tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post610536024425343387..comments2023-03-03T03:06:04.584-06:00Comments on Grammatically Motivated: Dress British; Think Yiddishzellakatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13466934007546605691noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-82448947358678228882012-03-15T23:31:33.419-05:002012-03-15T23:31:33.419-05:00Reading this post made me want to comment about my...Reading this post made me want to comment about my own experiences with languages. However, it got too long, so I had to put it on my own blog. You can read it, if you want.<br /><br /><a href="http://bintalshamsa.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-i-decided-to-learn-these-languages.html" rel="nofollow">Why I decided to learn these languages</a>bint alshamsahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00658169355503798587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-20575807813698478132011-12-23T07:36:08.760-06:002011-12-23T07:36:08.760-06:00zella - hello! great and nearly scientific is your...zella - hello! great and nearly scientific is your blog<br />if you come to vienna you will notice so many yiddish words you mention are commonly used in the viennese dialect /schlamassel, guter rutsch! (from roshhashana) you wish evry body at the turn of the year<br />many many..<br />thank you!<br />may 2012 be your year!<br />best<br />carlwerkstätte carl auböckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10885480766981243166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-88430456136981615672010-05-29T17:19:19.820-05:002010-05-29T17:19:19.820-05:00You're welcome! Yeah, I saw the description an...You're welcome! Yeah, I saw the description and based on what you had told me, I wondered if it was what you were looking for, but it was the only one I saw that didn't seem to be formal Arabic. <br /><br />That's a great idea! You could have a language immersion program right at home! :)zellakatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13466934007546605691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-71916178775730745872010-05-29T16:36:12.046-05:002010-05-29T16:36:12.046-05:00Thanks for the link! I think that would be most si...Thanks for the link! I think that would be most similar to the Arabic spoken in the US. But still, I'm betting some of the words and phrases are different. My friend's family is Palestinian and they do have different slang for certain things, although it's mostly the same. I guess if I want to learn to speak fluently in the same dialect my family does I probably have to go right to the source, and start ordering them to speak in only Arabic around me. :DFeathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02264459557558264995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-6255139125957998232010-05-29T16:20:16.734-05:002010-05-29T16:20:16.734-05:00Oh, okay, that is interesting! :)
Unfortunately, ...Oh, okay, that is interesting! :)<br /><br />Unfortunately, I can't seem to find my catalog--either here or online. It was about ten years old, so the business could be gone by now. I know they used State Department courses, though, so I imagine they're pretty good quality. I found this one from the Foreign Language Institute, but it is for Levantine Arabic, which they say is used in Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Jordan:<br /><br />http://www.multilingualbooks.com/fsi-info.html#levantine<br /><br /> Would that be the same dialect or a different one? <br /><br />Hehe Perhaps taking lessons with your grandmother would be better! :)zellakatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13466934007546605691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-13685990527488799362010-05-29T15:46:55.571-05:002010-05-29T15:46:55.571-05:00Formal Arabic is the language books, essays, poetr...Formal Arabic is the language books, essays, poetry and other literature is written in, but no one actually speaks it for some reason. That would be cool, finding a program to learn Lebanese! But I think I may just end up making my grandma teach me, because it would end up being cheaper. :DFeathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02264459557558264995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-31588105663506092272010-05-29T15:28:37.406-05:002010-05-29T15:28:37.406-05:00Rebel: if it helps you further sort it out, Yiddis...Rebel: if it helps you further sort it out, Yiddish was often the social language of European Jews, while Hebrew was often just used for religious purposes. (Much how the Catholics use Latin.) it wasn't until Jews started moving to Israel again that Hebrew saw a resurgence as a language beyond religious usage. This is actually my problem, in that I know a lot of Hebrew words and phrases but they are all religious in nature! If I was dropped off in Israel, I would be doomed! I like the Polish phrase you know. Sauerkraut is quite wonderful. :D<br /><br />Feathery: That's funny how formal Arabic isn't even spoken! I assume it just exists mainly in written form? Have you found a program that teaches Lebanese Arabic? I used to have a catalog for a company that sold language courses. If I am not mistaken, they did have several Arabic dialect courses--and I am almost 100% sure Lebanese was one of them. I can't think of the name off-hand. Let me see if I can find it. :Dzellakatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13466934007546605691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-34634775164841393332010-05-29T14:53:50.947-05:002010-05-29T14:53:50.947-05:00@Zella- That's interesting about Bedouin and t...@Zella- That's interesting about Bedouin and translator, I'm not surprised, the dialects are like entirely different languages. I wanted to get the Rosetta Stone program to help me learn this summer, but they only have Egyptian Arabic and the formal stuff, and my family wouldn't be able to understand Egyptian, and everyone starts snickering if someone talks in formal Arabic, it's not really a spoken language. :D<br /><br />@Rebel- Haha how'd you learn to do that? I don't know any swear words, since I've learned the phrases and words I know from basic children's books and my family. I don't think I've ever heard them swear, in Arabic, ever. xD<br />Oh and sauerkraut is awesome, I used to hate it but I love it now. I think my genes are finally starting to kick in. :DFeathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02264459557558264995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-89518043885664896292010-05-29T13:34:37.649-05:002010-05-29T13:34:37.649-05:00That clears it up! I'd always wondered about t...That clears it up! I'd always wondered about the finer differences between Hebrew and Yiddish...since I associate both with Judaism, I wasn't sure what the actual difference was. <br /><br />Yes, I've discovered that Jews are very detail-oriented. xD <br />Which totally sounds like my grandpa, now that I think about it...<br /><br />My friend knows some and it sounds so pretty! But, all I know are hello, goodbye, this is my friend, you're welcome, and a few other odd words. <br /><br />Which I suppose isn't bad considering all I know of Polish is 'I'm hungry for sauerkraut.' and that isn't exactly useful...rebel_of_nowherehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12825980947498261528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-48760225817370293772010-05-29T12:29:31.840-05:002010-05-29T12:29:31.840-05:00Please don't beat your head against the desk, ...Please don't beat your head against the desk, Rebel! Yiddish is essentially German fused with Hebrew and Slavic languages, so a lot of the words do look German. (In fact, "mensch" in German means "man". We just use it with a more specific definition.) And usually it is written in the Hebrew alphabet, so it's easy to confuse with Hebrew. We can't make anything simple. :P<br /><br />That's neat about your grandpa! Hebrew is such a lovely language! I want to learn more than just the prayers. *feels like a bad Jew* :)zellakatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13466934007546605691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-75874870961462554482010-05-29T11:31:44.113-05:002010-05-29T11:31:44.113-05:00Wow, I had no idea so many of those were Yiddish! ...Wow, I had no idea so many of those were Yiddish! I knew several but had thought they were German or Hebrew. (I admit, I confuse Hebrew and Yiddish frequently *headdesk*)<br /><br />@Feathers: I can swear in Arabic, if that counts :D<br /><br />I can only say about five words of Hebrew, though. My grandpa was a German/Polish/Spanish Jew, so I'm trying to learn more. Even though I'm not Jewish, their culture is quite fascinating! <br /><br />This was really interesting, since in my house I've realized that a lot of the sayings I'd taken for granted were actually German and Argentine. Funny how things get mixed in.rebel_of_nowherehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12825980947498261528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-62199533321935819792010-05-28T12:13:31.371-05:002010-05-28T12:13:31.371-05:00@Feathery, I took a little Spanish and German in h...@Feathery, I took a little Spanish and German in high school. Hehe Most of it has left me. I want to take German and Russian because I hope to specialize in The Russian Revolution and WWII as a history major. That's neat about your coach! Russia has always fascinated me! I know the Cyrillic alphabet and how to say "Please" and that's it! I have my work cut out for me. :P<br /><br />That's very interesting about Arabic. I have heard that the Arabic dialects can vary greatly. My dad served in the Middle East in the 1980s and he said that one time they were talking to a Bedouin, and the translator spoke a few dialects of Arabic and still couldn't understand a word the guy said! <br /><br />@Jean: It really is amazing how much Yiddish has become fairly mainstream. I love schlep, too! It's a word I use quite frequently. (And I schlep quite frequently. It's the perfect pace to walk.) Ooooh, this is intriguing about your sister! That is a Yiddish word I just learned recently. ^^zellakatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13466934007546605691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-78138283214819806762010-05-28T07:30:10.655-05:002010-05-28T07:30:10.655-05:00Huh, I had no idea I used so much yiddish. I love ...Huh, I had no idea I used so much yiddish. I love schlep. For the record, my sister really IS a draycup.Jean Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02047709505502621618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-19512342853870651482010-05-28T00:29:14.686-05:002010-05-28T00:29:14.686-05:00I like learning about ancestry and people's he...I like learning about ancestry and people's heritage too, it's fascinating! Learning Spanish first made most sense for me, so I did that (sorta, I'm only about 4/6 functional in Spanish), but now I get to stop Spanish and pick up something else. I don't think I'll go for the formal written Arabic, I just want to be fluent speaking the Lebanese dialect. Because written Arabic is almost a completely different language than all the dialects!<br />Ohhh learning Russian would be so so so cool! My skating coach is Russian and a lot of the skaters speak it, it's a really pretty sounding language, I think. :)Feathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02264459557558264995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-31913366210494877612010-05-27T22:49:58.091-05:002010-05-27T22:49:58.091-05:00Oh, that's really cool! (I just love learning ...Oh, that's really cool! (I just love learning about everyone's ancestry. :) )<br /><br />Good luck with studying Arabic! That sounds like fun. :) I am much the same way about Hebrew and Yiddish. I can say things and recognize many of the words, but I cannot speak it fluently. One of my life goals is to achieve fluency in one of them--if not both of them--at some point. (However, I need to study two languages for college to get a grad degree, and the two that make the most sense for me based on my intended fields of study are German and Russian, so I suppose the Hebrew and Yiddish will have to wait. *cries*)<br /><br />LOL Yes, klutzes should definitely stay out of china stores. :P<br /><br />That's neat word! (I have a feeling the way I am saying it to myself--thankfully everyone else is asleep and cannot hear me muttering to myself--is probably not correct, but that's okay. :D) I wonder if most languages have their own equivalent of "Nu".zellakatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13466934007546605691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-19116996198977566092010-05-27T22:26:40.556-05:002010-05-27T22:26:40.556-05:00Haha I'm such an interesting mix as well, part...Haha I'm such an interesting mix as well, part German/Lebanese/Norwegian. :D <br /><br />I can't really speak Arabic, unfortunately (I really should by now, it's amazing I haven't picked it up already), but I do know many, many words and understand a lot of phrases. And I can write and dictate (badly) in Arabic. I just can't really understand what I'm writing, beyond words here and there. Funny you should ask, because properly learning Arabic is one of my summer goals. :D Shouldn't be that hard, hearing it my whole life.<br /><br />Yes, I completely agree klutzes should stick together. And stay out of china stores. :S Hehe.<br /><br />Can't think of the word yet, but "aiwa" is a similar one, it means yes, sorta, but is used way more generally than yes. They just like, throw it out all over the conversation. :DFeathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02264459557558264995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-89269958940662979052010-05-27T22:10:06.735-05:002010-05-27T22:10:06.735-05:00Thanks, Feathery! Glad you enjoyed it! I firmly be...Thanks, Feathery! Glad you enjoyed it! I firmly believe we klutzes should stick together. We can pick each other up when the other trips and falls . . . <br /><br />*returns high-five* Yes! I am part-German. My mother, as I said in the post, is German-Jewish and my father is a combo of Sephardic (Spanish) Jewish, English, Irish, Welsh, Scottish, Dutch, and Cherokee blood. I like to tell people I am a Jewish redneck. :P<br /><br />Ooooh, can you speak Arabic? *gets excited* It's such a lovely language! I have a few books on it--which have never helped me learn it but I just love to look at the calligraphy. I would love to see that word if you can find it! :)zellakatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13466934007546605691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-35759796801751328642010-05-27T18:58:23.177-05:002010-05-27T18:58:23.177-05:00Very nice Zella, my vocabulary is so much larger n...Very nice Zella, my vocabulary is so much larger now! I didn't realize some of these words were originally Yiddish, like klutz. I am also a klutz. People generally consider me rather graceful, until I break a dish or trip over my own feet, etc. :D <br /><br />Oh, you're part German too? *high fives* <br /><br />There's a word in Arabic that's rather like "nu". *thinks* If I can remember it later I'll post it, it's such a useful word. :DFeathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02264459557558264995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-29043222439607238082010-05-27T17:10:21.339-05:002010-05-27T17:10:21.339-05:00wezzz, Never apologize for kvetching! I love to kv...wezzz, Never apologize for kvetching! I love to kvetch myself! Thanks for the link! I was familiar with some of the other spellings but some of them I have never seen before. *feels like a fool* I debated about how to write the transliterations of the ones I knew had alternative spellings, but I decided to go with the more familiar spellings, even if they are not the exact way they're spelled traditionally just because they do help non-Jews with the pronounciations and also because they seem to be more common. I will definitely start playing with this YIVO transliteration. *has a yekkish delight in detail* Good luck with the Yiddish lessons! Those sound fun. :)<br /><br />Scott, You're welcome! Noodge is a good one. I am also fond of schnook. Another Yiddish word that many people do not know is Yiddish is glitch. :)zellakatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13466934007546605691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-91144033426925969502010-05-27T17:00:07.832-05:002010-05-27T17:00:07.832-05:00Seeing this post and all the wonderful learning th...Seeing this post and all the wonderful learning therein nearly made me plotz, Zella! I'm so glad you posted it! I think my favorite is noodge, but I liked nosh as well!<br />It's also interesting how many words we use, sometimes regularly, that I didn't know were Yiddish. Like klutz, and schlep, and putz. Although maybe others know that these are Yiddish, and I'm just a draycup.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947315095649206987.post-69235199666000481132010-05-27T16:59:01.439-05:002010-05-27T16:59:01.439-05:00I love Yiddish. I'm attempting to learn Yiddis...I love Yiddish. I'm attempting to learn Yiddish with a teacher but it's a slow process to get all of these Hebrew sounds out of my mouth and let the soft yearnings of my heritage escape. <br /><br />While I hate to kvetsh (who am I kidding, I'm Jewish), you could improve your Yiddish by using correct transliterations. <br /><br />http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs001/1011300519016/img/412.gif?a=1102952182831<br /><br />For example, if you want to correct the spelling of "shicksa" then we might as well correct all of the misspellings according to that YIVO-based transliteration guide. Of course most of these words are used in Yinglish -- is a bisl Yiddish thrown into an otherwise English sentence. You might write "schmooze" and it should be written "shmooze" without that false crutch of the 'sch'. In actuality, it should be written shmues, the real Yiddish word. <br /><br />But maybe that's too much to expect, especially when so many of these words are now in English-language dictionaries, often spelled the way you use them. <br /><br />If you want to pursue more accurate uses of Yiddish, one could still approach it a little more academically. I would start by getting rid of double consonants (chazzer->chazer, shnorrer->shnorer). You could then move to correct vowel transliterations (schnook->shnuk).<br /><br />abi gezunt!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05060132258815724172noreply@blogger.com