Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 1 no. 63 September 20, 1991 1) A book of blessings and curses (Mikhl Herzog) 2) La Petite Madeleine (Ellen Prince) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 19 Sep 91 20:50 EDT From: ZOGUR@CUVMB.BITNET Subject: Brukhes un kloles I emerge from seclusion, briefly, to recommend to one and all the book by James A. Matisoff "Blessings, Curses, Hopes, and Fears: Psycho-Ostensive Expressions in Yiddish". ISHI, Phil. 1979. Jim is a Professor of Linguistics at Berkely, fluent in Yiddish and Lahu, writing a Lahu Dictionary in which he uses Yiddish as a source/model for innovation, The book has received far less attent ion than it deserves and will be of interest in the context of Mendele's most recent concern. A gut un gezunt yor to all. I resubmerge. MH. 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date:Thu, 19 Sep 91 23:22:26 -0400 From: Ellen Prince Subject: RE: Mendele Vol1.62 more blessings and curses (this is getting downright proustian): a brokhe oyf dayn/... kepele: when you/... said or did something particularly wonderful; nisht haynt gedakht: when speaking of some misfortune in the past; nisht do gedakht: when speaking of some misfortune of others; tsum gezunt: upon a first sneeze; got tsu dank: when a good event was described; got bahitn: when a possible bad outcome was mentioned; hunt vos du bist: you rat!; biz a hundert un tsvantik: when someone's age was mentioned; zol zayn in a guter sho: especially when a forthcoming birth was discussed; zol er/... geyn kakn oyfn yam: he/... should go to hell. ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol 1.63