Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 6.208 January 24, 1997 1) Persecution of linguists and philologists (Martin Haase) 2) "A keselgarten!" (Charlie Millman) 3) Valentines Day Yiddish (Esther Goffstein) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 23 Jan 97 11:38:55 +0100 From: Martin.Haase@cl-ki.uni-osnabrueck.de Subject: Persecution of linguists and philologists I would like to draw your attention to a fascinating book which may not be noticed, because it is not about language, although it is concerned with linguistics (and it is written in German). MAAS, Utz: Verfolgung und Auswanderung deutschsprachiger Sprachforscher 1933--1945. Band 1: Einleitung und biobibliographische Daten A-F. -- Osnabrueck: Secolo 1996. ISBN: 3-929979-23-3. 288pp. DEM 98 (about 60 USD). As the title says, the book deals with the ``persecution and emigration of German-speaking language researchers'' during the period of Nazi rule in Europe. The first 157 pages give a general overview about the people involved, about the political background, the events and their consequences. It becomes obvious that the present aspect of the language sciences was largely determined by the described events. Of course, the main focus of the book is on Germany and Austria, but the consequences for the development of the field in the US are discussed as well (esp. pp. 36-41). The second part of the book contains the biographies of persecuted language researchers. Not surpringly, there are among them a great number of Yiddishists and Hebraists. In this first volume, only the letters A-F (47 biographies) are treated in depth (although the biographical data of other people can be retrieved from the huge apparatus of 774 notes). In the preface, the author leaves it open whether a second volume containing 131 biographies will appear. The reason for using the unfamiliar term ``language researchers'' comes from the difficulty to clearly attribute the majority of the scholars to one specific field. Until the middle of the century, it was not unusual to work on the borderline of linguistics, philology, and literature (e.g. E. Auerbach, K. and H. Collitz, or L. Spitzer) or in even wider fields of investigation (e.g. K. Buehler or E.A. Cassirer). In spite of their sometimes impressive contribution to the field, some of them are hardly known nowadays. The author studied not only published material, but mainly relied on personal interviews, public and private archives, unpublished or hardly accessible material. His provocative, but well documented approach makes the book highly readable. Martin Haase 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 23:30:20 +0000 From: gedalia@concentric.net Subject: "A keselgarten!" The Yiddish term "keselgarten", meaning a busy, crowded or disorderly place, evidently derives its meaning from the New York immigrant processing center that was the predecessor of Ellis Island. My father, while watching the Ellis Island special on TV the other night remarked, "So that's where they get the term Kessel Garden from." Although Castle Garden is not the same as Ellis Island, it is located on the mainland near where the ferry departs to Ellis Island. It was located at the lower tip of Manhattan at the western part of the Battery in Battery Park. It was originally the nation's largest concert hall. From 1855 to 1890, it had been an immigrant processing center run by NY State. Approximately 7.7 million immigrants were processed there. Castle Garden was closed prior to Ellis Island due to scandals and immigrant processing was transferred to federal control. First, from 1890 to 1892, to the Barge Office. Then, beginning in 1892, to Ellis Island. Charlie Millman Harrisburg, PA 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 13:49:34 -0500 (EST) From: esterel@aol.com Subject: Yiddish love phrases Stanley Wernick [6.206] asks about love phrases in Yiddish. The following phrases that pertain to love are all taken from Yiddish songs, either title or first line. libste[r] mayne[r]--my dearest one Bay mir bistu sheyn--to me you're beautiful! Bay mir hostu kheyn--to me you're charming! Fun vanen heybt zikh on a libe?--how does love [a love affair begin?] Farvos dergeystu mir di yorn?--why. are you driving me mad? Lomir zikh iberbetn--let's make up [and be friends or lovers?] Lomir beyde a libe shpiln--let's both have a love affair [more refined?]-- let's fall in love. In mayn hartsn brent a fayer--in my heart a fire burns-- [it's flaming love, of course] Oy Avrom, ikh ken on dir nit zayn--oy Avrom, [substitute any name]I can't be [live] without you. Sheyn bistu, oytser lebn, azoy vi loyter gold--you are beautiful, dear treasure [,as beautiful] as pure gold.]! Di fayerdike libe, vos tut in hartsn brenen--the fiery love that in my heart doth burn [an old song, obviously] Mayn tayer zis lebn--my dear, sweet life [love]! Ikh hob dikh lib, vi a peysakhdikn rosl--I love you , like a passover brine, Fun mir, dayn khaver Yosl.[ I know the tune to this song, but only these two lines, and I've never tasted a borsht made from a peysakhdiker rosl--all kinds of sincere love]. I can imagine seeing these messages [in Yiddish , of course,] on those little heart-shaped valentine candies that always appeared in February. Good luck in your Yiddish class! Esther Goffstein ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 6.208