A Brief History of Yiddish

[phkrause]

I’m verklempt over these Yiddish words that have become part of today’s culture.

Did you know that when you give, get, or even talk about a massage, you’re dealing with a word that originated in Portugal as “massa” which means dough, and then changed into amassar which means to knead, then in French to masser, which means to knead or to treat with massage? That “penguin” comes from the Welsh “pen gwyn”, meaning white head? That the term ‘entrepreneur’ is derived from the French verb ‘entreprendre’ which meant to undertake or do something? That “ketchup” was derived from the Chinese “Ke-stiap”, a concoction of pickled fish and spices? That the Arabic word from which ‘lemon’ originates is called ‘Laimun’, defined simply as a yellow citrus fruit? That the word “cookie” came to us from the Dutch term “Koekie”, or cake? That “guru” is from the Sanskrit language and indicates an individual with influential leadership, exceptional knowledge, and deep, thought-provoking intelligence?

https://www.aish.com/j/f/A-Brief-History-of-Yiddish.html

[phkrause]

Germany celebrates UNESCO World Heritage listing for sites known as the birthplace of Yiddish and Ashkenazi culture

(JTA) — Germany held a ceremony to celebrate the first German-Jewish sites to be given UNESCO’s World Heritage designation on Wednesday.

https://www.jta.org/2023/02/03/global/germany-celebrates-unesco-world-heritage-listing-for-jewish-sites-known-as-the-birthplace-of-yiddish-and-ashkenazi-culture?

[phkrause]

The legacy of Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem

Sholem Aleichem, born on March 2, 1859, was one of the founding fathers of modern Yiddish literature. Using humor, he created the modern archetypes, myths, and fables about Jewish life in Eastern Europe. The musical 'Fiddler on the Roof' is based on his stories about Tevye the Dairyman.

https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/videos/jewish-world/the-legacy-of-yiddish-writer-sholem-aleichem