_The Mendele Review_: Yiddish Literature and Language (A Companion to _Mendele_) ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 03.006 28 March 1999 1) Yiddish Matters: from the Editor (Leonard Prager) 2) "tsum vikuekh vegn di hebreizmen" (Noyekh Prilutski) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 28 March 1999 From: leonard prager Subject: Yiddish Matters In the essay reprinted here from that marvelous treasure house of Yiddish linguistic lore, _Yidish far ale_ ('Yiddish for All'), Noyekh Prilutski returns us to the once heated controversy over the Hebraic component in Yiddish. Soviet Yiddishists made the absurd claim, here demolished by Prilutski, that the October Revolution had significantly dehebraicized Yiddish, effecting a linguistic revolution parallel to the socio-economic one which purportedly had transformed Jewish life. Prilutski's essay complements Max Weinreich's important essay, "Vos volt yidish geven on hebreish" ['What Would Yiddish Be Like Without Hebrew?'] (in Nos. 2, 3 and 4 of Vol. 3 of _The Mendele Review_) and continues our review of Soviet Yiddish. A special bonus: if you have never understood the expression "eyn li" in Yiddish, Prilutski here explains it fully. 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 28 March 1999 From: Lucas Bruyn and Leonard Prager Subject: "tsum vikuekh vegn di hebreizmen" (Noyekh Prilutski) Noyekh Prilutski "tsum vikuekh vegn di hebreizmen"* [*_yidish far ale_ 3 (mai 1938), zz" 65-75] z' 65 in numer 3 (16) funem kiever zhurnal "di yidishe shprakh" (may-yuni 1929) hot b. slutski opgedrukt a sakhakl-artikl: "di arbet fun der filologisher sektsye bay der katedre far yidisher kultur (kiev) oyf der shprakh fun der sovetisher yidisher prese," iz dort geven a kapitl: "dehebreizatsye." di gedakhte filologishe sektsye hot "baarbet... an erekh 120 numern" (tsu meystn fun "emes", veyniker fun "shtern" un "oktyaber" -- ale far a por khadoshem fun yor 1928), un oyfn smakh fun dem dozikn eynzaytikn materyal iz men eyns un tsvey gekumen tsum sensatsyoneln oysfir: -- zeyer a vikhtiker protses kumt for in der sovetisher yidisher prese mit di hebreishe elementn. dos iz di dehebreizatsye -- di farminerung funem altn hebreishn shprakhfarmog in der shprakh. sakhakl hot men fun di 120 numern gekent opshraybn 640 kartlekh mit hebreishe verter un oysdrikn. genug dos tsu farglaykhn mit di 5000 hebreishe verter un oysdrikn in yehoyesh-spivaks verterbukh, az s'zol klor vern, vos far an enderung di revolutsye hot arayngebrakht in der yidisher shprakh: tsuzamen mitn opshtarbn fun alte lebn-shteyger (in grestn teyl -- a farmitlerish-hendlerisher mit a religiez-gaystiker ideologye) shtarbn oykh op di hebreishe verter, vos hobn gedint dem dozikn shteyger. d~o~s y~i~d~i~s~h~e v~o~r~t k~o~n~k~u~r~i~rt m~i~t~n h~e~b~r~e~i~s~h~n [di letste 6 verter shpatsirt inem original]. s'iz geven in fuln zin fun vort a diletantish shtikl arbet, hagam farefntlekht in organ fun a katedre bay a visnshaftlekher akademye. s'iz dokh zelbfarshtendlekh, az kedey tsu kenen redn in aza fal vegn farminerung, iz umbadingt neytik geven an obyektiver onshpar, velkhn es ken gebn bloyz a farglaykh. oyftseylndik di hebreizmen in 120 bleter "emes", "shtern" un "oktyaber" far yor 1928, hot men dos eygene gedarft tun legabe 120 numern fun di zelbike togbleter far yor 1919, tsi 1920, tsi 1921 ukhdoyme, -- demolt ersht volt geven a meglekhkayt tsu shafn zikh a klor bild vegn dem, tsi geyt virklekh unter der dermonter element inem loshn fun der ratnfarbandisher yidisher zhurnalistik. di sibe, vider, funem faln (tsi shtaygn) volt men gekent dergeyn nisht frier, vi s'volt durkhgefirt gevorn an enlekhe oysforshung in der anderlendisher yidisher prese -- oyf 120 numern fun a varshever tsi nayyorker tsaytung: 1 mol far 1919, tsi 1920, tsi 1921 ukhdoyme un 1 mol far 1928. di hern fun der kiever filologisher sektsye hobn zikh an eytse gegebn oyf a gringern -- hekhst humoristishn -- oyfn. gezogt zikh: koym hobn mir in 120 numern fun undzere politishe togbleter gefunen bloyz 640 hebreishe vokablen un vendungen un nisht ale 5 toyznt etlekhe hundert, vos zenen registrirt in yehoyesh-spivaks ---------------------- z' 66 verterbukh, heyst es, az di shprakh fun undzere prese dehebreizirt zikh, -- a poyel-yoytse fun der oktober-revolutsye... oykh a "metod"... aleyn far zikh zenen ober 640 hebreishe verter un oysdrikn, in yor 1928 -- in der shprakh nisht fun beletristik, nor fun komunistisher zhurnalistik, -- geven a gor mamoshes|diker bashtandteyl. nokh meyn: mir do, leyenendik fun tsayt tsu tsayt di yidishe bleter fun yener zayt grenets, hobn gehat dem festn ayndruk, az in zeyer zhurnalistishn loshn -- derhoypt in der publitsistik -- banutst men hebreishe elementn nisht bloyz nisht vintsiker, vi in undzer prese (der varshever, der vilner), nor amol efsher oykh mer. undz hot zikh demolt gedakht, az efsher iz der naturalizirter oysleyg der stimul: koym iz opgefaln di moyre, az der folksmentsh vet nisht farshteyn dos oder yents vort ibern spetsifishn grafishn levush, iz men gevorn frayer un dreyster inem gebroykh fun di hebreizmen. vos darf men mer -- oykh in lutskis rezyume-artikl, fun velkhn s'iz geven oyvn di reyd, bagegnen mir a shpor bisl hebreishe verter, azelkhe vi: -- agev, asakh, bitl, biklal, bekhe(y)n, balmelokhe, kedey, klal, simonem, prat, tsores, rosheteyves|n... zey zenen davke nisht farbitn gevorn oyf: -- bay gelegnheyt. fil. gringshetsung. in algemeyn. alzo. hantverker. um. regl. tseykhens. detal. leydn. initsyaln (tsi abrevyaturn). vayter. slutski aleyn hot informirt, az oyf di 640 kartlekh hobn farnumen "dos greste ort verter far gaystike, derhoypt far r~e~l~i~g~y~e~z~e [shpatsirt in original] zakhn un bagrifn, vi vayt der sovetisher yidisher prese kumt zey oys tsu nutsn in s~p~e~t~s~i~y~e~l~e f~a~l~n (tsu bakemfn dem altn lebns-shteyger, dem klerikalizm)": -- aveyre, oylem-habe, eyn(h)ore, ornkoydesh borkhashem, gabe, ganeydn, tales, tfiln, yore-shomaim, khevre-kadishe, khsidim, matse, moyfes, sider, kameye, kashres, rov, skhite... ober sof-kol-sof iz dokh nisht vikhtik, in vosere faln di yidishe zhurnalistik in ratn-farband hot zikh in yor 1928 badint mit di okersht oysgeshribene verter: genug iz, az zey zenen banutst gevorn. khutsthalbn: shoyn-zhe vern azelkhe oysdrikn vi a~v~e~y~r~e, b~o~r~k~h~a~s~h~e~m, g~a~b~e, k~a~s~h~r~e~s ukhdoyme, gebroykht nor demolt, ven me darf "bakemfn dem altn lebns-shteyger, dem klerikalizm"? (redt men nisht bay undz amol, lemoshl, fun "endekishn kashres", fun "rasistishn kashres" ukhdoyme?) endlekh, hot men oyf di kartlekh gezen fil "verter un oysdrikn fun dem min, vos nutst geveyntlekh, oder di sovetishe yidishe prese nutst spetsyel, far emotsyonel-ekspresive tsvekn -- far ironye, bitl, farakhtung, oyfgebrokhtka1yt u.a.v.": -- ishe, bal-dover, batlones, goles, gedule, gzeyre, hispayles, skus-oves, zokher, yoytser, meshorsem, khavruse, klal-yisroel, knufye, muser haskl, mishebeyrekh, mikolaminem, zgule, roydef, sholem, shemen-zayes, thkine... oyb azoyne vokablen zenen nor farvendt gevorn mit breyter hant, iz zikher tsu fri geven tsu redn vegn "opshtarbn" fun vosere nisht iz hebreishe elementn in der yidisher shprakh. ---------------------- z' 67 nor di aynshtelung fun di kiever filologisher sektsye iz geven zeyer vayt fun visnshaftlekhkayt un shtark nont tsu politik. an ibergang azelkher hot zikh demolt gehat arayngekhapt in dos ratnfarbandishe yidishe gezelshaftlekhkayt, un a boykh-svore mikoyekh|n goyrl fun di hebreizmen hot dort gekent giltn far an obyektivn visnshaftlekhn fakt, oyb nor zi hot tsugetrofn der modisher shtimung. bald nokh slutskis barikht-artikl hot der firer fun der kiever filologisher sektsye -- n. shtif -- tsugeshtelt a teoretishe bagrindung un an ideishe apologye far der "farminerung funem altn hebreishn shprakhfarmog in der shprakh," un derbay shoyn geredt nisht vegn loshn fun yidisher prese far a gevisn period, nor v~e~gn y~i~d~i~s~h in ratn-farband b~i~k~l~a~l. er hot dos getun in a referat, september 1929, in institut far yidisher kultur bay der ukrainisher visnshaftlekher akademye, un di "skheme" derfun opgedrukt in zhurnal "di yidishe shprakh" numer 4-5 (17-18) far yuli-oktober 1929 (shpaltn 1-22). oyf di shpaltn 21 un 22 git der mekhaber dem "sakhakl" fun der ophandlung -- in 4 punktn. far undzer teme iz bazunders interesant der letster fun zey: -- der hipsher hebreisher inventar in yidish hot zikh gekent haltn nor bay der shvakher ekonomisher un kultureler diferentsirtkayt in folk, bay dem ibervog fun di mitl- un kleynbirgerlekhe hendlerish-farmitlerishe shikhtn. mitn oyfkum funem yidishn arbeter-klas un fun der yidisher arbeter-bavegung farlirt der hebreisher inventar mer un mer in stol un in vog in der shprakh, azoy vi di farelterte un opgelebte in der folksshprakh biklal (derhoypt fraseologye, shablon-oysdrikn) vos shtimen nisht mer mit dem lebn in shtrayt funem arbeter-klas. der arbeter-klas shaft zayn shprakh mit der hilf fun internatsyonalizmen un fun di eygene shprakhresursn in der folksshprakh (naybildungen). tsum klorstn kumt der doziker protses tsum oysdrik in der sovetisher yidisher shprakh. kh'bet tsu nemen in akht: der in aza kategorishn ton gemakhter oysfir iz geven in a groyser mos apriorish, nisht geshtitst -- nisht mit keyn analiz fun der shprakh in der ratnfarbandisher yidisher beletristik, nisht mit keyn ankete tsvishn di yidish-redndike masn. un voser kontrast mitn nor vos tsitirtn letstn fragment fun shtifs "skheme" iz der gantser tekst irer, vos iz grod zeyer vayt fun boykotirn di hebreizmen, -- farkert, oyf shrit un trit shtoysn mir zikh dort on oyf azelkhe verter, vi: ovl, eyvrem, avade, alefbeys, emune, emes, a sakh afile, be|emes, biklal, balmelokhe, be|etsem, bifrat, bekitser, broyges, gayve, gvir, guf, gufe, dinem, hamoyn, haskole, hispayles, khoydesh, khuts, khushem, khies, khsides, khkire-sforem, khshives, yikhes, yoytse,zayn yoysher, kedey, kishef, kimat, loshn, moyre, mum, muser-sforem, mies, mides, minhogem, mistame, mayles, mitsve, mitsves, meshikhes, niker, nikhne, nekudes, seyfer, stam, oynesh, anives, pidyen, parnose, tsadikem, kool, koolsh, kloles, rabon|ish, shutfes|dik, skhar, tfiles... kh'hob do gebrakht bloyz a kleynem teyl funem asortiment, mit velkhn shtif hot zikh banutst in der arbet, vos ir hoyptgedank iz geven, az di hebreizmen in ratnfarbandishn yidish shtarbt oys, az der protses der doziker iz a barekhtiker un deriber an umfarmaydlekher un gezunter, un az keyn shodn brengt er nisht, vorn faran andere yidishe (ashkenazish-shtamike) ekvivalentn, iz take geven -------------------------- z'68 a kashe: far vos hot zikh der dermanter shrayber aleyn nisht tsugepast tsu di tezisn fun zayn eygenem artikl? far vos iz er zikh nisht bagangen mit g~l~i~d~e~r, r~e~l~i~g~y~e, v~o~r~h~e~y~t, f~i~l, z~o~g~a~r, v~i~r~k~l~e~k~h, i~n a~l~g~e~m~e~y~n, h~a~n~t~v~e~r~k~e~r, u.a.v. onshtot vayter tsu operirn mit di "altfrenkishe", "opgelebte" e~y~v~r~e~m, e~m~u~n~e, e~m~e~s, a s~a~k~h, a~f~i~l~e, b~e~e~m~e~s, b~i~k~l~a~l, b~a~l~m~e~l~o~k~h~e u.a.v? in dray yor arum -- in der epokhe fun obligatorisher "zelbstkritik" -- hot shtif zikh nokh gehaltn shtol-un-ayzn bay di oyvn tsitirte "emesn". fun dest vegn hot er in der reyde zayner oyfn "revizye-plenum fun der filologisher sektsye" banutst 57 hebreizmen (ze: "afn shprakhfront," numer 4, kiev, yuli-august 1932) -- azelkhe vi: agev, bekivn|dik, beerekh, davke, doyres|dik, derekh-erets, harg|enen, khilek, khkires, toes, tayne, yerushe, shpigl-ksav, megushem|dik, min, mimeyle, maskem, svive, sof, sfeykes, pikkhes, kabole-tsetl, shures [un desglaykhn]. sh. dobin (inem zelbikn numer "afn shprakhfront" hot in a tsvey mol kirtserer al khet-reyde oykh gebroykht 56 hebreishe verter: -- oyfn, akhrayes, boylet|ste, benegeye, beshum-oyfn, beys, hanokhe, far|hanokhes, harkhove, khazn, iber|khazer|t, khesroynes, yesod, kloymer|sht, klal,veklal aftsu|lokhes, lakhlutn, limed, lekhatkhile, mehus, moyde,[zayn zikh] meyaesh,[zayn zikh] mamesh, oylem, alpi,seykhl etsem-mehus, sotn, shaykhes, u.a.v. mer volt afile undzer eyner nisht farvendt! der kheyrem hot in ratn-farband gufe lang nisht ongehaltn. der tsentral-organ funem ofitsyeln yidishn gezelshaftlekhkayt in yener medine heyst er hayom: "emes" (naturalizatsye fun oysleyg andersht dokh nisht dem opshtam funem vort!). der nomen iz nisht gebitn gevorn oyf: "v~o~r~h~e~y~t"... * kh'hob do oyfgemisht a fargelt bletl funem over, makhmes es lozn zikh merkn simonem, az der umgang khapt zikh letstns -- mit a mamshes|diker farshpetikung -- arayn oykh in undzere dalet ames. s'iz genug ontsurufn dos artikl fun Dovid roykhl: "stam lamdones oder a befeyrishe tendents" (3 hebreishe verter oyf 6 fun der kop-shure!) -- mit der unterkepl: "vegn der hebreizirung fun yidish" -- in numer 8 "literarishe bleter" fun 18tn februar 1938. der mekhaber funem maymer hot kentik geleyent shtifs "skheme" un enlekhe ksovem un nemt zikh laydnshaftlekh on di avle 'fun froyen un fun der hayntiker yugnt, vos hot fun dem gantsn leksikon keyn brekl anung nisht," un in zayn eygenem artikl iz er zikh mater tsu banutsn: -- emes. efsher. o~ts-k~o~y~ts~e~ts-l~o~sh~n. besmedresh. b~a~l~ey-d~ey~e. befeyresh. g~a~b~o~em-sh~t~i~b~l. g~a~b~o|i~sh~e. g~v~i~r|i~sh. guf. h~a~s~k~o~l~e-ts~ay~t. kheyder. kh~oy~l~e z~ay~n. kh~i~d~e~sh. khen. y~oy~ts~e-m~i~n-h~a~k~l~a~l. y~e~kh~i~d~e~m. yeshive. k~l~ey-k~oy~d~e~sh. k~l~ey-k~oy~d~e~sh|d~i~k. k~ey~l~e~m. l~a~m~d~o~n~e~s. l~a~m~d~o~n|i~sh. loshn. m~a~r~a~sh? m~a~kh~m~e~s. m~e~m~ey~l~e, m~a~m~e~sh. m~e~f~u~n~o~k~e~m. n~e~g~i~d~i~sh. n~e~sh~o~m~e. n~e~sh~o~m~e - y~e~s~ey~r~e. soykhrish. sof. smakh. sforem. s~t~a~m. i~v~r~i. iker. i~n~y~e~n. ameratsem. poter vern. p~s~u~k~e~m. p~a~r~n~e~s~e~-kh~oy~d~e~sh. kool. rabonishe. shite. shmues|t. seykhl. tkif|ish. ------------------------- 69. er halt, aponem, az di oysdrikn -- derhoypt di fun mir shpatsirte (vi "ots-koytsets-loshn," "yoytste-min-haklal" ukhdoyme) -- zenen "di froyen un der hayntiker yugent" ale biz eynem yo farshtendlekh. nor nisht dos bin ikh oysn. der iker iz dokh der printsip -- un p~r~i~n~ts~i~p~y~e~l f~a~l~t~sh i~z y~e~d~e f~o~d~e~r~u~n~g (un yeder pruv) a~r~oy~s~ts~u~v~a~r~f~n f~u~n d~e~r y~i~d~i~s~h~e~r sh~p~r~a~kh d~i h~e~b~r~e~i~z~m~e~n, v~o~s l~e~b~n i~n i~r m~i~k~a~d~m~oy~n~em, vos elter a hebreisher oysdruk iz in yidish, alts greserer meyukhes iz er, -- oyb nor nishst aroys fun banuts. oykh fargesene hebreizmen meg men tsurik aynfirn -- farshteyt zikh, forzikhtik un mit yishef (opgehitnkayt un iberleygung zenen, ibrikns, tomid a khiev -- oykh baym aktualizirn andere arkhaizmen, punkt vi baym araynnemen internatsyonalizmen oder legalizirn neologizmen). me ken deriber nor shtoynen, ven a mentsh, vos halt in zayn artikl far derlozlekh y~e~k~h~i~d~e~m, m~e~f~u~n~o~k~e~m, n~e~s~h~o~m~e-y~e~s~e~y~re ukhedoyme, mekhtikt zikh tsu paslen azoyne gute yidishe vendungen, vi: -- nisht dershatst dem k~i~e~m ... mayne n~e~s~i~e~s m~e~ey~v~e~r-l~e~y~a~m ... on a sh~i~e~r groys ... b~e~sh~u~t~f~e~s|d~i~k~e inuem ... am vintsikstn ibertsaygevdik iz, ven di khsidem fun "dehebreizatsye" tretn oyf vi farzorger "fun froyen un fun der hayntiker yugnt." vegn velkhe froyen redn zey? der mentsh fun folk iz shtark heymish mit di hebreishe elementn fun der yidisher shprakh, -- di froy, vi der mantsbl. ikh red nisht fun hoyln fas: dos vos ikh zog do, iz rezultat fun perzenlekhn langyerikn un breytn kontakt mit di folksmasn. nisht bay lifshitsn, nisht bay harkavin gefint ir nisht: bekhinem beloy dover, biz ad heyne, bore li ukhedoyme azelkhe vendungen, un bay di yidn fun gkb [= gevezn kongrespoyln] zenen dos tif farvortslte verter -- me ken zey hern oyf shrit un trit in der folksshprakh, un bazunders take in moyl fun der froy. harkavi bukht yaades mit der taytsh: "yudaizm"; voser yidene in land fun der vaysl nutst ober nisht mindstns eyn mol in tog dos hoyptvort (aroysgeredt: yaanes, yaandes) mit der taytsh "gevisn"? "ey~n l~i" iz a yuridisher termin, notirt oykh bay harkavi, un vos hot di poylish yidishe folksmase alts nisht gemakht fun dem dozikn oysdruk! m~e~a~kh~oy~r~ey-h~a~p~a~r~g~e~d, b~e~e~y~r~e~m-u~v~kh~o~y~s~e~r-k~o~l un enlekhe, bay harkavi registrirte vort-farbindungen gehern tsum folkstimlekhstn leksikon. me volt gekent onhoyfenen a barg nokh mit bayshpiln, nor nisht do iz dos ort derfar. fun destvegn mol ikh mir laykht, az a leyener fun folk ken a voser nisht iz hebreizm in der tsaytung tsi in bukh nisht farshteyn. vos-zhe iz dos umglik? vet er zikh dem poshet onshtoysn funem kontekst oder iberfregn bay emetsn! vos shayekh, vider, der "hayntiker yugnt," iz eyns fun di beyde: oder zi ken nisht keyn yidish, vet zi baym lernen zikh dos loshn muzn banemen oykh di hebreishe bashtandteyln zayne; oder di shprakh iz ir nisht fremd, ist nisht shkhiekh, oykh di populere hebreizmen zoln ir nisht zayn bakant (mit di zeltenere iz oberamol dos eygene: me muz zikh tsulernen). agev, kumt mir epes for, az der viderviln tsu di hebreizmen iz bay a teyl penlayt undzere in a geviser mos a min kompleks, vos dem shoyresh zaynem darf men zukhn inem umtsufridnkayt mitn nisht-naturalizirtn oysleyg -- mit der doziker ------------------------- z' 70 baym leyenen yidish virklekh vezentlekher bashverung far perzonen, mit hebreish vintsik oder gor nisht bakante. ober az me iz broygez mitn khazn, shpringt men nisht keyn kdushe? * a kerndl rikhtikayt iz faran in roykhls oyfn banemen dem inyen, nor er hot es aleyn nisht bamerkt un mimeyle nisht antviklt geherik, hagam s'volt gedarft zayn di aks fun zayn artikl. un dehayne handlt zikh do in dem postulat ot, baym bageyn zikh mit der shprakh zol men visn, "vu ayn un vu oys", -- a forderung, vos iz, eygntlekh, barekhtikt legabe andere elementn fun der leksik oykh (legabe di internatsyonalizmen nisht miner vi legabe di yidishe arkhaizmen; legabe di slavizmen nor mer, vi legabe di hebreizmen). in tokh iz es a problem fun s~t~i~l, un bay stil iz nisht shayekh tsu farlozn zikh bloyz oyf fremde onvayzungen: me darf aleyn farmogn abisl khush, zist iz kranter tsu lozn di pen tsu ru. in a lirish lid mit intimen ton voltn arn verter, vi e~l~e~k~t~r~i~z~a~t~s~y~e tsi p~oy~p~e~r~i~z~a~t~s~y~e (mikolshkn ven me zol zey araynhakn in a tsu groyser tsol un gramen tsvishn anander). -- slavismen veln s'rov komish aroysshtartsn in a novele fun fratseyzishn lebn (derhoypt in dialog). -- spetsifishe yidishe khumesh-verter pasn nisht in a tsaytungs-notits vegen a gasn-geshleg tsvishn shikere khuliganes. -- yene hebreizmen, vos zenen ongemostn far der "gildener keyt", lomir onkhapn, muzn klingen humoristish, ven me shpart zey arayn in homers "odiseye". me darf zikh opgebn a khezbm in dem, az oykh di hebreishe elementn fun der yidisher shprakh zenen nisht eynheytlekh vos shayekh di forshtelungen, vos vern aroys gerufn durkh zeyer inhalt. verter vi e~m~e~s, b~e~z~oy~n, kh~ey~n, n~e~k~o~m~e, s~i~n~e un desglaykhn, untersheydn zikh semantish lakhlutn nisht fun di vokablen far di zelbike bagrifn in andere leshoynes. emes, pravda, Wahrheit, verite, truth u.a.v. zenen glaykhtaytshik in der eygener mos, vi es zenen glaykhvertik matbeyes fun eyn un dem zelbikn metal un fun eyn un der zelbiker vog, nor bloyz mit farshidene nemen. iz zelbfarshtendlekh, az far der doziker kategorye hebreizmen zenen ofn tirn un toyern in yidishe iberzetsungen fun yetvider shprakh. ober oysdrikn vi h~a~v~d~o~l~e~ (= likht), y~a~y~e~n - h~a~m~sh~u~m~e~r, n~e~t~i~l~e~s - y~e~d~a~e~m, k~o~r~b~m - t~oy~r~e ukhdoyme, zenen kharakteristish mit der farengerter, vayl spetsifitsirter taytsh, heyoys bagriflekh farbundn mit a bashtimtn religyezn kult. h~a~v~d~o~l~e iz nisht stam a likht, vi dos poylishe 'swieca', daytshishe 'kerze', frantseyzishe 'bougie', nor a likht far a spetsyeler ritueler tseremonye, far "havdole-makhn". y~a~y~e~n - h~a~m~sh~u~m~e~r iz nisht glat yeder oysgehaltener vayn, nor der vayn, vos vert gehit far di tsadikem un vet zey gegebn vern, ven meshiyekh vet kumen. azelkhe oysdrikn, terminen fun yidishn ritus, araynrukn in a klasishn grikhishn epos, vos iz durkhgedrungen mit getsdinerishn patos, -- "yayen-nesekh" rufn mitn nomen "yayen-hamshumer" un desglaykhn -- iz beemes nisht keyn gliklekher aynfal. ober ver iz es shuldik tsu entfern far eynem, vemen es felt stilistisher takt, d"h a gelenk tsu shraybn drukfeik? ------------------------ 71 nokh a bamerkung, vos hot a printsipyeln un tsuglaykh metodologishn kharakter, derfun, vos di ratnfarbandishe yidishe tsaytungen hobn in yor 1928 genutst: -- paynikungen. oysfirlekh. bazunders. barikht. voynung. virkung. bald. tsum bayshpil. oyfshtendler. vakhte. shterungen. neygung. gehalt. loyn. fardinst. urteyl. frier far alts. hiter. vekhter ..., onshtot (tsi lebn? -- dos iz funem tsitirtn artikl nisht klor): inuem, bifrotyes, bifrat, dinvekhezhbm, dire, hashpoe, teykef, lemoshl, mordem, mashmoyre, menies, netie, skhires, parnose, psakdin, koydemkol, shoymer ..., hot slutski gevolt dringen, az "dos yidishe vort konkurirt mitn hebreishn," un dos letste "shtarbt op." mentshn mit zikorn gedenken ober mistame, az nokh far der velt-milkhome hobn yidishe togbleter (in varshe, lemoshl) gebroykht: o~y~s~f~i~r~l~e~kh, b~a~z~u~n~d~e~r~s, b~a~r~i~kh~t, v~oy~n~u~n~g un kedoyme lebn b~e~f~r~o~t~y~e~s, b~i~f~r~a~t, d~i~n~v~e~k~h~e~z~h~b~m, d~i~r~e u.a.v., un az s'hot derbay ekzistirt a gevisn diferentsyatsye: a barikht hot men geshribn fun a protses in gerikht, fun a zitsung, farzamlung, konferents, ober vegn a mentsh hot men gezogt, az er git zikh op "a dinvekhezhbm fun zayne maysim"; mit a psakdin hot zikh geendikt a din-toyre oder a gerikht fun borerem, ober dos kroyngerikht flegt aroysgebn an urteyl ... dertsu darf nokh tsugegebn vern, az b~a~z~u~n~d~e~r~s, v~oy~n~u~n~g, b~a~l~d, l~oy~n, f~a~r~d~i~n~s~t, f~r~i~e~r f~a~r a~l~t~s, h~i~t~e~r ukhdoyme zenen in der gerekhter shprakh alte toyshvem (lekolapokhes in mitl-yidish), lebedik besholem mit b~i~f~r~a~t, d~i~r~e, t~ey~k~e~f, s~kh~i~r~e~s, p~a~r~n~o~s~e, k~o~y~d~e~m~k~o~l, sh~oy~m~e~r ... nor "p~a~r~n~o~s~e" iz nisht tomid sinonimish mit "f~a~r~d~i~n~s~t", efters iz es breyter (in varshe "fardint men oyf parnose", d"h oyf lebnsmitl, oyf di shtub-hetsoes, oyf dos "oyskumenish", vi es heyst bay mendele moykher-sforim), un lebn "v~oy~n~u~n~g" hot dem monopol "d~i~r~e - g~e~l~t" (on konkurents fun a tsunoyfzats mit "voynung"). agev, iz "h~a~sh~p~o~e" nisht bloyz "virkung", nor oykh "aynflus", un "m~i~sh~m~oy~r~e" hot, dakht zikh, keynmol nisht gehert tsu di oysdrikn vos zoln fil genutst vern. biklal iz zeyer primitiv oyftsufasn di zakh azoy, az ven a shprakh farmogt tsvey oder mer verter far eyn un dem zelbikn bagrif, heyst es, az zey "konkurirn" tsvishn zikh. a varshever yid, lomir zogn, koyft zikh a "malbesh", ober shloft "in ontun". ken men haltn, az dos tsveyte hoyptvort bayst aroys inem dialekt dos ershte? oser! s'treft zikh, me drikt zikh oys oykh: "er shloft in di malbushem". -- vayzt oys, demolt, ven der ritem fun di reyd fartrogt nor tsvey iberike trafn ("in ontun" hot dray, "un di malbushem" finf trafn). * do kumen mir am noentstn tsum problem fun sinonimen un zeyer role in der shprakh. 1) gute proze hot ritem vi poezye. er baleyt dos shraybn als orga- ------------------------ z' 72. nisher ingredyent (elehey melodye di kompozitsye in der muzik, arayngetrogn fun zikh aleyn, unterbavustzinik, beshas un durkh dem protses fun shafn. di pen hot oysgegosn oyfn paper undzer gedank -- mir leyenen dernokh iber di fraze, dem pasus, dem peryod, dem fragment, un s'art undz epes: mir veysn aleyn nisht, vos. me muz tsuvayln iberkukn un iberzogn oyfn kol dos ongeshribene eyn mol, un tsvey mol un oberamol, biz me khapt zikh: hagam sintaktish un logish iz alts altsad hayoyser tov, fun dest vegn iz neytik do oystsumekn a vort, dort es ibertsushteln un nokh ergets tsu baytn oyf an anders. azoy iz dos gebot funem bahaltenem ritem! h~e~y~o~y~s un v~o~r~n zenen glaykhtaytshik. mont bay mir der ritem fun stil a tsveytrafik vort mitn kvetsh oyfn endtraf, vel ikh farvendn dem yidishn hebreish-shtamikn vokabl; bet zikh a tsveytrafike konyunktsye mitn kvetsh oyfn ershtn traf, vel ikh farnutsn dos yidishe ashkenazish-shtamike vort. vet in a kauzativn bayzats dem ritem neytik zayn an eyntrafik bindvort, vet aroysshvimen: v~ay~l -- onstat v~o~r~n un h~e~y~o~y~s oder m~a~kh~m~e~s. 2) kh'ken eynem a redaktor -- mekt er sistematish yedn "dortn" in di manuskriptn, vos hobn dos umglik tsu kumen oyf zayne hent: er halt rak fun "dort", -- un vest im nisht ibertsaygn, az s'iz dokh nisht keyn tsufal, vos di shprakh hot tsu der eyntrafiker form tsubashafn a tsveytrafike! der ritem fun der shprakh fartrogt meynstns nisht dem nokhanant fun tsvey alts eyns gekvetshte trafn. -- d~o~r~t iz faran a sheyn veldl... -- aza zats leygt zikh laykht oyf der tsung, heyoys nokhn gekvetshtn "dort" geyt an umgekvetshter "iz." ober umbakvem iz aroystsuredn: "d~o~r~t z~o~g~t men"..., makhmes beyde shpatsirte verter trogn oyf zikh an iker-kvetsh. in dem letstn fal rayst zikh fun zikh aleyn: "d~o~r~t~n z~o~g~t men"... (der umgekvetshter traf -en tsvishn di tsvey iker-kvetshike "dort" un "zogt" fargringert di oysshprakh). 3) dos redn iz meystns a shtrom fun verter (eyntslvayzn vern zey zeltn gebroykht -- nor in dialog). der shtrom der doziker glidert zikh oyf zatsn, vos yeder fun zey hot zikh zayn eygenem aktsent (dem zatsakstent). der letster bavirkt shtark dos fonetishe bild fun di eyntslne verter. vos vintsiker a vort iz batont in zats, alts veyniker feikayt farmogt es ayntsuhaltndem fuln klangn-bashtand zaynem. genoy mit di dozike dershaynungen git zikh op di zats-fonetik. in gutn shriftshtelerishn stil iz ober faran di instiktive shtrebung vi vayt meglekh tsu zikhern dem eyntslnem vort in zats umbarirlekhkayt funem fonetishn farmeg. am laykhstn kumt dos teylvayz on baym oysmaydn dem sandhi, d"h dos trefn zikh, tbsh, fun tsvey alts eyne klangen, vos eyner fun zey shlist a vort, un der tsveyter heybt on dos nokhgeyendike. a shrayber mitn an oyer far voyklang in stil, vet nisht zogn: "s'iz efsher roznbergs mantl" (vayl aroysredn vet men derbay "efsher" on der reysh), nor "s'iz filaykht roznbergs mantl." punk azoy vet er zikh hitn far aza vort-seyder, vi "makhmes sender vil nisht," un vet shraybn: "vayl [oder v~o~r~n] sender vil nisht." ---------------- z' 73. oys di zelbike motivn shayet men zikh far aza oysdruk, vi "dort tut men dos"... shoyn opgeret derfun, az "dort" un "tut" zenen glaykh batont, fun vos di oysshprakh vert bashvert, vert nokh dos aroysredn komplitsirt durkhn tsunoyftref fun di tsvey t. deriber: "dortn tut men dos"... 4) azoy arum zenen a brokhe far der shprakh hen dos farshidnformikayt fun eyntslne vokablen ("itst -- itster, itstert"; "atsund -- atsunder, atsundert"; "zist -- azist, zistn, azistn"; "anumlt -- anumltn" u.a.v.) hen di sinonimen ("vayl -- vorn"; "azoy arum -- azoyernokh" un kedoyme): zey bafridikn biz gor vezntlekhe baderfenishn funem stil. vos shayekh di sinonimen, vert zeyer tsol mamesh|dik fargresert durkh di hebreisheelementn ("heyoys" un "makhmes" lebn "vayl" un "vorn"; "tomed" lebn "shtendik", "bashtendik" un "shtets" un desglaykhn. deriber iz kindish tsu meynen, az oyb me hot shoyn "vorheyt", "lign" "getrank" u.a.v., meg men on kvenklenish oysmekn funem verterbukh "emes", "sheker", "mashke" u.a.v. 5) eyn prat hob ikh do nokh nisht barirt, ober er iz azoy zelbfarshtendlekh, az s'iz iberik mayrekh tsu zayn. s'kumt amol oys eyn un dem zelbikn bagrif ibertsu|khazer|n etlekhe mol oyfn shetekh fun a nisht-langn tekst. a guter stilist veyst, vi paynlekh es iz, ven men ken nit oysvaykhn dem eyntonikayt iber mangl in sinonimen! hot a zin tsu faroremen di shprakh durkh mafkir zayn aza kval fun sinonimek vi hebreizmen in yidish? tsulog** [**the footnotes and phonetic spellings on page 74 have been omitted -- L.P.] e~y~n l~i. in krokever pinkes fun yor 1595 iz faran a takone: -- taynes "eyn li" [vegn an onzetser, vos vil nisht tsoln di khoyves, taynendik, r'iz faroremt gevorn un hot nisht mit vos tsu tsoln]. leyenen mir dortn: - men zol den zelbign [vos taynet "eyn li"] makhrem zayn in alin shuln. blaybt er g' yomem in kheyrem, do zol men im tfise|n be|dudikh [a tfise azelkhe in kroke] shmoyne yomim lepokhes, un der-nokh ad shloyshem zoln dayonem noyse venoysn zayn im roshem vetoyvem, di kayn shaykhes hobn leshney hatsdodem ke|harkhakas roshem ke|n"l. der-nokh zol men kheyrem gebn ver do het vos [= epes], dos [= vos] zayn ver, odr vist vu doz zayni ver... ---------------- z' 74. in mitl-yidish iz "eyn li" (aroysgeredt ayn li) a zeyer populerer adverbyaler oysdruk mit eygntimlekhe taytshn. 1) aponem ibern homonimishkayt (glaykhklangikayt) mitn tsolvort ey~n hot men dem hebreishn "eyn" ongehoybn oyftsufasn, vi ey~ns. azoy: -- er zogt "eyn-li" [= er zogt eyns, er halt zikh bay eyns, er zogt kategorish eyns, er zogt aynge|akshn|t eyns], ikh hob bay im gekoyft (varshe). // yetst shrayen zey eyn li, s'felt zey vesh (varshe). // eyn li [= eyns zog ikh un vel nisht oyfhern tsu zogn], kh'ken im nisht! (varshe). // darf zikh haltn nor eyn li: r'iz fun fiftn yor! [= darf zikh kategorish haltn bay eynem, un dehayne, az er iz geboyrn in yor 1905 (yareve)]. analogish in sheps. 2) fun gebroykh in negative zatsn hot zikh antviklt di taytsh: n~e~y~n u~n n~e~y~n u~n t~o~y~z~n~t m~o~l n~e~y~n, d"h "eyn-li" iz gevorn di kategorishste negatsye. azoy: -- zey voltn geshrign eyn li [= neyn un neyn, zey viln fun gornisht visn] (varshe)] // vet zi zogn eyn li, zi vil nisht mit im voynen (likeve). // zi hot geshrign eyn li, zi hot nisht gekoyft (makeve). oykh in lemberg: "eyn li, kh'veys nisht!" 3) oyf der grenets fun di tsvey okersht gebrakhte taytshn ligt dos tishevitser: -- eyn li, kh'loz nisht davenen! d"h: "Ikh halt mir bay eynem, kh'loz nisht davenen"; "neyn, un neyn un nokhamol neyn, kh'loz nisht davenen". bekhinem beloy dover = umzist, umfarshuldikt. lemoshl: "rateven fun an umglik bekhinem-beloy-dover" (dos umglik iz umfardint). biz ad hiney = biz itst. varshe: "s'iz nishto biz ad hiney". a pleonistisher oysdruk ("ad" iz dokh sinonimish mit "biz"), vi hant-tkies-kaf, lemoshl. be|eyrem-uvkhoyser-kol = naket un bloyz. in di mundartn folksetimologish geandersht: boyre pkhoyse koyl (in varshe); boyre pkhoyser (varshe); beoyre bekhoysekh (in varshe); boyre veykhoyser (in varshe). lemoshl: "kh'bin geblibn boyre pkhoyser", "zibn kinder geyen boyre veykhoyser." bore li, adverb, hot di taytsh: 1) klor, oyf klor, zikher, bashtimt. varshe: "er veys bore li, az kh'hob nisht." -- analogish in mekhev-keltser. ------------------------ z' 75. 2) afile. varshe: "az er iz geven in der heym bore li, iz oykh nisht geven vos tsu esn" [tsesn]. agev, bore kumt for als hoyptvort mit der taytsh: "epes bashtimts. klore zakhn. bashtimte zakhn". stotsk (likever k'): "keyn bore veys ikh nisht". [yaades]/yandes -- gniveshev: 'sjandes', batayt oykh "yoysher, rakhmones" (analogish in varshe). meakhoyrey-haparged -- in di mundartn folksetimologish geendert. in groysbyale dos ershte vort aroysgeredt meakhoyre, meakhore oder meakhire, dos tsveyte: uparge. in moglnitse mit der eygener taytsh "mitokh haparge". [Editor's mote: On p. 71 Prilutski writes that "m~i~sh~m~oy~r~e" hot, dakht zikh, keynmol nisht gehert tsu di oysdrikn vos zoln fil genutst vern." The word listed in most Yiddish dictionaries is _mishmer_/pl. _mishmorem_. The Yiddish sense, as in Mendele's "mishmer iz geven biz halber nakht" [cited from Perferkovitsh; also cited in Niborski], parallels that in Hebrew (cf. Heb. _mishmar_ [Nehemiah 4:16]). A specialized Judaic sense, present in Yiddish and possibly also in Hebrew, is seen in this sentence by Ravnitski: "gelernt gantse teg un oykh oft gantse nekht 'mishmorem'" [cited from Shteynberg; also cited by Niborski], as well as by the sentence in Perferkovitsh: "Di yeshive-bokherem hobn fil tayneg fun a mishmer nakht." Niborski gives mishmer/mishmorim. Harkavi has mishmar, mishmaroys; Stutshkov has _mishmer_ under _vakh_ (#430), synonymous with _shmire_ and _vakh_. Heb. _mishmar_ is masc., but there are plurals in -im and -ot. I find a _mishmara_ [Ashk. Heb. _mishmoro_] with plural _mishmarot_ [Ashk. Heb. _mishmoros_]. I also find a _mishmarot_ which is the plural of _mishmeret_. I do not find in any Yiddish or Hebrew dictionary the form twice given by Prilutski (which he himself says is uncommon: _mishmoyre_ [Ashk. Heb. _mishmoro_ -- with khoylem after mem]. In Even-Shoshan _mishmara_ is defined as '1/3 of the night'. Is Y. _mishmoyre_ a back formation from the feminine plural of _mishmar_ or a variant spelling of H. _mishmoro_? -- L.P.] ------------------------------------------- End of _The Mendele Review_ 03.006 Leonard Prager, editor 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/tmrarc.htm