LL-L "Etymology" 2008.01.20 (08) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

L O W L A N D S - L  -  19 January 2008 - Volume 08
=========================================================================

From: Mark Dreyer <mrdreyer at lantic.net>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2008.01.20 (03) [E]

Dear Ron:

Subject: L-Lowlands "Etymology"

Ron, over the Long Ages there has been a drift of meaning to the Hebrew word
'mazal'. Once it meant 'destiny' - specifically 'celestial destiny'. & at
that time they coined the apothegm 'Eyn mazal l'Yehudim', meaning 'Jews are
not subject to fate." - (pray, & God may change it: See the Book of Jonah).
There was no point in casting augeries or looking 'in the stars'. The Greeks
thought this was bizarre & the sign of a capricious God - & alas, these
'atheists' (atheoi) had only that one!

Later it drifted to mean just luck (in the popular mind), & now the same
expression is taken to mean 'Jews have no luck'. This is the foundation of
the application of the term "sheloh Mazal" in Hebrew & "shlemozzel" in
Yiddish (He who has *no* luck). The concept is of course 'popular'. It has
no foundation in doctrine (Jews are not supposed to believe in Luck).

There is the tale succinctly explaining three characteristic 'types' in
society, epitomised in the terms Shlemozzel (already discussed), Shlemiel
("sheloh miEl (That which is *not* from God)),& Nebbish (that you might be
able to help me with, Ron. I think it is Russian, & as the Yid applies it,
refers to an *ineffectual* twerp).

Herewith the tale:
The waiter carries a big tureen of hot soup to table. The guest, the
shlemiel, has his legs stuck out & causes him to trip & spill it in the lap
of the diner, the shlemozzel. Without due warning or even asking permission
the waiter, the nebbish, takes his little napkin & tries to wipe it out of
the victim's lap.

Ron:
By the way, there have been various theories as to the origin of Yiddish
שלימזל *shlimazl*. The component מזל *mazl* is clear: Hebrew מַזָל
*mazâl*'fortune', 'fate' (also used in the colloquial Dutch greeting
as
*de mazzel*). The most plausible explanation seems to be that
*Schlamassel*goes back to early Judeo-German שלים מזל
*shlim mazl* where *shlim* is a cognate of German *schlimm* 'dire',
'seriously bad'.

Regards,
Mark

----------

From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Etymology

A sheynem dank, tayerer fraynd, Mark.

The hypothesis of שלא מזל *shelo **mazâl* is the one I learned about first,
donkey years ago. In the meantime the grapevine has it that this is
considered debunked at least in some quarters, apparently because שלימזל *
shlimazl* or שלימ מזל *shlim mazl* occurred in early (Old Yiddish) in
Germany. I don't know this for a fact, though. Well, in favor of it we can
say that on the basis of שלא מזל *shelo **mazâl*  we should expect something
like* *shlomazl* or **shlumazl*.

Cheers!
Reinhard/Ron
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lowlands-l/attachments/20080120/c9821494/attachment.htm>