Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-02-22
JGDISCH DEUTSCH.
Interesting Historical Features of a Prcu-
liar Dialect.
fChroniclpf

There has been recently organized IN
New York city a theatrical company,
whose operate and dramatic perform
anccs are rendered in a language here
totorc quite unknown in this country
outside OF the people with whom it j,
native. The company consists al
most entirely OF Russian and Po-
lish Jews. and the language in
which they interpret their play,
is known as "Judisch Deutsch."
Were it not for the fact that the rep
rescntations are said to posses, rare
degree Of merit and are patronized by
the most cultured Of the iSraclitlSh
people, the company's existence would
scarcely call for anything more than
passing notice: but ~ it is now begin
ming 10 attract the attention Of other
natiOnallticS, more general know
ledge Of It's history and it, peculiar and
interesting features will naturally be
sought for.
The name. literally translated, means
Ilcbrcw-Gcrman and undoubtedly takes
thi, title from the fact that the language
i, expressed in Hebrew characters, and
not. Is might be supposed, on account
Of any prepOnderancc of pure Hebrew
word, that it contains. In fact, the
use Of idiomS from the ancient tongue
is very sparse. and is confined chiefly to
comparatively few expression, of q
domestic nature. Another reason for
the application of the Jewish part
Of the name may be found in the
singular fact that it is spoken only
bv Jews. which is it, distinctive charac-
teristic, and wherever communities have
been formed by this race in foreign
countries it has been discovered to be in
more or less use. especially among that
portion of the Jewish people who are
native in Poland and Russia. II exist,
in almost every habitable portion Of the
globe. and is extensively met through
out Asia Minor, and even in distant
kamchatka.
Like the history Of all languages, it
bears in It's varied component elements
the story Of the people who speak 1t.
In its growth can be traced the wan
dcrngs of Jews as they were persc-
cuted and driven from land to land.
With the remarkable aptitude that the
race has for acquiring knowledge Of all
kinds, and especially their power to
Grasp new languages, 1t IS not surprising
that they should have added from time
10 time scraps Of the languages OF the
various countries in which they briefly
sojourned and incorporated them into
their own.
At FIRST the Jews are traVcrSlng with
the Phcnicians the Mediterranean sea
and Atlantic ocean. and engaged in
trading with Britain and the northern
part Of Germany. About the year 500
B. c. Jewish travellers were found in
Greece. Italy, and Spain. From Spain
they wandered TO France, and in the
eleventh and twelfth centuries they had
already strongly entrcnched themselves
in Germany and parts Of Austria.
Here they learned the German Ian
guage. and, still retaining a large
portion of the words picked up in
their previous travels, mixed jar
gon, including Spanish, French, Eng
lish. and Slovenian, with the German
as the chief element. was the result, and
it is this potpourri Of various tongues
which is now known a the Judlsch
Deutsch. To bear out this statement
of their wanderings it IL only necessary
TO note the traces of Hebrew and Syriac
still remaining in the English and Ger
man languages. which proves that they
enriched the languages Of the countries
they temporarily dwelt in a. well as
their own. There seems to be general
impression among those not well in
formed that the Jews retained among
themselves for many years after leaving
Jerusalem the use OF the Hebrew tongue
in itspurity. The Hebrew is very limited
in the number Of its words, and does
not admit readily Of extended CONVEX
sation: hence these nomads were CON-
PEELED to prey upon the resources OF
the richer languages in order TO acquire
expressions to meet all the domestic,
commercial. and other needs existing
between man and man. And yet it
seems strange that the country in which
they suffered the most bitter aud re-
leniless prosecutions should be dis