When I was little and my grandparents were alive, I used to know quite a lot of Yiddish. Now I've forgotten it, mostly, and it's funny when a word will come floating up from the depths of memory, or I'll hear it and remember. (When I see my friend's babies, it seems to come out. "Bubela! Boychik!")We didn't think of them as foreign words at the time - it was probably only in going to school that you noticed subconsciously that you never heard those words there - meshuggena; tush; schnozz; schluf ...
Even now I've no idea how you spell these words. It was only a spoken language to us. And I can see how other, lucky children grow up bilingual, with this double knowledge of words. (Like the kids at school, who sometimes forget and talk to me in Sylheti.) No one ever had to sit down and explain these words to us, they just were. I wish I hadn't lost it (or my grandparents, for that matter), but some of them have entered into the English language, like shmooze, or shlep - it's earthy and expressive, makes me glad I haven't lost it altogether.
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It's kinda-but-not-really-but-still similar to the amount of Irish (or gaelic if you're not IRISH) I used to know and wish I knew now. It's pretty dead as a language, but several words still pervade the colloquialisms of Ireland, like 'craic' (fun/a laugh) and 'shrón' (nose i.e. 'look at the shrón on yer man'), etc.
So are you of Jewish descent?? Tell us more...
It's a shame that it's a dead language Matt - that reminds me of Catalan. It used to drive us mad, how they used to be so very patriotic and go on about it non-stop, but I guess it was understandable when you think they had a regime which tried to stamp it out for years. And they've kept it alive as a language through sheer bloody-mindedness.
Yup, Alda - I wish there was more to tell. Great grandparents came from Russia and Poland to escape the pogroms, (apparently one of them was conscripted into the Russian army at a time when it would have meant to certain death for a Jew, so he hid under the seat of a train and smuggled himself out of there).
Settled in the East End of London, where all the Jewish immigrants were at the time, and assimilated to such an extent that they weren't really celebrating the religion by the time I arrived on the scene. I don't know too much about it, but I like being back in the area where they first arrived.
Fascinating. I bet you would find some amazing stories if you started to dig...
Annie, love this spot. Although not Jewish myself, growing up in North London with many Jewish friends has given me I hope honoury status and I certainly have enjoyed learning and using Yiddish words. I particularly remember Claire's mum enthusiastically including me into family events with cries of "Emmala!" and I love myshuggah, and now regularly say muzaltov for good luck. I love the richness this adds to my vocabulary.
Irish is very like Catalan Annie, it was supressed by the English when they had occupied the country, and hasn't recovered to it's formar usage since or because of that. Actually my great-grandfather was Jewish as well, they left Latvia in the 1910's. And on my fathers' side, Hugenots from Paris, thrown out during the reformation. So nearly all my ancestors were repressed or supressed in some way! :-)
I was raised a Geordie and when I was 9 my family moved to South Yorkshire and no one could understand a word I said. Does that count?
Alda, it's frustrating but since most of the family are dead and gone, there's nobody left to ask.
Emmala, need you ask? North Londoner? Check. Dark hair? Check. Friends mostly Jewish? Check. Any ex-boyfriends Jewish? Check. Spent formative years drinking in Hampstead pubs? Check... Face it, for a Catholic, you're mostly Jewish.
Matt, that's some heritage. Can't keep a good gene down, hey?
Dan, I'd love to answer your comment, but can't understand your accent.
(Just kidding. Geordie is the best accent in the world ever. Fact.)
Annie,
I like Geordie as well, however I'm really taken with scouse. I've lived in Liverpool and the accent is great on the ear, I think scouse's popularity is because it sounds so sincere. Geordie is earnest and honest but scouse is sincere. Great accent, great city, top people.
Another thing with scousers is that they are all screamingly funny. Ah, whattaplace.
I love the few Yiddish words I know! Like Shmcuck! Haven't you noticed that Yiddish has a lot of words that begin with Sh....?
I was in Brest one when a Welsh friend had a long conversation with a Breton...in Celtic!
Small world!
Don't worry dear, a time will come when you'll remember all those things from your childhood. The sad bit will be that by then you'll be senile. :P
Isn't weird how older people can remember so vividly things from their youth?
Cream, those Celtics get everywhere.
Yup, it's very satisfying saying words that start with "sh" or "shm". My favourite is putting "Shm" in front of words to indicate contempt, scorn or doubt, eg, if someone asks you "How's work?" you can say "Work? Shmerk!"
Dcver, second childhood, that's something to look forward to... ;-)
Dan, *whispers* I've never been. *Hangs head in shame*
Annie,
Don't worry about never having been to Liverpool, just add it to life's 'things to do' list. That should take care of that. However it's a fine place to visit should you ever be drifting through this neck of the woods.
And just what is your excuse for never having been to Liverpool, Miss Annie?
Oh no! Busted by a native. Um, um... a deprived childhood?
(the Curve, I should tell you, speaks fluent Spanish, Catalan and Scouse.)
I know what you mean, there are many 'foreign' words that we use, and my mum even understands a phrase here, a phrase there.
But those still alive here, the ones we use, we use them as part of our daily language, with ease.
I like it GG, this whole melting pot thing, what with everybody travelling about all over the place these days, you can see a future with a bit of all the languages mixed in together.
Next step, learn some Bangla from the kids...
My favourites are tsimmis and tsures. Oy gevalt!
Languages are like people. They live, they grow and they die. It's the way things are.
I've notice that my generations all seems to have different ideas of what Yiddish words mean and everyone thinks they are right.
For better results try Yiddishkeit
Cheers, good site Adrian
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