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#REDIRECT [[Yiddish words used in English#Yinglish]] {{R from Merge}}{{R to section}} |
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{{Refimprove|date=June 2008}} |
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'''Yinglish''' words are [[neologisms]] created by speakers of [[Yiddish]] in [[English language|English]]-speaking countries, sometimes to describe things that were uncommon in the old country. This is the meaning of the term used by [[Leo Rosten]] in ''[[The Joys of Yiddish]]''. |
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[[Leo Rosten]]'s ''[[The Joys of Yiddish]]''<ref>[[Leo Rosten|Rosten, Leo]]. ''[[The Joys of Yiddish]]'', Pocket Books/Washington Square Press, 1970 (first edition 1968). ISBN 0-671-72813-X</ref> uses the words ''Yinglish'' and ''Ameridish'' to describe new words, or new meanings of existing Yiddish words, created by English-speaking persons with some knowledge of Yiddish. (The fact that ''donstairsiker'' is listed as Ameridish and its opposite ''opstairsiker'' is listed as Yinglish, coupled with the fact that no Yinglish word is suggested in ''The Joys of Yiddish'' to have arisen outside the [[United States|United States of America]], suggests that ''Ameridish'' and ''Yinglish'' are synonyms.) |
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Leo Rosten defines "Yinglish" as "Yiddish words that are used in colloquial English" (such as ''kibitzer)''<ref>Rosten, op. cit., p. ix.</ref> and Ameridish as words coined by Jews in the United States.<ref>Rosten, op. cit., p. x.</ref> Following this definitions, this article is about Ameridish, and [[Yiddish words used by English-speaking Jews]] is about what Rosten defines as Yinglish; his use, however, is inconsistent with his own definitions.<ref>According to his definition in page x, ''alrightnik'' should be Ameridish; however on page 12 it is defined as Yinglish.</ref> |
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''The Joys of Yiddish'' describes the following words as Yinglish except where noted as Ameridish: |
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* '''alrightnik''', '''alrightnikeh''', '''alrightnitseh''' – male, female, female individual who has been successful; ''nouveau riche''<ref>Rosten, op. cit., p. 12.</ref> |
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* '''[[blintz]]''' (Yinglish because the true Yiddish is ''blintzeh'')<ref>Rosten, op. cit., p. 42.</ref> |
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* '''bleiber shiver''' – from German ''bleibt schwer'', meaning ''remains difficult'' - unresolved problem, especially in Talmud learning |
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* '''bluffer''', '''blufferkeh''' – male, female person who bluffs<ref>Rosten, op. cit., p. 43.</ref> |
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* '''boarderkeh''', '''bordekeh''' – (Ameridish) female paying boarder<ref>Rosten, op. cit., p. 44.</ref> |
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* '''boychick''', '''boychikel''', '''boychiklekh''' - young boy, kiddo, handsome<ref>Rosten, op. cit., p. 49.</ref> |
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* '''bulbenik''' (Ameridish) – an actor who muffs his lines, from ''bilbul'' - mixup (alternative theory - ''bulba'', literally ''potato'', figuratively ''error''))<ref>Rosten, op. cit., p. 56.</ref> |
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* '''bummerkeh''' (Ameridish) – a female bum |
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* '''cockamamy''' false, ersatz, crazy (of an idea), artificial, jury-rigged (prob. from Eng. "decalcomania," a "decal," a sticker, a cheap process for transferring images from paper to glass.) In the Bronx, 1<sup>st</sup> half 20<sup>th</sup> century, a "cockamamie" was a washable temporary "tattoo" distributed in bubblegum packets. |
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* '''donstairsikeh''', '''donstairsiker''' – female, male living downstairs |
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* '''dresske''' – bargain-basement dress |
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* '''[[United States five-dollar bill|fin]]''' – five, or five-dollar bill, shortened form of Yiddish ''finif'' (five) |
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* '''[[kosher]]''' – Yinglish, not in its religious or Yiddish meanings, but only in five slang senses: authentic, trustworthy, legitimate, fair, and approved by a higher source. Its pronunciation, as "''kōsher''", is another distinguishing factor, as in true Yiddish it is pronounced "''kūsher''" or "''kösher''" |
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* '''mensch''' - a person of uncommon maturity and decency<ref>[[Steven Pinker]], ''The Stuff of Thought - Language as a Window into Human Nature'', Viking, 2007, ISBN 978-0-670-06327-7.</ref> |
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* '''nextdoorekeh''', '''nextdooreker''' – female, male living next door |
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* '''opstairsikeh''', '''opstairsiker''' (Ameridish) – female, male living upstairs |
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* '''pisha paysha''' – corruption of English card game [http://www.pagat.com/patience/pishe_pasha.html Pitch and Patience] |
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* '''sharopnikel''' (Ameridish) – a small object that causes quieting, such as a [[pacifier]], teething ring |
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* '''shmegegge''' (Ameridish) – an unadmirable or untalented person |
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* '''shnuk''' (Ameridish) - an idiotic person |
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* '''singlemon''' – single man |
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* '''shmo''' - shortened version of 'shmock' or 'shmearal', see 'shnuk' |
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* '''T.I.''' – ''tuches lecker'' a rapper or ass-kisser (literally, one who licks buttocks) |
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* '''tararam''' - a big '''tummel''' |
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==See also== |
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* [[History_of_the_Jews_in_Scotland#.22Scots-Yiddish.22|Scots-Yiddish]] |
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* [[Denglisch]] |
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* [[Ashkenazi Hebrew]] |
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* ''[[The Joys of Yiddish]]'' |
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* [[Coffee Talk]] |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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== External links == |
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*[http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Glossary/Yiddish_Words/yiddish_words.html A nice list of choice Yiddish/Ameridish words], |
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*[http://yiddishpedia.com Yiddishpeda] - A wiki based website which aims to become a Yiddish/Yinglish word and phrase directory. |
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{{Jewish languages}} |
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[[Category:Yiddish language]] |
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[[Category:Jewish languages]] |
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[[hr:Jingliš]] |
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[[he:יינגליש]] |
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[[pms:Lenga yinglish]] |
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[[tr:Yingliş]] |
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Latest revision as of 14:04, 4 November 2024
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