[Lexicog] Coinages and brevity

[Fritz Goerling]

Thank you, toda rabah, Hayim,

 

Have a nice wekend,

Fritz

Dear Fritz,

I know several Hebrew sayings similar, but not exactly with the same nuance:

1. Mu`at machaziq et ha-merubbe (little but good)
2. Tafasta mu`at - tafasta (If you satisfy yourself with little, you will
achieve your end.
3. Tafasta merubbeh - lo tafasta (If you satisfy yourself with much, you
will not achieve your end. (often used together with  #2)
See also Proverbs 13:3: One who guards his mouth  saves his soul 
( my translation--HYS)

Rabbinic treatise Avot (part of Mishna) from the Tannaitic period prescribes
modesty (restriction) in trade, entertainment, conversation and laughter
(Avot VI:6), but it is formulated like a long list of  ethic values.

There are probably other sayings on this topic. I do not have a reference
book of Hebrew citations under my hands. You can look for this in the
libraries. One that I am familiar with is edited by Reuben Alcalay, a famous
Hebrew lexicographer. There you can look under English topics. 

Cheers,

Hayim Y. Sheynin

Fritz Goerling <Fritz_Goerling at sil.org> wrote:

Shalom, Hayim,

 

You said:

Your question is very interesting one and probably of generic nature. I mean
that similar questions can be asked about lexical and phraseology
contribution to any language. For example the less known for Western
linguists Russian language received an enormous contribution at the end of
the 18th century and the first part of 19th century not only from German and
French languages (lexical borrowing, but also from  particular writers.
Probably  Nikolai Karamzin (1766-1826), a historian and a writer,
contributed  a greatest number  of Russian  neologisms  and coinages, while
Denis Fonvizin (von Wisien, 1744-1792) and especially A.S. Griboedov
(1795-1829) contributed a greatest number of locutions, phrases, etc. I
would say that in the case of the last two the reason was that they had
sharp mind (i.e. they were quick-witted people) and their formulations were
les mots d'esprit (witticisms). Their wittici! sms came to Russian language
mostly from the comedies.

 

(FG)

Witticisms are usually brief, and as such (together with their semantic
punch) tend to be remembered. As the great Bard said: “Brevity is the soul
of wit.” Or as we say in German: “In der Kürze liegt die Würze” = in brevity
lies spice

 

Do you have a saying like that in Hebrew?

 

Le chaim,

 

Fritz









 

  

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