Register Guidelines E-Books Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Go Back   MobileRead Forums > E-Book General > Reading Recommendations

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 11-30-2012, 06:17 PM   #1
ficbot
Wizard
ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 2,409
Karma: 4132096
Join Date: Sep 2008
Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App
Read a great book on history of Yiddish language

I recently read a great book on the history of the Yiddish language; my partner's parents both grew up in Yiddish-speaking households, and my own family has these roots as well. I think I had these noble ideas that I could learn about the great Yiddish authors and then read them as a way to connect to my heritage.

Well, the book set me straight It talked about how Yiddish was considered, even by its speakers, to be a slang or 'low' language for quite some time. For many years, the only published stuff in Yiddish was religious texts which had been translated from Hebrew or German (both considered 'educated' languages) so that the 'common' people could read it.

By the time Yiddish got respectability, and famous authors, we were on the cusp of World War II, which pretty much ended the whole Yiddish 'civilization.' Sholem Aleichem and I.B. Singer, the two best-known of the 'classic' Yiddish writers, only became famous once they moved to America, and the Yiddish world they wrote about from their childhoods was already pretty much gone.

I know there are modern writers who write in Yiddish as a way of reviving it somewhat; two local Jewish schools here even teach it as a language elective. But my partner's parents, who were raised with that language, are deeply embarrassed by it and I doubt they would ever seek out such a book.

I thought the story was so interesting. I wonder if there are other languages which only have one or two known authors because they died out just as they were hitting their stride and never got the chance to become their full potential.

Anyway, the book is called Yiddish: A Nation of Words by Miriam Weinstein. It's a great read for language buffs
ficbot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2012, 08:23 PM   #2
SteveEisenberg
Grand Sorcerer
SteveEisenberg ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.SteveEisenberg ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.SteveEisenberg ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.SteveEisenberg ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.SteveEisenberg ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.SteveEisenberg ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.SteveEisenberg ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.SteveEisenberg ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.SteveEisenberg ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.SteveEisenberg ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.SteveEisenberg ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 7,025
Karma: 39312118
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: near Philadelphia USA
Device: Kindle Kids Edition, Fire HD 10 (11th generation)
Quote:
Originally Posted by ficbot View Post
I wonder if there are other languages which only have one or two known authors because they died out just as they were hitting their stride and never got the chance to become their full potential.
I don't know the answer to your question.

I do know that very few of the excellent Yiddish novels available in English translation, in paper, are also available as eBooks. Even most of the works of Nobel prize winner I. B. Singer are paper only!

I have good memories of one novel, written in English by an author who usually wrote in Yiddlish, that is available from Project Gutenberg: The Rise of David Levinsky

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2803

Last edited by SteveEisenberg; 11-30-2012 at 08:26 PM.
SteveEisenberg is offline   Reply With Quote
Advert
Old 12-01-2012, 06:17 PM   #3
BenG
Home Guard
BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
BenG's Avatar
 
Posts: 4,728
Karma: 86721650
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard
Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6
Amazon has the new version of Leo Rosten's The Joys of Yiddish.
I don't have much experience with Yiddish, being from a small town in Georgia, but I found it at the library and enjoyed it for the jokes and anecdotes.
BenG is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
History Abbot, Jacob: Makers of History - Peter the Great. V1. 13 June 2009 crutledge ePub Books 1 01-20-2013 01:32 AM
Great History Books? taosaur Reading Recommendations 24 08-17-2012 12:04 PM
Read an E-Book Week 2012: Same great content, easier to find freebies Steven Lyle Jordan News 20 03-02-2012 08:41 AM
Free book (Kindle/Nook) - 101 Things You Didn't Know About Irish History [History] ATDrake Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links) 9 03-17-2011 05:46 PM
USA History Book you will read on this Independence Day chinesealbumart Reading Recommendations 15 07-12-2009 04:41 AM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:50 AM.


MobileRead.com is a privately owned, operated and funded community.