LL-L "Language varieties" 2011.04.24 (02) [EN]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 24 April 2011 - Volume 02
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Language varieties



Dear Lowlanders,



Today I did my first volunteer stint at a local all-Jewish
independent-living retirement home (the only one of its kind in Washington
State). The purpose was to start and facilitate a Yiddish conversation
circle (*krentsl*, קרענצל, diminutive form of *krants* קראַנץ ‘wreath’), the
ultimate goal being inspiring Ashkenazi Jewish seniors to use Yiddish with
each other instead of English, if they are able to do so. I hope that the
language will trigger memories of the earlier parts of their lives and will
help to create a more *heymish* (הײמיש “home-like,” “cozy”) atmosphere among
them. Indeed, already during the first meeting I received a large amount of
information about earlier Passover customs (today’s topic), be it in America
or back in Europe.



Here are a few (at least vaguely) Lowlands-related observations.

   - Well over 30 people showed up, far more than I had expected. In terms
   of age, they ranged from about their early 70s to 100. (One of the attending
   gentlemen had turned 100 about two months ago.) Most of them were American
   born and raised, predominantly in and around the general New York City and
   Chicago areas. About one third among them were at least somewhat fluent in
   Yiddish, had spoken it as their first language until school age and had used
   it at least occasionally after that. Most of the rest grew up listening to
   Yiddish on and off, had various levels of passive proficiency and, when
   pressed, could express themselves at least simply in Yiddish, frequently
   switching back and forth between Yiddish and English. (This population
   slowed down the process by intermittently asking what had been said.)
   - I was dealing with a fairly appreciative “audience,” though, in truly
   Jewish manner, there were even more opinions in the room than there were
   people, and that made for an at least occasionally tough audience (though I
   was asked to come back).
      - As in the case of Low Saxon, the more proficient speakers tended to
      pay much attention to dialect. When I started speaking, I heard
them debate
      amongst themselves whether I was a *Litvak* ( ליטװאַק), a
*Polyak*(פּאָליאַק)
      or a *Galitsianer* (גאַליציאַנער), referring to speakers of
      “Lithuanian (i.e. northern Yiddish)”, “Polish (Yiddish)” or
“Galician (i.e.,
      mostly Ukrainian, Hungarian, Romanian and Southern Polish)
Yiddish." I told
      them that I followed a more neutral, “stage” norm. One speaker
said she only
      talked Yiddish with other *Litvaks* like her. I challenged her by
      saying she surely understood speakers of other dialects as well,
upon which
      she shrugged her shoulders and said, “Eh!” So, among fluent
speakers, these
      dialect distinctions, although not particularly significant in the great
      scheme of things, are still considered rather important even
among certain
      born Americans.
      - One gentleman spoke the Yiddish dialect of Williamsburg, New York.
      As a “mixed” language beyond “Yinglish” (i.e. Yiddish-influenced
English),
      it straddles both Yiddish and English, is based mostly on code
switching. In
      addition, it has a rather “aggressive”-sounding intonation, a
staccato style
      of talking, and the nasality everyone expects from New Yorkers,
no matter if
      in Yiddish or English. This is the type of language I am accustomed to
      hearing especially among Ultra-Orthodox American Jews.
      Here is a (parodied) sample:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0nE75fv0r8

 Again I was reminded of what seem like “lexical enhancements” found in
languages that were “mixed” fairly recently. (Today’s Yiddish consists of
the only surviving Yiddish dialects of Eastern Europe.)

In terms of “question,” I felt pretty safe if people asked me a
*shayle*(שאלה< Hebrew
*šĕ’elāh* שְׁאֵלָה) or a *frage* (< פֿראַגע < Modern German *Frage*), since
these terms are more neutral, *shayle* being more like “inquiry (about the
correct way)”. But I thought, “Uh-oh!” as soon as anyone (usually Mr.
Williamsburg) said they wanted to a*sk* me a *kashe* (קשיאה < Hebrew *kušyāh
* קֻשְיָאה), for this implies a problem or trick question or is intended to
test your knowledge.



Happy Second Day of Easter and another happy couple of days of Passover!

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
Seattle, USA



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