Date: Mon, 22 Feb 1999 18:23:21 -0500 (EST) From: Iosif Vaisman To: Mendele Subject: The Mendele Review Vol. 03.002 Reply-To: mendele@lists.yale.edu Sender: owner-mendele@lists.yale.edu _The Mendele Review_: Yiddish Literature and Language (A Companion to _MENDELE_) ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 03.002 22 February 1999 Max Weinreich on Yiddish without Hebrew: Part One 1) Yiddish Matters: From the Editor (Leonard Prager) 2) "vos volt [y]idish geven on hebreish?" (maks vaynraykh) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 22 February 1999 From: Leonard Prager Subject: Yiddish Matters A. In this issue (3.002) and the two following issues (3.003 and 3.004) of _The Mendele Review_, we present a seminal essay by Max Weinreich on the Hebrew-Aramaic component of Yiddish (originally published in _Di tsukunft_ vol. 36 [1931], pp. 194-205). One can hardly praise Craig Abernethy enough for his industry in romanizing this small- print hard-to-read essay. Robert (Itsik) Goldenberg diligently proofread Craig's remarkably accurate work. _TMR_ readers are much beholden to both Craig and Itsik. Spellings have been silently regularized to conform to modern practice (e.g. _keyn mol_ rather than _keynmol_; _shviblt_ rather than _shvibelt_), but there may very well be remnants of older practice -- and other errors -- we did not catch. In subsequent issues we will give Noyekh Prilutski's important essay, "tsum vikuekh vegn di hebreizmen" (_Yidish far ale_ 3 [May 1938], pp. 63-75). B. Short Notices of Books Received a. Shifra Epshteyn. _"Daniel-shpil" bekhasidut bobov; mimakhaze amami letekes purimi_. Yerushalaim: Hakhug leyidish, Hauniversita Haivrit/Hotsaat sefarim al-shem Y"L Magnes, 1998. ISBN 965-223-947-x. Tavey negina by Yaakov Mazur. score pp. 141-180. [English title-page: Shifra Epstein. _The "Daniel-shpil" in the Bobover Hasidic Community_; >From a Folk Drama to a Hasidic Ritual for Purim] Distributed by the Magnes Press. P.O. Box 7695. Fax 972-2-5633370. b. Ariela Krasni [Krasney], _The Badkhan_. Ramat-Gan: Bar-Ilan University, 1998, 248 pp. ISBN 965-226-197-1. Illustrated and with notes, bibliography and three indices (badkhanim 'jesters/comic versifiers/wedding mc's'; kinuim 'terms'; musagim 'concepts'). This book is a revised Hebrew version of a Yiddish doctoral dissertation at Bar-Ilan University (see _The Mendele Review_ 02.010). Attractively produced, it systematically discusses a subject area whose source materials are largely inaccessible to all but specialists. The author analyzes written badkhan texts and the role of the badkhan in modern Hebrew and Yiddish literature. Orders: Bar-Ilan University Press, Ramat-Gan 52900 Israel. Catalogue price in Israel: IS 69; abroad (including postage) $22. c. Avraham Greenbaum. _The Periodical Publications of the Jewish Labour and Revolutionary Movements in Eastern and Southeastern Europe 1877 - 1916_; an Annotated Bibliography. Jerusalem: The Dinur Center, Hebrew University, 1998 ["Kuntresim" Texts and Studies Series B-22] ISBN 965-350-064-3. d. Shmuel Batt. _Oyf eybik; oysgeveylte shriftn 1970-1996_. Los Angeles: Shmuel Batt Book Committee, 1996, 4, 274, 187 [English]. [English title: Samuel Batt. _For Eternity_; Selected Writings 1970-1996] e. Mikhoel Felzenboym [Michael Felsenbaum]. _un itst bin ikh dayn nign_ [yidish] / Rut Rayzl-Moyal [Ruth Reizel] "veata neginatekh hayiti" [ivrit] / grafika: Mark Kanovitsh [Kanovich]. Tel-Aviv: Leyvik Farlag, 1998. 55 pp. 20 cm. x 20 cm. Yiddish verse with Hebrew translation. Pen drawings. 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 22 February 1999 From: Craig Abernethy Subject: vos volt yidish geven on hebreish? (maks vaynraykh) \spell pask|enen pskenen \spell lehabe lhb# \spell bekitser b|kytswr \spell mimeyle mmyl# \spell hasmode hTmdh \spell zgule sgulh \spell rayes r#ywT \spell kle-koydesh Kly-kwdsh \spell balebatem bely-bWym \spell Yehoyesh yhw#sh \spell khesroynes HsrwnwT \spell iber|khazer|ungen iber|khzr|ungen \spell pkhodem|dik pHdym|dik \spell nifter nyftr \spell evyen #Bywn \spell kaptsn kbtsn \spell nistalek nsWlk \spell vaad hakool ved h|khl \spell kool khl \spell mafkhn mBHyn \spell meakev meKB \spell nisgale nTglh \spell reyekh ryH \spell nikhoyekh nyHwH \spell shtike shWykh \spell khiser Hyswr \spell bikhdey bkhdy \spell ger gr \spell skhus zkhus \spell ksube KTuBh \spell luekh luH \spell treyfe tryfh \spell tkhine WHynh \spell boke bky \spell dafke dvk# \spell moneshekh mmh-nfshkh \spell koshe kshh \spell terets Wyruts \spell bakoshe bkshh \spell akhile #khylh \spell sheliekh shlyH \spell bekivn b|Kyvun \spell gzeyre gzyrh \spell sheygets shgts \spell orev erB \spell rukhnies ruHnyuT \spell lomdish lwmd|ysh \spell sokhrish swHr|ysh \spell beteve b|tBe \spell sheyvet shBt \spell beshum b|shum \spell baleboste bel-hbyT|te \spell lekhatkhile l|khWHylh \spell retsues rtsuewT \spell matses mtswT \spell bal-tfile bel-Wfylh \spell shkheynem shkhnym \spell shulkhn shlHn \spell morer mrwr \spell olel elul \spell gargeres grgrT \spell kibets kbuts \spell oysek ewsk \spell bikhlal b|khll \spell miskhatn mTHWn \spell makhshirem mkhshyrym \spell kolerley Kl|erlyy \spell dalet al dalet dlT el dlT \spell bezdn byT-dyn \spell heypekh hypukh \spell bal-agole bel-eglh \spell agole eglh \spell mistome msWm# \spell memre mymr# \spell lamdn lmdn \spell besmedresh byT-mdrsh \spell poshet|e pshut|e \spell bokherem bHurym \spell tamtses WmtsyT \spell gashmies gshmyuT dr. maks vaynraykh vos volt yidish geven on hebreish? z. 194 di hebreishe elementn in der yidisher shprakh. -- di atake in sovet-rusland oyf di hebreishe verter in der yidisher shprakh. beshas ikh shtel di frage: "vos volt yidish geven on hebreish?" hot dos absolut nit tsu ton mit der frage: yidishizm oder hebreizm. ven ikh zol farglaykhn di beyde shprakhn tsu lebedike mentshn, volt ikh gekent zogn: yidishizm oder hebreizm meynt, ver es zol zayn der balebos in shtub; di frage vos _ikh_ shtel batayt: vos hot der elterer gegebn dem yingern. der tate hot gegebn dem zun dos lebn un legt avek far im zayn gezunt, un fort kumt a tsayt, ven er git iber dem zun di shlisl in di hent; un farkert ken zayn az der elterer hot dem yingern keyn mol gornit gegebn akhuts stusakes, un fort zoln ale pask|enen, az der elterer zol blaybn oybnon. yidishizm un hebreizm kemfn vegn dem, vos far a shprakh es zol hershn in undzer kultur-lebn haynt un oyf lehabe: _ikh_ gey fregn in dem itstikn artikl, vi azoy zet yidish oys in ir ineveynikster struktur. alzo bekitser: yidishizm un hebreizm iz a kulturele, sotsyale un politishe frage; dos vos ikh freg iz shayekh tsu shprakh-geshikhte un shprakh-psikhologye. mimeyle zaynen dos tsvey gants bazundere zakhn, un men darf zey forshn mit gants bazundere metodn. eyder ikh gey ariber tsu der zakh vil ikh bamerkn, az far dem shprakh-forsher volt geven punkt azoy tshikave tsu shteln di frage: vos volt hebreish geven on yidish? derbay volt zikh zikher aroysgevizn, az on der yidisher virkung volt dos hayntike hebreish gehat gor an ander ponem. ober dos iz a bazunder teme, un dos mol veln mir zi nit bahandlen. gebrakht tsu undzer hayntikn inyen hot mikh Nokhem shtifs an artikl in dem kiever zhurnal _di yidishe shprakh_ (numer 17-18, 1929). der artikl heyst: "di sotsyale diferentsyatsye in yidish. di hebreishe elementn in der shprakh." es iz a pruv tsu gebn a forshtelung vegn dem, vos far a role es shpiln in yidish di hebreizmen -- a pruv vos iz geboyt oyf a flaysiker, marudner arbet, mit iberkukn verterbikher, klasifitsirn dem materyal, un azoy vayter. ober di gedankn vos er brengt aroys zaynen in gantsn farkrimte; a simen, az hasmode un kentenish un ersht-klasike feikaytn zaynen keyn zgule nit ven men tut zikh on oyf di oygn briln mit bretlekh onshtot glezer. ober eyder mir geyen batrakhtn shtifs rayes, veln mir zikh genoy bakenen mit zayn gedanken-gang. di oysfirn tsu velkhe er kumt zaynen azoyne: 1. di hebreishe elementn in yidish shtamen fun der religyez-gaystiker kultur. mit der realer velt, derhoypt mit arbet, kern zey zikh veynik on. 2. arayngebrakht di hebreishe elementn in der shprakh hobn di balebatem, sokhrem, kle-koydesh un lamdonem. 3. der masn-mentsh, un nokh mer di froy, hot gehat amveynikstn hebreishe elementn in der shprakh. 4. mitn oyfkumen fun yidishn arbeter-klas farlirt der hebreisher inventar alts mer un mer in tsol un in vog. tsum klorstn kumt dos tsum oysdruk in der sovetisher yidisher shprakh. derfun lernt shtif op, az di dozike "dehebreizatsye" darf durkhgefirt vern bavustzinik un sistematish, vibald men hot dokh do tsu ton mit a protses vos ligt oyf der linye fun der historisher antviklung.(1) vi azoy iz shtif gekumen tsu zayne oysfirn? er hot genumen dem gantsn materyal fun Yehoyesh-spivaks _yidishn verterbukh_, dertsu nokh etlekhe andere verterbikher fun di hebreishe elementn in yidish (pereferkovitsh, tsvi nisn golomb) un hot oysgefunen 4824 verter un oysdrukn(2), vos er teylt ayn loyt zeyer batayt in 20 farsheydene grupes. loyt der tsol kumt oys in di eyntsike grupes azoy: 1. fun religyezn lebn -- 1068 verter. 2. dertsiung un lernen -- 275. 3. natsyonal-gezelshaftlekh lebn -- 201. 4. geshlekht, familye-lebn -- 91. 5. simkhes, troyer, toyt -- 71. 6. mides, mayles, khesroynes -- 341. 7. abstraktsyes -- 131. 8. gefiln, tsushtandn -- 62. 9. gesheft, shtandn, materyal lebn -- 215. 10. arbet -- 13. 11. dos alteglekhe -- 180. 12. heflikhkayt, shpas, zidleray -- 131. 13. shprikhverter, rednsartn -- 279. 14. hilf-verter un andere -- 50. 15. emotsyonele oysdrukn -- 107. 16. roym, tsayt, tsol -- 70. 17. frayndshaft, fayndshaft, vintshn -- 81. 18. nemen, tipn -- 35. 19. farsheydene -- 306. 20. iberik. unter "iberik" farshteyt shtif yene verter un oysdrukn, vos men ken, loyt zayn meynung nokh, "nit rekhenen far keyn organishn teyl fun der folksshprakh oder genoyer gezogt: zey zaynen a sakh vayter fun tsu zayn an organisher teyl fun der folksshprakh eyder di frierdike ----------------------------- z. 195 19 grupes".(3) tsu di "iberike" rekhnt shtif tsu tsvishn andere azoyne verter vi heore, vaad hakool, mafkhn zayn, meakev zayn, nisgale vern, reyekh nikhoyekh, shtike, un azoy vayter. didozike grupe 20 varft shtif in gantsn op, un durkhmakhndik di aritmetishe operatsye fun khiser, kumt er tsu a tsol 3807 (4824 - 1017) "mer-veyniker populere hebreishe verter un oysdrukn in der folksshprakh." batrakhtndik di tsifer fun di bazundere grupes vayzt undz shtif on oyf der shtarkayt fun di numern 1, 2 un 3. bikhdey tsu makhn nokh boylet|er zayn gedank, nemt er a. harkavis verterbukh(4) un shtelt oys aza min tabele fun di verter vos zaynen dortn fartseykhnt: ----------nit-hebreizmen--------------|----------------hebreizmen------ | lebedike zakhn--142-------------------|--------------------18---------- | shtof-nemen-----271-------------------|--------------------17---------- | kleydung--------158-------------------|--------------------14---------- hoyzrot---------197-------------------|--------------------13---------- mimeyle iz der ershter tezis dervizn: der grester teyl hebreizmen in yidish iz farbundn oder direkt mit der religye, oder mitn altn religyez-baforbenem lebns-shteyger; mir gefinen tsvishn undzere hebreizmen gants veynik verter vos zoln batseykhenen bagrifn fun arbet oder fun tog-teglekhn lebn. tsi iz der doziker ershter punkt a groys nayes? neyn -- oyf vifl es redt zikh vegn faktn, geyt shtif in di vegn vos es hot ongetseykhnt nokh mit 100 yor tsurik der kolombus fun der gantser moderner yidisher visnshaft, leopold tsunts, in zayn verk: "di got|sdinstlekhn fortrege der yudn" (1832). mir leyenen dort ot-vos: "hebreizmen zaynen arayn in der yidisher umgangsshprakh: 1. far bagrifn fun dem krayz fun emune: esreg, brokhe, get, droshe, ksube, mitsve, kidesh, rov, shabes, toyre, un azoy vayter. 2. far bagrifn fun yidishn lebn: oser, balebos, ger, din, skhus, treyfe, kosher, luekh, mineg, kool, roshe, tkhine, un azoy vayter. 3. far bagrifn fun "lernen": aderabe, boke, dafke, avade , moneshekh, sofek, koshe, terets, un azoy vayter. 4. farsheydene oysdrukn fun teglekhn lebn: akhile, almone, bakoshe, ganef, dayge, dales, parnose, sheliekh un azoy vayter. 5. farsheydene andere zakhn vos men hot bekivn ongerufn mit verter vos zoln zayn umfarshtendlekh far di arumike: bilbl, gzeyre, meshumed, tseylem, sheygets un azoy vayter. vi ir zet, hobn mir do, a bisl veyninker tsepitselt, shtifs gantse tsuteylung. tsuntsn iz nit gegangen in statistik, un er hot zi nit gekent gebn oykh. vorn er hot nit gehat in zayn reshus di pasike verterbikher; ober in prat fun, azoy tsu zogn, psikhish lokalizirn undzere hebreizmen, hot er gezogt altsding. mit zayn kleynem materyal hot undz tsunts gevizn gants bashaynperlekh, far vosere mine bagrifn di yidishe shprakh nutst hebreizmen. dos naye vos shtif hot arayngetrogn iz di statistishe metode(5) -- vos men bagegnt haynt gants oft in der shprakh-visnshaft bay ale felker. leyder hot shtif nit gemakht di noytike bavorenish, az di aroysgebrakhte tsifer tor men nit nemen tsu pinktlekh. shtif vet zikh zikher nit aynshparn oyf punkt un akurat 3807 "mer-veyniker populere" hebreizmen, un mr. aleksander harkavi vet gevis oykh nit orev zayn, az er hot nit farfelt in zayn verterbukh vos es iz fun di nit-hebreishe elementn. shtif hot deriber gedarft befeyresh batonen far zayne leyener, az dos vos men ken oplernen fun zayne tabeles iz bloyz di proportsye; ober di propertsye iz gevis a rikhtike, az oyfn feld fun konkrete, materyele inyonem zaynen hebreizmen in durkhshnit veyniker vi a tsent-kheylek fun undzer shprakh. farkert, vos mer mir kumen tsu tsu mer rukhnies|dike abstrakte inyonem, alts kentiker bayt zikh dos. 1. itster shteyt oyf di tsveyte frage: vosere shikhtn hobn arayngefirt in yidish di dozike hebreishe elementn, un vosere psikhishe koykhes hobn dertsu geshtupt? do tseshpiln zikh shoyn bay shtifn di geblitn un er nemt redn in politishe terminen: in di hebreizmen, zogt er, kumt tsum oysdruk: "der krayz ekonomish-politishe interesn vos mit zey hot gelebt di lomdish-sokhrishe aristokratye . . . yede profesyonele grupe fun di kle-koydesh|dike, gesheft|sfirerishe grupes hot mitgebrakht irs: der rov mitn bezdn, der melamed, der shoykhet, der soykher, der protsentnik, un azoy vayter. afile di khevre-kedishe, hot zikh gehat ir loshn . . . kurts, dos alts vos hot gebrakht tsu der farshtarkung fun di oybershte shikhtn un yidishkayt iber der mase un veltlekhkayt inem yidishn lebn -- hot oykh gebrakht dem nitsokhn der yidishlekher shprakh." shtif kumt undz nokh dem bavayzn, az religye iz bay yidn ale mol geven an inyen fun di hershndike klasn un az der protsentnik mitn soykher zaynen beteve geven mer tsugebundn tsu yidishkayt eyder der treger un der vaser-firer. ober az di religyeze yidishkayt hot "gebrakht dem nitsokhn der yidishlekher shprakh," dos iz klor vi der tog. mer nit eyn zakh: efsher volt gor glaykher geven tsu zogn: der yidisher shprakh? dos heyst: efsher volt on der doziker religye-yidishkayt bikhlal keyn yidishe shprakh nit geven? dos iz der iker punkt, un deriber darfn mir zikh farmestn a bisl breyter. --------------------------- z' 196 2. teoretish kenen mir zikh forshteln, az a geviser kolektiv sheylt zikh aroys fun der arumiker mase durkh dem, vos er geyt ariber tsu naye produtsir-mitlen. a shteyger lomir zikh oysmoln, az eyn teyl bafelkerung geyt ariber tsu mekhanisher groys-produktsye, in der tsayt vos di andere blaybn bay primitive instrumentn, bay hand-vebshtuln, un azoy vayter. di stire tsvishn di beyde teyln bafelkerung vert yemolt vos vayter greser. di heypekh|dike ekonomishe interesn rufn aroys shtarke emotsyonele opshtoysungen, men hert oyf zikh miskhatn tsu zayn, tsu bagegenen zikh gezelshaftlekh, tsu bagrisn zikh. mit der tsayt izolirt men zikh gor eyns fun dem tsveytn. di mashin-produktsye git besere meglekhkaytn tsum lebn. di tsugeherike fun dem dozikn mashin-tsad kenen zikh farginen a gresern komfort, zey klaybn zikh ariber in gezintere shtot-teyln, zey boyen zikh oys besere hayzer. zikher vet zikh fun aza tsesheydung in farloyf fun a gevisn peryod oysarbetn a diferents in der shprakh, un mit der tsayt veln vern, oyb di tsesheydung zol onhaltn, tsvey bazundere shprakhn, vos mir kenen onrufn "hantish" un "mashinish". ven in a por hundert yor arum nokh der tseshpaltung zol kumen a forsher un veln analizirn in vos es bashteyt der untersheyd tsvishn hantish un mashinish, vet er festshteln bli shum sofek, az der hoypt untersheyd iz in yene elementn, vos zaynen shayekh tsu bagrifn fun der materyeler tsivilizatsye. azoy vi men darf zikh forshteln, az dos aroyfdrapn zikh oyf a hekhern shtapl iz forgekumen bay di "mashiner" mit a droysndiker hilf, lomir zogn mit der hilf fun di fareynikte shtatn, vet keyn khidesh nit zayn, az di mashinishe shprakh iz durkhgedrungen mit amerikaner elementn. es veln zayn in mashinish masn verter, vos zaynen in hantish in gantsn nito; vayl der bagrif iz nito: farsheydene nemen fun mashinen un mashinen-teyln, kolerley tsatskedike makhshirem elektrishe, kolerley baputsungen fun gasn, hayzer un dires. di hantishe hobn azoyns bikhlal nit in zeyer shprakh, vayl zey finstern dokh nokh alts in zeyere hayzkes un boygn nokh alts dem rukn in di niderike faykhte varshtatn dalet al dalet. teyl kegnshtandn veln yo zayn enlekhe bay beyde shprakh-grupes, ober di batseykhenungen veln zayn farsheydene: dem mashiner vet shoyn nit onshteyn tsu rufn zayn vogn mitn nebekhdikn "agole" oder "fur", nor er vet es rufn shtolts mitn nomen "kar" oder "oytomobil", oyfn amerikaner shteyger. a gevise tsol verter vet ober blaybn di zelbe in hantish un mashinish afile in hunderter yorn arum. oyf vifl der seykhl trogt oys, veln dos zayn verter vos batseykhenen hekhere, abstrakte bagrifn, oder kegnshtandn un dershaynungen fun der natur: zun un levone un shtern. regn un duner un blits, kine un sine un libshaft veln mistome alemol oysgedrikt vern in beyde shprakhn, in hantish un mashinish, mit di zelbe verter, vayl di dozike bagrifn zaynen nit ongerirt gevorn durkh der tekhnisher iberkerenish. ikh hob bekivn gemolt di dozike fantazye a bisl genoyer, kedey klerer aroystsubrengen dem gedank. un agev, iz dos gornit keyn hoyle fantazye. ven mir zoln nemen di holender fisher fun eyn zayt, un di pastukher fun der shveyts fun der anderer zayt, vos beyde vaksn aroys fun dem mayrev-germanishn sheyvet, nor eyne zitsn baym yam un di andere hoykh in di ayngevolknte berg, vet zikh zikher aroysvayzn, az di hoypt untersheydn in zeyer leksikon balangen tsu di gebitn fun der materyeler kultur. ober tsi iz dos der genezis fun undzer yidish? tsi iz oyf dem oyfn, loytn simen fun produtsir-mitlen, forgekumen in mitlelter di funandergrenetsung tsvishn der yidisher geto un der kristlekher shtot? beshum oyfn nit. durkh der antiteze yidish un kristlekh iz shoyn gegebn der entfer. di opzunderung, a frayvilike tsi a getsvungene (mistome beyde zakhn mit a mol), hot zikh opgeshpilt oyfn bazis un loytn simen fun religye. men meg toyznt mol oysgefinen un toyznt mol zayn gerekht, az religyeze diferentsn gufe vaksn oykh fun sotsyale sibes un fun ekonomishe kegnzatsn. ikh bin greyt lekhatkhile tsu anerkenen, az do iz azoy - hagam di biz-itstike ekonomishe forshung fun der yidisher geshikhte hot nokh dos nit dervizn. ober oyb afile der untershlak iz yo geven an ekonomish-sotsyaler, iz ober di dershaynungs-forem fun der stire geven a religyeze. un nit nor oyf der yidisher zayt, nor oykh oyf der nit-yidisher. es geyt dokh vegn mitlelter! derfun vert shoyn klor dos vayterdike. der yidisher un der daytsher shuster hobn geshtokhn dos zelbike shtikl leder mitn zelbikn ol, un di yidishe baleboste hot geknotn dem zelbikn teyg fun zelbikn korenes mel. vos far a psikhisher shtup hot do gekent zayn far dem shuster un far der baleboste ibertsubaytn di nemen far di kegnshtandn? aza shtup iz nit geven, un deriber zaynen di germanishe verter leder, ol, teyg, korn, mel, geblibn oykh in yidish. ober beshas men hot gedarft fun dem leder tsushnaydn retsues beshas es iz gegangen vegn nemen khale fun teyg oder geven bakn fun dem mel matses oyf peysekh. yemolt iz shoyn far yidn yo geven a grund arayntsufirn a naye terminologye; bay di shkheynem, vu zey hobn ibergenumen di daytshe reyd-shprakh, hobn zey derfar keyn ekvivalent nit gehat. un azoy vayter un shpeter oykh: farglaykht tish un shulkhn, bukh (bikhl) un seyfer, khreyn un morer. nokh biz in der nayer tsayt arayn halt zikh di dozike tsveyikaytn: in peretses "opkumenish" leyenen mir, az "a mentsh oyfn veg . . . iz olel zikh tsu farkiln dos gargeres" (un nit dem haldz oder dem gorgl) - makhmes do redt zikh vegn a bal-tfile, vos darf hobn zayn keyle oyf tsu dinen got. ven mir zoln zikh forshteln, az epes a min oysterlishe inkvizitsye zol geven tsvingen ale yidn baym aroyfkumen oyf der daytsher teritorye zikh optsushmadn, kenen mir zayn zikher, az keyn spetsyele yidishe shprakh volt zikh in daytshland nit oysgefuremt. di gevezene yidn voltn arayngevaksn in dem daytshn shprakh-kibets; azoy zaynen oykh hunderter toyznter slavn un frantsoyzn in gantsn germanizirt gevorn, khotsh der asimilatsye-protses hot zikh ongehoybn bay zey a sakh shpeter eyder yidn zaynen gekumen keyn daytshland. efsher voltn zikh oyfgehit abisl maranen, vos voltn durkhgetrogn durkh di yorhunderter a vaytn opklang fun der religye fun zeyere oves - ober tsu shprakh hot dos nit. di shpanish-portugezishe maranen farmogn oykh nit keyn zeykher fun an eygener shprakh. tsi men iz frum, oder religyez-indiferent oder an apikoyres, nor men muz moyde zayn, az di yidishe religye - oder rikhtiker, di eygnartike gezelshaftlekhe atmosfere ------------------ z. 197 bay di onhenger fun der yidisher religye -- hot es geshafn di neytikayt un di miglekhkayt fun a bazunderer yidisher shprakh. heyst es, shtifs tsveytn tezis kenen mir onnemen, ober nor mit a geviser korektur, mit a farbreyterung. mir veln zogn: a dank di elementn fun toyre, fun davnen, fun lernen iz di yidishe shprakh gevorn dos vos zi iz. un azoy vi nit ale teyln folk hobn zikh oysek geven in der toyre in a glaykher mos, vayzt zikh shoyn aroys far rikhtik der driter tezis oykh: az nit ale shikhtn yidn hobn gehat in zeyer shprakh a glaykhe mos hebreizmen. di gradatsye lozt zikh oysgefinen gants gring: oybnon zaynen geshtanen di lamdonem, vos zaynen geven arayngeton in lernen un hobn gelebt in der velt fun gemore. stam a yid a soykher, vos hot ober nokh gut gedenkt di gemore fun di kest-yorn, iz shoyn gegangen nokhdem: er hot shoyn gehat tsu ton mit vokhedike zakhn, ober in a shmues vegn a vokhedikn gesheft hot er gehat a teve arayntsuvarfn a memre fun der gemore. der bal-agole vos hot gefirt dem soykher iz shoyn geven gor a khaper lamdn; er flegt zikh nor tsaytnvayz araynkhapn in besmedresh tsum shier. nor fundestvegn hot er oykh gevust tsu zogn fun a posek un flegt im onvendn gants oft, khotsh a mol mit a shnaydershn taytsh. enlekh iz oykh geven di gradatsye bay froyen; mer nit, vos der durkhshnit iz bay zey geven a sakh nideriker. tsi iz der fakt fun diferentsyatsye in der shprakh a gvaldiker surpriz? neyn, shtandn-leshoynes zaynen faran bay ale felker, un dort vu es nemt vegn mish-shprakhn, konstatirt men, az di shtandn-leshoynes tseykhenen zikh oys mit a gresern oder klenern tsumish fun dem oder yenem element. es iz mir oysgekumen, lemoshl, tsu leyenen, az in english nutsn di froyen mer germanishe (dos heyst, veyniker lataynishe) elementn eyder mantsbiln. di derklerung iz a poshet|e: froyen hobn gehat a klenern kheylek in der klasisher bildung. mer nit eyn groysn untersheyd darfn mir tomed gedenken. far dem englender iz dos anglo-saksishe ale mol geven dos eygene, dos ayngebakene in der neshome, un dos lataynishe iz bay im a tsukumenish; derfar ken aza shprakh-forsher vi yespersen haynt konstatirn, az di heymishe (germanishe) verter zaynen ale mol neenter tsum englenders harts. bay undz iz farkert: dos vos es hot in meshekh fun hunderter yorn geheysn yidishkayt iz geven kontsentrirt in dem hebreishn element. der fakt iz yednfals a fakt: farsheydene shikhtn fun yidishn folk hobn genutst hebreishe elementn in a farsheydener mos. tsi heyst dos ober, vi shtif vil undz makhn gloybn, az di burzhuazye hot genutst un geshtitst hebreizmen un di folksmentshn hobn zikh kegn dem gevert? punkt der heypekh: zey hobn zikh gerisn dertsu, hagam nit ale mol mitn zelbikn derfolg. di gantse atmosfer fun lebn iz geven ongezapt mit religye, un di yemoltike inteligents (say di gut-bavornte eydems oyf kest, say di halb-hungerike yeshive-bokherem, vos hoben gegesn un nit deresn teg), hot gehaltn dem tamtses fun lebn in ire hent. ale hobn gegart nokh dem, orem un raykh, man un froy, un far gliklekh hot men geshatst yenem vos hot zikh aleyn oder khotsh zayn zun avekgezetst varemen baym groysn likhtikn fayer fun der heyliker toyre. ver es hot gehat mer tsu ton mitn seyfer, hot genutst mer seyfer-elementn, mer hebreizmen; ver es iz nit geven aza boke in di shvartse pintelekh, mimeyle gehat veyniker tsu ton mit gaystike bagrifn un mer mit gashmies|dike forshtelungen, der hot gehat in zayn shprakh mer elementn fun germanish un slavish. heores 1) a modne teve tsu ranglen zikh gevise teyln fun der yidisher shprakh. mit knape tsvey tsendlik yor tsurik (_yidishe velt_, vilne, merts 1914), hot shtif in a polemik mit b. borokhov nit andersh gevolt aroysdringen, az s'iz keyn slavisher element in yidish nito! 2) tsvishn di dozike 4824 verter gefint shtif a toyznt "iber|khazer|ungen". nit ale mol iz klor zayn gang baym festshteln azoyne dubletn a shteyger farvos iz evyen un kaptsn, oder moyre|dik un pkhodem|dik, oder nifter vern un nistalek vern "dos zelbe vort in farsheydene formes?" 3) di dozike bavorenish meynt aponem tsu zogn, az bay shtifn iz nokh a groyse frage, tsi men ken afile di frierdike 19 grupes rekhenen far an "organishn teyl fun der folksshprakh." 4) _yidish-english-hebreisher verterbukh_, nyu-york, 1925. 5) men muz bamerkn, az zayn aynteylung in 20 grupes iz genug gekintselt un vayt nit iberbliklekh. ---------------------------------------- End of _The Mendele Review_ 03.002 Leonard Prager, editor Subscribers to _Mendele_ (see below) automatically receive _The Mendele Review_. 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