s/o Yiddish - tell me everything!

amother

Plum

Sun, Aug 27 2017, 11:12 pm

BT here. I know nothing about Yiddish. As I child about the only Yiddish word I knew was "Shul".

Can you guys explain to me about all. The different dialects? What's all this about frim vs frum? What was the song my grandmother sang - "kushy kushy henterlach?". Why does my father say "adown alom" for Adon Olam? Why did my father say "shobbes" to rhyme with Hebrew "tov ness" (טוב נס)?

Can anyone help me with this or anything else that has to do with Yiddish dialects?

Amelia Bedelia

Mon, Aug 28 2017, 8:37 pm

Basically, most chassidim, especially Polish and Hungarian chassidim, pronounce nekudos differently than other people. Kametz is ooh, shoorok and meloopim are eee. For example, they say "boorich" as opposed to "baruch".... Therefore, "frum" is pronounced "frim". Stolin is a Lithuanian chassidus so they don't use a chassidish havara, and neither does Lubavitch. Sorry, it's a bit confusing. Hope it's somewhat clear.

thunderstorm

Mon, Aug 28 2017, 10:00 pm

Just like any language, the dialects are different based on geography.
Hungarian, Romanian, Czechoslovakian have One pronunciation.
Lithuanian and Russian Jews have another
The Polish Jews have different dialects since that country's borders were constantly changing
Germans also pronounce things differently. For example you asked about Adown Owlam... that's definitely a German pronunciation.
Austrians and Oberlanders also have a slight Hungarian dialect with a twist.
It's all about European countries and the locations. Eventually here in America people spoke Yiddish the way their ancestors did.
My mother a BT also, said her grandmother said Mayde Ani... she was from Russia . Your grandfather would've pronounced it as Mowda Ani, probably.
The poeple that speak Yiddish pronounce their Lashon Kodesh in the same dialect as their Yiddish.

amother

Plum

Mon, Aug 28 2017, 10:49 pm

Bizzydizzymommy wrote:

Also , your grandmother probably said " potchie potchie hentelach". Potch means hit or slap. Basically it means " Clappy Clappy Little Hands"

Oh wow. Could it have been this

http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=4837

See I had misheard or misremembered it. But to me "potch" is a horrible word, like your father spanking your bare skin with a belt. But the thing with my grandmother was not like that at all, she was lovely. I think I remember her waving her hands in front of my face as she sang it (waving not clapping).

I do get that it's from different regions there are different dialects, but I was more wondering which came from where. Like which region says

Torah
Toyrah
Towra (I'm now guessing that's German?)
Toerah

Etc

amother

Cyan

Tue, Aug 29 2017, 10:42 am

Quote:

...
See I had misheard or misremembered it. But to me "potch" is a horrible word, like your father spanking your bare skin with a belt. But the thing with my grandmother was not like that at all, she was lovely. I think I remember her waving her hands in front of my face as she sang it (waving not clapping).

...[quote]

I am no linguist but "potch" means clap,slap or smack. What you visualize would be called "shmoss".....

thunderstorm

Tue, Aug 29 2017, 10:54 am

amother wrote:

By the way OP if your grandmother said " kushy kushy hentelach" that would translate to" kissy kissy little hands" . Kush means kiss

amother

Dodgerblue

Tue, Aug 29 2017, 11:03 am

amother wrote:

This reminds me of a song I grew up with and sing to my kids at diaper time.
Potchy potchy feesalach (clapping her feet together. or you can do hentalach.)
Mami unteen sheechalach
Strimpalach tati koifen
In _____ -la (insert name ei rivka-la) vet in school/cheder aran loifen.

Clappie clappie little feet
Mommy will put on your little shoes
Socks daddy will buy
And little _______ will run to school / cheder.

Like every language there are different dialects and accents, after wwII, it was transplantated to where they poeple settled down.
So in Williamsburg you'll hear mainly hungarian yiddish same in KJ.
In bp you'll find a mix. In EY, you'll find yerushalmi accent and dialect.

thunderstorm

Tue, Aug 29 2017, 12:05 pm

amother wrote:

I like your version. I grew up with this:
Potchie potchie hentalach
Mommy bocked kichelach
Totty koifed shichelach
Un a kish oif di gezinte bekalach