July 2010
12 posts
Shadkhnen - שדכנען
Shadkhnen - שדכנען \SHAD-khn-en\ Verb:
To make a match.
Pronunciation: Click here to hear a native Yiddish speaker use the word shidekh in conversation.Note: Some dialects pronounce the “d” sound more like a “t;” thus, we have shatkhn,shatkhnte, shatkhones, etc. In this dispatch, I employ the former, rather than the latter, transliteration/pronunciation scheme.
...
International Institute of Social History
For those interested, the International Institute of Social History, which is based in Amsterdam and archives materials relating to social movements in the modern period, has a branch of its website dedicated to Yiddish-language collections coming primarily from the archives of the Algemeyner Yidisher Arbeter Bund in Lite, Poyln, un Rusland (אלגעמיינער יידישער ארבעטער בונד אין ליטע, פוילן, און...
Keyt - קייט
Keyt - קייט \KEYT\ Noun \ Feminine \ Pl. Keytn:
A chain, shackle, bond; mountain range.
Pronunciation: Click here to hear a native Yiddish speaker use this word in conversation.
Synonym: pente (פענטע).
German equivalents: der Abaluf, das Band, die Fessel, die Kette, die Reihe.
Etymology: The word derives from Middle High German “ketene, keten,” from Old High German...
Dovid Katz
For those interested, Dovid Katz, a professor at Vilnius University in Lithuania and research director at the Vilnius Yiddish Institute, is a specialist on Yiddish linguistics, literature and stylistics, and Lithuanian Jewish culture and literature. His website contains links to many books and articles of his on Yiddish linguistics as well as work by relatives of his on Yiddish-related topics. In...
Sheyn
Sheyn - שיין \SHEYN\ Adjective:
Beautiful, handsome, pretty, lovely; fair (of weather). Pronunciation: Click here to hear a native Yiddish speaker use this word in conversation.
German equivalent: bewundernswert, schön.
Etymology: The word derives from Middle High German “schön,” which comes from Old High German “scōni,” itself from Proto-Germanic *skaunaz. Cognates...
International Association of Jewish Genealogical...
For those interested, the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) began its 30th international conference in Los Angeles yesterday (Sunday) and will continue with exciting programming throughout the week, some of which has to do with Eastern European and Yiddish culture. In addition to the conference website, you can check out the JewishGen organization’s website,...
Bord - בארד
Bord - בארד \BORD\ Noun \ Feminine \ Pl. Berd:
A beard, chin.
Pronunciation: Click here to hear a native Yiddish speaker use this word in conversation.
German equivalents: der Bart, die Fasern.
Etymology: The word derives from Middle High German “bart,” from Old High German “bart,” originally “bard” from West-Germanic “bardha” or...
Educational Program on Yiddish Culture
For those interested, the Educational Program on Yiddish Culture (EPYC) is a curriculum developed by YIVO and meant to educate students in the history of Yiddish culture in Eastern Europe. The full curriculum is available for download on the EPYC website, which contains supplemental and interactive material, here. It is truly a great resource for people interested in the topic.
