zogn mit fil-vintsik zikherkayt: di shprakh fun yidn in daytshland, afile in eltste tsaytn, iz keyn mol nit geven identish mit der shprakh fun di daytshn; "yidish daytsh" iz ale mol geven epes andersh vi "kristlekh daytsh." ober der kontakt mit daytsh hot ongehaltn lang, shier nit biz in undzer tsayt arayn. es hobn geshtromt tsu undz daytshe verter fun farsheydene kvaln un in farsheydene loglen arayn: tsu di oder yene gezelshaftlekhe shikhtn undzere, tsu dem oder yenem yidishn dialekt. geyt heyst es in gefinen kriteryums far yene daytshe verter vos zaynen arayngekumen tsu undz in shpetikere tkufes (nokhn 16tn yorhundert, lomir zogn) oder nor in eyntsike mekoymes. 4. der skarbover gang bay undz iz tsu bashuldikn di haskole, un di nemen "daytshn," "berlitshikes" zogn eydes, az s'iz nit keyn sheker-bilbl. ober di maskilim zaynen nit geven di ershte. daytsh hot gefleytst tsu undz -- shoyn lang nokh dem vi yidish iz gevorn a shprakh far zikh -- durkh di muser-sforim vos men hot gedrukt in mayrev-eyrope, durkh di melamdem vos zaynen gegangen keyn daytshland kneln, durkh di sokhrem vos zaynen geforn oyf di laypsker yaridn. dos nays vos di haskole hot arayngetrogn iz geven in tsvey zakhn: zi hot shtark fargresert di daytshe elementn in kames, un zi hot geshafn dem ideologishn onshpar far der daytshmerizatsye. men darf take araynnemen vos mer daytsh, hobn gehaltn di maskilem, vorem oyf aza oyfn veln yidn zikh opgeveynen tsu bislekh fun zeyer "zhargon" un tsukumen tsu a laytishn "tayts". der rosh-hamedabrem fun der doziker shite iz geven ayzik-meyer dik. ober ven mir lakhn un mir krimen zikh leyendik dik's "verke," torn mir nit fargesn, az mendl lefin is lang biz dikn aroys oyf milkhome kegn daytshmerish, az di haskole hot aroysgebrakht azoyne maysters fun yidish vi perl, gotlober, etinger, aksenfeld, un az Yehoyshue-Mortkhe lifshits un mendele kumen oykh fun der haskole, hagam zey zaynen zi aribergevaksn mit a sakh kep. 5. nokh mit epes meg men melamed-shkus zayn oyf der haskole: di bavegungen vos nokh ir zaynen oykh nit geven beser. di arbeter-bavegung hot arayngebrakht naye daytshe verter in di hunderter -- oyf azoy fil, az fun teyl veln mir shoyn mistame keyn mol nit poter vern: _antviklung_, _bavegung_, _gezelshaft_, _geshikhte_, _farzamlung_, _farzitsnder_, _kamf_, _shtrayt_ un nokh un nokh. di tsienistishe bavegung hot undz mezake geven mit a spetsifishn sort verter (_zidlung_, _landes-organizatye_, _permanents-oysshus_ un dos glaykhn). afile der yidishizm gufe hot gegebn tsu shtayer mit _unterrikht_-shprakh, _shulvezn_ ukhedoyme. Ikh dermon zikh, az in 1908 hot an anons in lidskis a luekhl ongezogt der velt, az in nisn darf aroysgeyn a nay bukh peretses: folksshtimlekhe geshikhtn." oyf azoy fil iz dos vort geven fremd, az der zetser mitn korektor (un efsher der shrayber fun der medoe) hobn dos farbundn mitn shoyresh _shtim_. haynt iz shver tsu gefinen a yidishist vos zol dos vort nit nitsn -- nit davke ven er redt vegn peretses bukh. ober tsi iz dos vort gevorn in gantsn yidish? dos iz nokh a shayle. far mir iz es nokh alts daytshmerish, khotsh keyner vet nit forleygn tsu baytn peretses titl. ot flegt dokh perets nitsn _shtat_ onshtat _melukhe_, er hot gekent shraybn _federn_ (foerdern) mitn pshat: 'oyfheybn', 'firn foroys', 'makhn progresirn' -- un mir tuen im nit nokh. ikh bin mer nit greyt nokhtsugebn, az mir zoln dos vort _folkstimlekh_ dervayl lozn tsu ru; kol-zman iber undzer yam trogn zikh daytshmerishe valfishn, megn mir lozn gemakh di plotkelekh un afile di hekht. 6. teyl dialektn undzere zaynen spetsyel raykh in daytshe elementn. ot di elementn vaksn fun farsheydene vortslen. in groys-poyln, zaglembye, krokever gegnt shpirt men nokh bashaymperlekh reshtn funem mayrevdikn yidish -- fun yenem yidish vos men hot a mol geredt in daytshland un vos iz geveyntlekh geven a sakh "daytsher" eyder undzer yidish in mizrekh-eyrope. khuts dem gefinen zikh di ongerufene dialektishe grupes (un azoy oykh kurland, mayrev-lite) hart oyfn daytshn shprakhgrenets, hot men do tomed gehat mer gelegnheyt arayntsunemen daytshe verter direkt fun di daytshe shkheynem. in lodzh un in der lodzher svive iz der daytsher yishev alt sakhakl a hundert yor, ober fort hot dos keseyderdike bagegnen zikh mit daytshe arbeters un maysters gevirkt oyfn dortikn yidish. (yidish hot tsurik mashpie geven oyfn dortikn daytsh oykh, nor dos art undz nit bay der itstiker teme). in galitsye un bukovine iz di tsol daytshn a kleyne, ober daytsh iz geven di mekhtike shprakh fun kultur un fun der administratsye, in galitsye shier nit biz der velt-milkhome un in bukovine, ken men zogn, biz hayntikn tog. afile in a vilne oder kovne, vu bildung bay yidn iz biz mit a dor tsurik geven tsunoyfgeknipt mit daytsh, vu gvirim un inteligentn flegn haltn daytshe gubernantkes tsu di kinder, hobn daytshe verter zikh arayngezapt tifer in oylem arayn. vi azoy zhe zoln mir zikh batsien tsu azoyne yidish-dialektishe elementn vos kumen fun daytsh? far mir iz klor: megn ot di verter farn oylem fun dem oder yenem kant hobn dem onblik un dem kheyn fun emese yidishe verter, ober ven zey klapn in der tir fun undzer kultureler klal-shprakh, muz men zey oykh nemen oyfn farher un boydek zayn. s'iz agev gornit keyn spetsyele khumre, s'iz nor an opleykenung fun ayngeredte privilegyes; vorem yetvider vort fun yetvider dialekt iz den a yakhsn mit zayn dialektishkayt aleyn? 7. dem gruntgedank vegn opgrenetsn yidish fun daytsh voltn mir gekont aroysbrengen azoy: kol-zman yidish iz gegangen vi es geyt zikh, kol-zman es iz nit geven bay yidn keyn tshuke tsu a kultiverter klal-shprakh, iz keyn mol keyn sharfe mekhitse tsvishn di beyde sprakhn nit geven. es iz geven gikher a demark-linye vi a grenets. vi bald mir viln oyf an emes firn eygene shprakhike balebatishkayt, iz itst gekumen di tsayt ayntsushteln a festn grenets mit ale simonim fun a grenets, un der iker: mit a sharfn grenets-kontrol. Far an ershtn onheyb gey ikh do itster avekshteln akht klolem fun antidaytshmerish. 8. klal alef: nisht yeder vort vos geyt um bay a grupe yidn iz mimeyle a gut yidish vort. Vegn dem iz shoyn gekumen tsu reyd frier antkegn di verter _farrikt_ un _alzo_. In printsip veln gevis ale moyde zayn deroyf, anit volt dokh geven les din veles dayen. Praktish blaybt di shayle: voser vort yo un voser nit. Vegn dem reydn di vayterdike klolem. Dervayl nor oyf eyn fus nokh vegn _alzo_. Es iz nit rikhtik, az _bekheyn_ muz hobn a komishn baybatayt, vi a. tseytlin shraybt. Ober s'iz oykh nisht rikhtik, az _bekheyn_ iz der eyntsiker ekvivalent farn daytshn _also_. Men ken oykh ibergebn dem bagrif mit _uvkheyn_, _mimeyle_, _heyst es_, _oyf aza oyfn_, _azoy_, _azoy arum_, _alkeyn_, _lokhn_. Teyl mol kumt oys zeyer gerotn der spetsifish yidisher banuts fun _iz_ : "iz zeen mir fun di rayes..." Heyst es faran keyn eynhore fun vos tsu klaybn, men darf nit onkumen tsu keyn daytshmerizm. Un vu shteyt es geshribn, az men muz dafke i~b~e~r~z~e~t~s~n az men ken nit di zakh i~b~e~r~t~r~a~k~h~t~n oyfn eygenem shteyger? Yemolt iz nokh faran di miglekhkayt tsu boyen dem zats azoy -- daytsh ken dos nit -- az er zol zikh onheybn nit mitn subyekt, nor mitn predikat. A shteyger dem posek breyshes 8,18 "Vayeytsey noyach uvonov veishto" zetst luter iber "Also ging Noah heraus." Yehoyesh in yidish ken zikh farginen dos tsu makhn andersh: "Iz aroysgegangen Noyekh..." Epes dukht zikh mir, az emetser zogt: "S'iz an ander nyuans!" Ay der nyuans, der nyuans! Ikh khalesh, men zol undz take gebn tsu farshteyn di untersheydn in di nyuansn, nit stam gebn a derlang ibern kop mitn tayern fremdvort... 9. klal beys: nit yeder vort vos iz faran ergets in a yidishn dialekt iz mimeyle an element far der yidisher kulturshprakh. enge dialekt-verter vos zaynen in der zelber form faran in der nayhoykhdaytsher shraybshprakh muzn oysn blaybn fun der yidisher klal-shprakh. der punkt vet mistame aroysrufn tsum merstn vikukhem, vorem er treft oykh in azoyne fraynd, vos yidish iz bay zey nisht hefker un zey flaysn zikh raykher tsu makhn undzer kulturshprakh durkh verter-oytser fun undzere dialektn. bederekh-klal iz dos gevis a goldene gang, ober nisht alts vos glintsert iz gold. ot zogn kurlender yidn "beherde" (Behoerde) afile in zeyer yidish reydn. in galitsye zogt men keseyder _bleyd_ (bloede -- narish). in vilne, oyb men vil zikh oysdrikn spetsyel eydl, zogt men nit _moger_, nor _mager_; nit _a dank_, nor _danke_; men zogt do masnvayz (un, vi s'informirt mikh n. prilutski, iz dos eygene in teyln kongres-poyln) "nakher (nachher - dernokh). fun dest vegn farhof ikh, as keyner vet nit forleygn arayntsunemen ot di verter _beherde_, _bleyd_, _mager_, _danke_, _nakher_ in indzer klalisher shraybshprakh arayn. haynt vi bald azoy, iz mit vos iz beser _shtets_, bansher men zogt es in vlotslovek, oder _felik_ bansher men zogt es in varshever gegnt? gevis zogn dos in yene mekoymes mentshn fun a gants yor oykh, s'iz nit in der pkhine fun di ofene daytshmerizmen _farrikt_ un _alzo_, ober farn klal yidn iz dos nit vlotslavker un varshever yidish, nor berliner un minkhener daytsh. ikh volt nokh gekont farshteyn di akshones, ven s'zol geven geyn vegn verter vos hobn nit in yidish keyn ekvivalentn. ober mit vos hobn zikh farzindikt _shtendik_, _tomed_, _ale mol_, _eybik_ (in teyl dialektn), _ale yorn_ un _in gantsn_, _hoyl_, _durkhoys_, _lakhlutn_, _legamre_ un azoy vayter, az men zol zey darfn farbaytn oyf verter, vos far nayntsik yidn fun hundert hobn zey dem tam fun daytsh? nit mir darfn azoyne verter ibernemen bay di tsen protsent, nor yene tsen protsent darf zikh shayen tsu nitsn di dozike verter in di geredter un geshribener kulturshprakh. 10. klal gimel: arkhaizmen vos zaynen in der zelber form faran in der nayhoykhdaytsher shraybshprakh muzn oysn blaybn fun der moderner yidisher klal-shprakh. der gantser inyen arkhaizmen badarf arumgeredt tsu vern breyter; do rir ikh im on nor oyf vifl er iz direkt shayekh tsu undzer teme. s'iz kosher-veyosher aza vort vi _nayert_ (dos heyst nit, az men muz es nitsn nor men meg). s'ken ongeyn aza vort vi _basheydlekh_ (befeyresh, klor). ikh hob zikh gemekhtikt baym iberzetsn froyds "araynfir in psikhoanaliz" tsu banayen dem altyidishn oysdruk _ofnvor_ (manifest) vi a heypekh fun _farbahaltn_. ober ven ikh ze, vi n. prilutski brengt mit hanoe fun vitsenhoyzens tanakh-iberzetsung _fun alters her_, un es iz faran a sakone, az emetser zol onnemen dem tsitat vi a rekomendatsye, entfer ikh: far mir iz dos poshet daytsh _von alters her_, un ven men zol darfn deroyf literarishe oyfvayzn, ken men aroysshraybn fun a daytshn verterbukh nit eyn oyfvayz, nor tsen. ober men darf gor keyn oyfvayzn nit, vorem s'iz fun di gor nayike daytshe verter. deriber iz es bay mir posl. ay es shteyt dokh bay a yidishn mekhaber? hot es bay mir di zelbe verde, vi ven men volt gebrakht a raye, az bay dikn shteyt _heyratn_, _derb_, _eyne sheyne bagebnheyt_, _batrign_ un nokh in dem erekh. 11. klal dalet: meyn nit az daytshe verter zaynen shoyn gekashert in yidish, oyb me hot a kap gebitn zeyer oysleyg un oysshprakh. dertsu mernit epes ledugme. inem ershtn numer: "khavatseles di roze, a yidisher familyen blatt, far alle oyheve tsien veyerusholaim, ersheynt lesate tsvey mohl im khoydesh," yerusholaim 2 iyer (5)637 [16 april, 1877], geyt tsum onheyb: "forvort oder prost giret a hagdome" un dortn leyenen mir aza zats: "die fershidene miney refues, vos verin benutst tsu der heylung fon fershidene kerperlikhe krankheyten verin iberhoypt tsu theylt of tsvey sorten: inerlikhe und oyserlikhe; oder take prost of yidesh giret 'invendigste un oysvendigste." di shraybung fun di gute yidishe verter iz do nokh oykh a daytshmerishe, in yidish iz do keyn _nd_ nito, ober sara fayner gefil farn untersheyd tsvishn daytshmerishe un yidishe verter! "innerlich" un "aeusserlich" ken men nit megayer zayn mit dem vos men faryidisht di oysshprakh funem oysloztraf. ikh nem dos daytshe _ueben_, _Uebung_. faran bay undz naive mentshn vos meynen, az mit iberbaytn _ue_ oyf _i_ zaynen zey yoytse. s'iz elehay alter yaknehoz volt eynem fun di tsvey bokherem vos er hot tsunoyfgefirt ongeton oyf gikh a meydlsh kleydl un gemeynt, az itster ken er shoyn firn dos porl tsu der khupe. bay undz gefinen zikh ober reyders un shraybers, afile yidishistn, afile lerers fun undzere yidishe shuln, vos veysn gornit andersh vi _ibung_, _ibn zikh_, _ayngeibt_ un dos glaykhn. tomer iz dos vintsik, hot men zikh afile oysgelernt _oysibn a druk_, un eyner a khoshever yidisher klal-tuer vos hot in di yunge yorn nit gelernt keyn daytsh (vos kumt im derfar?), vert nebekh nikhshl derbay un zogt keseyder: _oysdrikn an ibung_. ikh her shoyn a kashe: to vi azoy vilt ir? in grunt halt ikh nit, az ikh bim mekhuyev tsu entfern deroyf; oyb ikh zog, az a vort toyg nit, meynt es nor, az mir ale in eynem muzn zukhn epes besers. ober lozt zikh dinen: ikh vil _genit_ un alts vos lozt zikh derfun aroysfirn. _genit_ zet haynt oys vi an adyektiv, ober lekhatkhile iz dos a partitsip funem tsaytvort _genitn zikh_, vos mir bagegenen es in undzer elterer literatur mitn pshat: 'zikh flaysn', 'horeven', 'sich ueben'. ikh khap aroys an eltern oyfvayz funem seyferl: "mayse... veshtindye" [prog, arum 1660], vu mir leyenen oyf z' 12 vegn eynem vos iz tsugekumen tsu a tifn vaser: "er gnitt zikh fil biz i er dr durkh kam." bay glikl hamil bagegnt zikh dos hipsh mol, un in zayn arbet vegn glikls shprakh brengt a. landoy oykh an oyfvayz oyf dem vort fun _mayse-bukh_. fun grayve, lebn lomzhe, hot d"r a. olshvanger gedenkt a vort _aynnitn zikh_, un oyf dem smakh hot er in zayn iberzetsung fun yung _der kleyner geometer_ (farlag "vostok", berlin 1921) ayngefirt _aynnitung_. der gang iz mir beshate shtark gefeln, nor bay mir iz oysgekumen, az dos dermont tsu shtark inem zakhvort _di nit_ (a tshvekl vos iz breyt fun beyde bregn, vakst historish fun an ander vortsel vi _genit_), hob ikh zikh opgeshtelt oyf _genitn zikh_, _genitung_: men darf zikh genitn (oder ayngenitn), men darf durkhmakhn genitungen, kedey tsu vern genit. dos vort mayns hot zikh nishkoshe ongenumen say bay undz, say in di lernbikher fun andere lender, un s'iz a hofenung, az bimheyro beyomeynu veln mir kukn oyf _ibung_ mit der zelber simpatye vi mir kukn shoyn haynt oyf _bedirfnis_, _fardamen_, _forzitsnder_, ukhedoyme. 12. klal hey: oyb di sheroshem zaynen afile faran in yidish, ken men nit tsugebn tsu zey keyn prefiksn oder sufiksn vos zaynen in yidish nito. dos ken men opmakhn bekitser, makhmes men darf rekhenen az es zaynen nito bay undz keyn tsu fil balonim tsu shraybnm _darshteln_, _riktsug_, _masnhaft_, _zorgfeltik_, _shvaygzam_ ukhedoyme. -- teyl inyonem fordern a spetsyele oyshforshung, a shteyger di frage vegn di batsiungen tsvishn di prefiksn "far-", "-for-", "fir-". 13. klal vav: nits nit keyn opshprotsn fun daytshe sheroshem, oyb di sheroshem gufe zaynen in yidish nito. vider a mol nor getseylte dugmoes: heyoys mir hobn nit keyn tsaytvort _senden_, ken nit ongeyn oyf yidish _zendung_ oder _gezandter_. to vi azoy den zol men zogn? poshet: men darf geyn mitn zelbikn veg vi andere shprakhn un furemen oykh azelkhe opshprotsn funem yidishn shoyresh _shikn_, dehayne: _shikung_, _geshikter_. baym tsveytn vort vet ir zikh efsher farhakn, s'kukt oys fremdlekh. ober batrakht zikh nor, az dos frantseyzishe _envoye_ vos iz geven di dugme far [NHG]_Gesandter_ iz oykh nit mer vi a partitsip fun der fargangener tsayt. dos poylishe _posel_, dos rusishe _poslannik_ zaynen mer komplitsirte substantivn; iz oyb men vil dafke, es zol bay undz oykh zayn mer komplitsirt, volt men gekont konstruirn: _der shikling_ mitn sufiks _-ling_, vos er iz nokh in yidish nit opgeshtorbn. ikh rekomendir dos nit; mayn kavone iz nor tsu vayzn, az _gezandter_ vert nit yidish fun dem vos men shraybt es iber mit yidishe oysyes. [NHG] _Erfindung_ iz nit keyn yidish, un mit dem, vos men zogt un shraybt _derfindung_ farrikht men nit di marokhe -- nit nor tsulib dem prefiks, nor der iker tsulib dem shoyresh: in yidish, fun breg biz breg yidishe sprakh-teritorye, zogt men nit [NHG] _finden_, nor _gefinen_. oyb es gefelt aykh nit z. reyzens _oysgefins_ (mir gefelt es yo, a sakh mer vi _oysgefinekhts_), zukht zayt moykhl vayter, ober makht zikh nit gring dos lebn durkh araynnemen in ayere reyd dos daytshe vort. geveynt zikh tsu tsum gedank, az _a fayne erfindung_ hot punkt aza tam in yidish, vi ven ir volt gezogt: _a fayner vinalazek_ oder _a fayne izobretenye_ oder _a fayne invenshn_. fun aza vort vi _tseshtreyt_ darf men zikh optreyslen makhmes in yidish iz der shoyresh [NHG] _streuen_ nito(2). to vi azoy? kleybt zikh oys: _tsetrogn_, _fartrogn_, _tseshotn_, _tsefloygn_ ("a tsefloygener malekh"). leygt for epes besers, nor shtelt nit avek keyn fremds, vayl es shtartst vi an iberbeyn. 14. klal zayin: nits nit mitn daytshn pshat azoyne verter, vos in yidish hobn zey an ander pshat. farloz zikh nisht derbay blind oyf undzere verterbikher un undzere shraybers. mir kumt tomed oyfn zinen di mayse-shehoye mit a daytsh vos iz nokh der daytsher okupatsye geblibn in vilne un gevorn a lerer fun tseykhenen in undzere shuln. eyder er hot zikh oysgelernt yidish flegt er reydn tsu di kinder daytsh, un vi es iz hot men im farshtanen. eyn mol hobn im di kinder gemoldn, az in klas zaynen nito genug blayers un mekers. hot er a zog geton oyf zayn loshn: "Na, Kinder, da muessen wir uns eben einrichten." -- un er iz geven farkhidesht, vos der gantser klas hot ongeshosn a gelekhter. het shpeter hot men im gegebn tsu farshteyn, az oyf yidish iz _aynrikhtn zikh_ epes andersh vi _aynordenen zikh_. _aynshteln_ meynt in yidish: 'avekshteln', 'aynfirn'", 'aynordenen' (akhuts vos s'hot nokh a taytsh: 'rizikirn'). in daytsh bet zikh bay [NHG] _einstellen_ koydem kol der pshat: 'iberraysn', 'opshteln'. oyf aza oyfn kumt oys, az di komunikatsye tsvishn poyln un lite iz in yidish ayngeshtelt gevorn friling 1938 un in daytsh mit akhtsn yor frier. oyf azoyne vertershpiln fun shprakh tsu shprakh zaynen geboyt hipsh anekdotn: a yid a dorfsgeyer leygt for dem daytsh tsu koyfn epes, der porets zogt zikh op. ruft zikh op der yid: "nu, oyb ir darft nit ..." vert der daytsh ongetsundn, vorem oyf zayn loshn meynt dokh dos, az er "tor" nit. oder aza tsene: a daytsher doktor vil oyshern a yidishn khoyle; vayzt er im on oyf der kanape un zogt: [NHG] "ziehen Sie zikh aus." entfert der yid: "frier vel ikh zikh oystun!" der umglik iz ober, vos in dem grayz falt men arayn genug oft nit oyf tsu flaysns. ot hob ikh in _yidish far ale_ bagegnt etlekhe mol _farvendn_ mitn pshat 'nitsn'. far mayn gefil heyst _farvendn_ in yidish -- funem aynbindershn loshn -- mer nit eyn zakh: farbaytn di kuntresem. emes take, bay harkovin un afile bay lifshits in di verterbikher zaynen gebukht beyde taytshn, ober dos vayzt mir nor, az tsu di verterbikher darf men oykh tsugeyn kritish. afile bay lifshits, vos er hot nisht tsu zikh zayns glaykhn, zaynen oykh faran pgimes. un vos shayekh tsu harkavis oysgetseykhntn nayem _yidish-english-hebreishn verterbukh_ (ershte oysgabe 1925, tsveyte 1928), iz azoy: harkavi hot arayngenumen kol hamine verter vos er hot bagegnt in der shprakh, nit tsu kukn deroyf, tsi men ken zey rekomendirn tsi nit. ot gib ikh a mish harkavin oyf traf un gefin: _otsheredn_ (tuvort: 'shteyn in a rey'), _dvoryanstve_, _duyen zikh_ ('blozn zikh'), _vartsadle_ ('shpigl'), _vid_ ('oyszen; dokument'), "zunderbar" ('modne'), _metke_ ('simen') un azoy vayter. iz vos, dos zaynen alts verter far der yidisher kultivirter klal-shprakh in dem skhus fun harkavis bukhung? nokh eyn moshl. bay harkavi gefinen mir _bazukhn_ mit tsvey taytshn: a) "kumen mit a vizit", b) "makhn a revizye, batapn." oyf vifl harkavi vil farfiksirn dem faktishn reydbanuts, iz er gerekht, "men zogt" take azoy. ober rekomendirn ken men nor dem banuts mitn tsveytn taytsh. do ken dem saneyger afile lifshitses skhus nit bayshteyn; lifshits git in zayn yidish-rusishn verterbukh mernit dem taytsh vos shteyt bay harkavin unter 2, un in rusish-yidishn verterbukh zetst er iber [R.] _posyeshyat_ mit 'zayn tsu gast', [R.] _posyeshenye_ mit 'der vizit'. dos aleyn iz genug oyf arayntsuleygn in kheyrem dos vort _farrikt_. oyb ir vilt makhn a kompliment ayer gutn-fraynd, kent ir oyf im zogn: _meshuge_, _meturef_, _khoser-deye_, _nit baym daas_, _nit baym klorn zinen_, _gerirt_, _tsemisht_, _dul_ -- aderabe, zoln di leyeners araynshikn nokh ekvivalentn -- ober az er iz _farrikt_ (in poylishn yidish hert zikh der "vov" vi an "i"-klang) ken men nit zogn. bay _farrukn_ kumt a yidn oyfn zinen der tsholnt. 15. klal khes: beser an internatsyonalizm eyder a daytshmerish vort. oyb mir hobn nit keyn heymishn ekvivalent far [NHG] _empfehlen_, darfn mir nit beles-breyre "empfehlen," nor mir darfn r~e~k~o~m~e~n~d~i~r~n. agev in teyl faln iz zeyer a gut vort n~a~r~a~y~e~n un mir darfn nit moyre hobn, vos es kumt tsu undz fun slavish. lomir brengen an oyfvayz fun mendelen, _mayn lebn_, yub[iley] oysg[abe] xix z' 32: "meyle a nomen, dos iz fun di kleynikaytn, men git es umzist. ober 'teg', narayen a porets teg tsu esn -- dos iz shoyn an eysek." pruvt aderabe tsuklaybn dugmoes un definirn, ven men ken yo farbaytn r~e~k~o~m~e~n~d~i~r~n durkh n~a~r~a~y~e~n un ven nit. dos iz a fayn brekele shprakh-psikhologye. dos eygene: anshtot der hiltserner _baratungs-shtele_ muzn mir zogn _konsultatsye_, biz vanen a sheferisher mentsh vet shafn epes besers. oyb es gefelt aykh nit _akhtgebung_, iz dos nokh alts nit keyn hekhsher oyf _baobakhtung_, makhmes s'iz bay aykh nokh alts di breyre tsu nitsn _observatsye_. vi bald mir hobn nit in yidish [NHG] _Bote_ un _Botshaft_, ken nit gemolt zayn _botshafter_. agev bay aza min vintsik yidish inyen iz vi ongemostn der internatsyonaler termin _ambasador_ -- saydn ir vet tsuklern epes besers. 16. di untershte shure: nito nokh aza soyne fun a korektn, geshmakn, pinktlekhn, yidishn klal-yidish vi daytshmerish. di natirlekhe tendents in der antviklung fun der shprakh fun di ashkenazishe yidn iz fun der haskole on geven: avekgeyn fun daytsh, shafn eygns; un spetsyel boylet zet zikh dos aroys bay yenem tsvayg yidish vos iz baygeshtanen di shturems -- bay yidish in mizrekh-eyrope. nor di dozike natirlekhe tendents flegt farshtert vern durkh daytshmerishe shtromen vos hobn gefleytst fun farsheydene zaytn. itster, ven mir zaynen gekumen tsu d~e~r~k~e~n~e~n di kulturele un shprakhike koykhes undzere, ven mir geyen tsu v~i~s~i~k un mit l~i~b~s~h~a~f~t tsu undzer klalisher kulturshprakh, muz yetvider shprakhiker element adurkhgeyn a karantin. un nito keyn kol dikhfin: es tor nisht gemolt zayn, az oyb emetser hot zikh oysgelernt a nay daytsh vort fun a daytshn bikhl tsi fun an artikl in a yidisher tsaytung, oder oyb afile men hot es gefunen in a yidishn dialekt tsi in an altyidishn tekst, zol men dos bald kenen araynfirn in kool. a vort biklal, un alakhes-kame-vekame a nayhoykhdaytsh vort, darf oyfvayzn zayne rekht arayntsukumen in undzer klal-shprakh arayn, darf dervayzn, az es hot kroyvem bay undz, vos nemen es arayn in der mishpokhe. zayn poshet a "nikhtov" in a verterbukh, in a tekst, iz vintsik. far a _prekluzye_ baym araynnemen daytshmerizmen in der klal-shprakh volt ikh ongenumen mendele moykher sforims verk. mendele iz genug groys bay undz, az dortn, vu er iz a firshprekher, zoln mir dan zayn dan lekaf-skhus. oyb ober a daytshmerizm iz gekumen shpeter, zol er moykhl zayn oyfvayzn zayne skhies. a shtikl aynzeenish veln mir derbay darfn hobn mit verter fun di gezelshaftlekhe bavegungen, kol-zman mir kenen zey nit farbaytn oyf keyn besere. ober boydek zayn muzn mir di kategorye verter oykh, vorem di vos hobn undz dermit mezake geven zaynen teyl mol aleyn geven oyf shprakh knape mevinem. oyf der heyser minut hobn zey gemuzt trakhtn mer vegn dem i~n~y~e~n vi vegn dem v~o~r~t; ober itster, az dem inyen veysn shoyn yidn, zaynen mir shoyn oyf azoy vil oysgevaksn, az trakhtn vegn dem vort iz shoyn mer oykh nit keyn luksus. mer vi dos: es iz gor neytik far dem zelbikn klal-inyen, vos fun zaynt vegn tuen di gezelshaftlekhe bavegungen. 17. nokh eyn vort tsutsuhelfn di oponentn. vintsiker vi alts bin ikh oysn tsu farshparn dem veg far shprakhike oyftuen durkh opfregn yetvider nays. aderabe, in ir itstiker stadye neytikt zikh undzer shprakh in oyftuerishe khidushem azoy vi a fish in vaser. ikh vil ober o~p~s~h~a~t~s~n di naysn vos men trogt undz unter, un ikh vil oysgefinen in yetvider eyntsikn fal, tsi der khidesh nemt zikh fun nit visn di norme (yemolt iz dos a negativer fakt), oder s'iz an akt fun sheferishkayt -- yemolt vel ikh bentshn dem oyftuer. vos shayekh tsum araynbrengen daytshmerizmen in yidish, iz dos ale mol an akt fun shprakhiker impotents; keyn shum sheferishkayt iz do nito. heores fun mekhaber (1) nokh in 1912 hot sh. niger in zayn artikl: "daytshmerish" in vilner _lebn un visnshaft_ num' 11-12 zz' 49-55 geshribn: "daytshmerish oder barditshever daytsh iz a loshn vos iz nit daytsh un nit yidish," dem dozikn oysgetseykhntn artikl darf men nokh haynt leyenen un iberleyenen, khotsh teyl tezisn zayne volt gevis der mekhaber gufe haynt formulirt andersh. (2) agev iz mashmoes _zerstreut_ in daytsh gufe mit dem pshat oykh a produkt sakhakl fun 18tn y"h, gefuremt unter der hashpoe fun frants' _distrait_. lesing hot geshribn 1767 in zayn _Der Hamburgische Dramaturgie_: "Ich glaube schwerlich, dass unsere Grossvaeter den deutschen Titel dieses Stuecks [Der Zerstreute] verstanden haetten. Noch Schlegel uebersetzt _distrait_ durch Traeumer. _Zerstreut sein_, ein _Zerstreuter_ ist lediglich nach der Analogie des Franzoesischen gemacht. * _yidish far ale_ 4 (yuni 1938) zz" 97-106 romanizirt fun claus buryn ______________________________________________________ End of _The Mendele Review_ 02.008 Leonard Prager, editor The editor of _TMR_ can also be reached via _Mendele_'s homepage: http://www2.trincoll.edu/~mendele/ Subscribers to _Mendele_ (see below) automatically receive _The Mendele Review_. Send "to subscribe" or change-of-status messages to: listproc@lists.yale.edu a. For a temporary stop: set mendele mail postpone b. To resume delivery: set mendele mail ack c. To subscribe: sub mendele first_name last_name d. To unsubscribe kholile: unsub mendele ****Getting back issues**** _The Mendele Review_ archives can be reached at: http://www2.trincoll.edu/~mendele/tmr.htm