Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 2 no. 36 July 19, 1992 1) Nepr (Alan Rutkowski) 2) Sex (Seymour Axelrod) 3) Sex (Elliot Hersch Gertel) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 17 Jul 92 12:46:39 MDT From: ARUTKOWS%UALTAVM.bitnet@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu Subject: Nepr A groisn dank to all who correctly translated nepr as Dnieper. I'm not sure why this didn't occur to me, but at least I know where to go with future problems in Yiddish translation. Alan Rutkowski 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1992 11:20 EST From: Seymour Axelrod Subject: Sex Vicki Fromkin (2.33.5) asks for the Yiddish for 'sex' and 'sexual intercourse'. For 'sex', U. Weinreich (1968) gives dos geshlekht, der min, der seks. (Harkavy [1925] gives the first two.) For 'sexual intercourse', seksuele batsiungen, der tashmesh (-hamite) [tof/shin/mem/yud/shin (-hey/mem/yud/tes/hey)] (For 'coition', Harkavy gives tashmesh hamite, and another Hebrew word: beys[veys?]/yud/alef/hey.) Mordkhe Schaechter (in Pregnancy, Childbirth and Early Childhood: An English-Yiddish Dictionary, 1991) adds for 'sexual intercourse' dos shlofn mit, dos lebn mit. For 'have intercourse [with]', he also has baheftn zikh mit; bashlofn; meshames zayn [mem/shin/mem/shin]; derkenen, kumen tsu (both biblical); firhobn. Seymour Axelrod 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1992 17:32 PDT From: EGERTEL@FULLERTON.EDU Subject: (Efsher) yeder eyners balibste teme? & Inocuous/Vulgar Dual Terminology To Vicki Fromkin's "most serious" shayle (Mendele 2:16) -which is certain to elicit tshuves on a shier- regarding "'proper'" Yiddish glosses for "sex" and "sexual intercourse," try (that was indeed unconscious) "seks" or "geshlekht" -the latter has always had a "shlekhtn tam" (strictly sound-wise) for some reason, I don't exactly know why..."- for "sex" and "seksuele batsiungen" (i.e. sexual relations) or "tashmesh-hamite" {tof/shin/mem/yod/shin-hey /mem/yod/tes/ hey} for "sexual intercourse." (I'm quite confident that many other Mendelnikes out there will have a hipsh bisl tsugobike gedanken vegn dem...) While we're on the topic, did/does anyone else's family use (the word) "shtupn" in only the literal sense of "push, shove, or poke?" I have, on more than one occasion, -no doubt due to the ease and innocence with which we use(d) this term in my meshpokhe- had the misfortune to let (the word) "shtupn" slip out when I was describing the act of pushing/shoving. One such incident which turned out to be somewhat embarrassing happened while aboard the Ellis Island ferry in the company of hundreds of khsidim! I really had had no (conscious) intent to be offensive. I was just describing the manner in which the large, tightly-packed crowd was pushing and jostling: "Zey nor vi 'zoy me shtupt" or something to that effect was what I said. When I saw how krum some people looked at me, I soon realized my faux-pas. I learned the more colorful use of this term, "shtupn," later in life, it's true, but I was certainly aware of that meaning at the time of my slip on the ferry; it's just that I'm so accustomed tousing it to mean "push" or "jostle," I said it faster than my "yeytser-toyv" could reign in my tongue! What are some ideas out there on other terms in Yiddish for the verbs "push, shove, jostle, poke," that slide off the tongue as naturally as "shtupn" that will offend no one? "Shtoysn?" Efsher. "Shparn?" Sounds too figurative in this sense or better suited to verbal combat as in its reflexive form. "Rukn," on the other hand, seems to mild; more like "move or slide (over)." Perhaps "shturkhn," but I can't recall ever hearing anyone use that one. I've also been told that other words that I grew up and that I had taken for granted [I mean "grew up with"] as being "harmless," are offensive to some ears,lemoshl "pupik." Apparently "boykh" is the "acceptable" gloss for "belly" or "abdomen" and "nopl" for "navel." Kh'bin naygerik tsu hern fun aykh. Vos trakht ir, vos gedenkt ir, vos zogt men oder vos hot men gezogt bay aykh in shtub, in shtetl, vu es zol nisht zayn for "push/shove/jostle/poke," "belly/ navel" and in which social circumstances (with geographical breakdowns, if possible) for these and other words and expressions that have a safe dictionary definition but under some circumstances are perceived as vulgar. I invite a frank, open, and broad- ranging discussion of terminology with dual interpretations on the innocent/ offensive scale, and on all manner of ephemisms, double-entendres, and dual- functioning expressions including those which have undergone a shift from inoffensive to quite the opposite (tokhes/gezes for behind/buttock, e.g.). This then is probably as good a way to end these ramblings as any. Elliot Hersch Gertel (Elye/t Hersh Gertl) ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol 2.36 If your message is intended for MENDELE, please write to: mendele@vax1.trincoll.edu If you want to discuss personal business or have a shmues with the shames, please write to: nmiller@vax1.trincoll.edu Please sign your articles.