Fiddler on the Roof, Netanya, Israel. Wiki article on Fiddler on the Roof.
You probably already know a few Yiddish words. Chutzpah (cheeky, showing effrontery, brazen and bold action).. Shpiel (game or long story). You may have picked up a few words from the Film Fiddler On the Roof, written by Sholom Aleichem (a pen name meaning peace to you).
Shtetle means small village.
I have picked up an assortment of greatings and exlamations.
Oh veh - oh my goodness.
Mazel tov - good luck, good fortune, congratulations.
Good shabbos. (A mixed language greeting, good sabbath.)
Mixing two languages is called code mixing or code switching.
But why learn more?
Why learn a language?
1 To gain control of your understanding of the world.
2 To communicate you needs for transport, food and accomodation when travelling.
3 To understand the grammar and structure of another language in order to clear confusion and avoid embarrassing mistakes.
4 To sell and make money, to buy proftably, and then possibly sell on later at a profit.
5 To connect with elders and ancestors
6 To write a novel, psrinkling it with phrases, proverbs, idoms, aphorisms.
7 To understand the structure of English contrasting it with other languages.
8 To get a job in the hospitaliy industry or by translating live, or for websites selling goods, and packing for consumers.
9 To undnerstand danger and talk our way out of trouble.
10 To follow conversations so as not to feel left out, and establish rapport.
I have two reasons for learning Yiddish.
1 I wish to add phrases to my novel series starting in Ukriane in 1880 and moving on to Londo, England.
2 Yiddish is the last language I need to present on slides in my introduction to languages for LILT only languages club. LILT for Languages for Inteerest, Learning and Travel.
3 A few Yiddish words are used in the USA.
What is Yiddish?
Yiddish is mostly German words, written in the Hebrew alphabet. It was the language used by Ashkenazi (Hebrew for German) Jews. The German name for Yiddish is Jewish German.
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