The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-08-23
YlDDlSH BEING ANGLICIzED
BIG CHANGES IN THE LAM
GUAGE OF THR GHETTO.
The Natural Assimilation Of Business
Words and Phrases Is Helping to Alter
Character OF Idiom which Came
Here Chiefly German and Hebrew.

Character OF Idiom which Came
Here Chiefly German and Hebrew.
Every once In a while some one asks.
What is Yiddish?' and the common reply Is.
1T is a hodge podge Of all tongues mixed
with Hebrew"
We'll. do all Jews who come to this ooun-
try speak Yiddish2" Is a not unlikely second
question, to which some persons are apt to
reply, why, yes
That gives rise TO some surprise that
persons living In Poland should mix German
and Galioian and other languages Of which
they know nothing with Hebrew and get a
sort OF universal Jewish tongue.
The fact seems to be that Yiddish is very
apt to be strongly favored with the Ian
guage Of the country In which the Jews find
Themselves. The remarkable assimilatfve
qualities Of the race show themselves In
that as in other things.
OF course scientifically Yiddish Is Judeo-
German, a tongue that made its first appear
ance about the fifteenth century. Then
Jews in Germany began to speak a language
that was Hebrew colored by German.
Hebrew roots with German endings or the
reverse figured in the vocabulary.
And curiously enough, 1t all Ia based on
the opposite of what IL the common ex-
perience with persons learning a new
language. C~istomarily 1t Is rather easier
to learn to read than to understand the
spoken tongue In . new language. but
here In Yiddish are the spoken sounds
transliterated into Hebrew characters and
so making themselves understood.
With the growth Of time and the exodus
Of German Jews to other countries came
the bearing in Of Judeo-German to other
tongues. As II was q convenient form
Of expression, IL did not entirely lose its
original struosare.
Many persons, Of course, ~insinuated into
1t the language Of the country where these
pioneers Of the tongue then were. II
retained even in Poland just about enough
Of Its German form to make it compare
lively easy TO understand when German
Jews and Polish Jews met in America.
And no unnaturally when they came
here, they began to insert into the language
the words that they heard ali about them.
In Germany 1t soon got the name Of JOdisch,
as a tongue that the Jews speak. From
that to- Yiddish il no long or difficult
genealogical step.
1t is no exaggeration to say that In this
country Yiddish Ia fast losing Its character
as a mixed Hebrew and German tongue.
The Hebrew has given way to many cor
ruptions n the German Ii being swept
way by English. The German Is more
stubborn. however. n retains an ad-
vantage over the English.
The true proportions are hard to figure.
but they may be imagined when il il said
that q person with a comparatively quick
ear for the mangllng Of words and a fair
knowledge OF German can come close to
Understanding q Yiddish speaker. or
course, now and then he will run into an
absolute impasse where a Succession OF
true Yiddish words OF corrupted Hebrew
origin will block his way.
just recently q good example OF written
Yiddish came up. One OF the many hand
bills that float about in New York contained
an advertisement.
The upper half was in straight English,
the lower half assume to be a Yiddish
translation done In Hebrew types. The
transliteration OF the Hebrew characters
back into English equivalents gives a key
to the tongue. II read;
Ekstrai EkstraI
Zu Pedlers aind Starkipers.
Dia--Halslil HUH. Dielers Vim
Katan Guds. Remnents. Taiialings aind
Blankets
Machen Aid Bekant das Tsee vveles Efenen
Ain Nils Star Ain
--Medison Evveniu.
Bet. to atnd ---te Sts.
War Ella vvelen Haben Ain Cruiser staak
Won vershidene Katan Guds. vvelohe Vvelen
Ziin Ain Abisnahs tsu A'es WAS wet Warren
verkuift. Kumt atnd Ibarsiigt Eiin.
Hsfendik das Aihr wet dieze Star bezuchen, |
verbliiben vir.
Dia-HAIsIn HUE.
That looks like pretty much anything
but English. but it contains a lot OF English
words. "Ekstra' is of course extra"
sPedlers' Is simple enough and. starkipers'
Is -storekeepers.'
.Halsiil' Is Wholesale and the word