Mendele: Yiddish literature and language
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Contents of Vol. 2 no. 07
June 3, 1992
 
1) Bronfen (Bob Werman)
2) Bronfen (Peyrets Mett)
3) Bronfen and kibits (Molly Diesing)
4) Shlimazel (Noyekh Miller)

1)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed,  3 Jun 92 1:03 +0300
From: RWERMAN%HUJIVMS.bitnet@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu
Subject: RE: Mendele Vol 2.06

I refuse to accept Hersehle Bolshiviker's implied
[inspired? inspired by what single malt liquor?] suggestion
that bronfin is derived from those famous Canadian
bootleggers and distillers, th Bronfmans.

[pardon the dropped "e"]

__Bob Werman
Jerusalem - home of the ongoing conference
in Yiddish where you all should be.

2)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 JUN 92 15:03:20 GMT
From: P_METT@VAX.ACS.OPEN.AC.UK
Subject: bronfen

[Herb Basser writes (vol 2.05):]

>>The subtle difference between good-luck and
>>congratulations. In French we say felicitations--  felix
>>meaning luck in latin--. That muzzltuf shifts between
>>Hebrew and Yiddish is something I don't quite see,  but
>>then again I'm not sure I see gutyuntif or maymahroynm
>>vusser. But when saying muzzltuf it is recommended to have
>>a shot of bronfin in hand--  where does the word bronfin
>>come from? and how long has it been in use?

Bronfen surely comes from German 'brandwein' (hope I have
 the spelling right) meaning 'burnt wine'  hence brandy.

But i do not see any connection between gut yontif (= good
good day) and mayim acharoynim vasser (= latter water
water) which are clearly "doubled" expressions and
mazzeltov  which looks like a straight lift from Hebrew
without any doubling of words.

Payrets Mett

3)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Jun 1992 08:54 MST
From: Molly Diesing <DIESING@CCIT.ARIZONA.EDU>
Subject: kibits, bronfen

There is a bird which is called a "Kiebitz" in German which
is an Old World (I believe) sort of plover. They are very
noisy.

There is also an intransitive verb in German "kiebitzen"
which means to look over a player's (e.g. in a card game)
shoulder.

I would guess that bronfen also comes from German
"Branntwein" (distilled spirits, or brandy). It literally
means "burnt wine," the "burning" refers to the distilling.
From this we also get the English "brandy," of course.

-Molly Diesing

4)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue,  2 Jun 92 15:33 EST
From: NMILLER%TRINCC.bitnet@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu
Subject: Shlimazel (and friends)

Yitzhak Kertesz writes (in Vol 2.06) that shlimazel as
perpetual loser isn't defined in any European source.  This
may or may not help.  My mother used to refer to a class of
men who were even more forlorn and bedraggled than
shleppers as 'shlimiZOneks'.  Only in the last few years
did I realize that she was saying shlimazelniks.

Yitzhak asks how, since anybody can have bad luck,
shlimazel can apply to a person.  The answer I guess is
that we're talking big talent.

Noyekh Miller

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End of Mendele Vol 2.07

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