Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 3.153 December 3, 1993 1) Yiddish word order (Jason Berman) 2) Yiddish word order (Hal Berman) 3) Yiddish New Testament (Bob Werman) 4) Verb position/Yiddish New Testament (Shleyme Axelrod) 5) Job opening (John P.Murray) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu Dec 2 12:13:24 1993 From: BERMAN Subject: Yiddish Word Order Ellen Prince: I have done as you suggested and spoken to a number of the native Yiddish speakers with whom I have contact. The consensus regarding the verb placement is that, to them, sentenses constructed other than in accordance with the rules I explained do not sound natural or correct. Most of the people to whom I spoke have never studied Yiddish in a formal setting or did not do so until after they had learned the language "naturally". It is remarkable, but true, that the Yiddish language, for all of its diverse dialects and pronunciations is highly consistent in its grammatical structure. In my experience, the study of grammar (in any other language) has always been a frustrating one because there seemed to be rules where the exceptions outnumbered the examples that followed the rule. However, when I did take a Yiddish course at University, I found Yiddish grammar to be consistent and easy to absorb. True, you may find individuals that speak in a different way, other than the rules would indicate. However, these individuals (in my experience) are rare and are often influenced by the grammar of a second language that may have dominated the region where they learned their Yiddish. Jason Berman 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu Dec 2 15:10:47 1993 From: Hal Berman Subject: Ellen Prince's comment about word order. My brother's comments about word order were based on Weinreich because that is the rule. The rules are based on the language as it was spoken (basically codifying an oral language that had been developing over 1000 years). Because we are native speakers, and learned from people, not the book (the book is in English, we didn't know english when we learned Yiddish), we speak "natural" Yiddish. Every Yiddish speaker I know (most older than the book) follows the word order rule. Now are you convinced? Hal Berman 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu Dec 2 14:49:08 1993 From: RWERMAN%HUJIVMS.bitnet@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu Subject: Yiddish New Testament I have a Yiddish Humash published by Christians for missionary purposes and very different from Yeho'ash's classic translation. The title is Sefer Torah Nevi'im, u-ksuvim, das izt di gantze srift fan dem alten testament [a dead give away of its non-Jewish origin] traya und richtig iberzetzt fan lashon ha-kodesh oif yudish-daitch fan Mordechai Shmuel Bergmann und zardfeltig iberzehen fan R' Aharon Bernshtein gedrikt in Landan [London] oyf kasten der Britishen und Oyslendishen Bibel [Bible] Gezel-lshaft, 1893. A stamp on the verso of the title page states in English: Volume 1. Yiddish Pentateuch Tentative Edition. __Bob Werman 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu Dec 2 20:33:30 1993 From: Seymour Axelrod Subject: Verb position/Yiddish New Testament 1. Verb position: The issue now appears to be definitional, so why not drop it? There is unlikely to be agreement between the two sides on exactly what is meant by "rule", "exception", "license"--perhaps even by "all", "always" and "never"--so no accumulation of unquestionably acceptable declarative sentences with verb first is likely to convince the Bermans. As Abe Igelfeld said a few numbers back: iz meyle. 2. Der bris khadoshe af yidish: I have the first edition (1941) of the Einspruch translation that ellen prince has the 1977 edition of. (1977! What Yiddish-speaking Jews were they trying to convert that late in history?) The English title page lists the Lederer foundation, but also the American Board of Missions to the Jews of Brooklyn. The orthography is quite YIVO-acceptable, and the language fluent. By contrast, another translation I have (undated but maybe 30 years older, translator unnamed) put out by The Distribution Fund in Chicago, is full of daytshmerisms. I'm assuming that Einspruch was born Jewish--the English title page calls him "Henry Einspruch, D.D.", but the facing Yiddish title page calls him "Dr Khaim Aynshprukh". I wonder what motivated him to undertake such a translation? Convert's zeal seems the likeliest possibility. But I suppose that other reasons might be found, e.g., academic/literary interest, desire to enlighten Jews from eastern Europe about the wider world and its beliefs. It's worth remembering that some first-rate Yiddish writers (e.g., Itsik Manger, Sholem Asch) had considerable familiarity with Christianity. (Asch in particular drew heavily on the New Testament for his once-controversial trilogy on Jesus, Mary and Paul. Does someone know what language he'd have known it in?) Shleyme Axelrod 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu Dec 2 17:43:20 1993 From: John P. Murray Subject: Job opening Position Description Assistant/Associate Professor of Family Studies Specializing in Ethnic Studies Department of Human Development and Family Studies College of Human Ecology Kansas State University FAMILY STUDIES - ETHNIC STUDIES. Assistant/Associate Professor of Family Studies Specializing in Ethnic Studies. Continuing 9-month tenure- track faculty position in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. Effective Date: August, 1994. Responsibilities: Teaching and research in areas of racial, cultural and ethnic diversity. To provide instruction in undergraduate and graduate courses in family life education and family studies; to supervise field experiences for undergraduate and graduate students; to advise graduate students; to maintain an active program of research and publication on family relationships and the quality of family life; and to serve on various departmental, college, and university committees. Qualifications: Earned doctorate in family studies; prefer Certified Family Life Educator (National Council on Family Relations); demonstrated research and teaching experience. Rank/Salary: Assistant/Associate Professor; salary competitive and dependent upon qualifications. Application: Send letter of interest, vita, three letters of reference, and copies of graduate transcripts to: Stephan R. Bollman, Ph.D., Search Committee Chair, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, 303 Justin Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506. Closing Date: January 10, 1994 or until a suitable candidate is found. Kansas State University is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply. ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 3.153 Mendele has 2 rules: 1. Provide a Subject: line. 2. Sign your article. 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