Origins of Yiddish dialects /

Origins of Yiddish dialects /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:Beider, Alexander, author.
Edition:First edition.
Imprint:Oxford, United Kingdom : Oxford University Press, 2015.
Description:xxxiii, 611 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm
Language:English
Subject:
Yiddish language -- Dialects -- History.
Yiddish language -- Dialects -- Phonology.
Yiddish language -- Dialects -- Morphology.
Yiddish language -- History.
Yiddish language.
History.
Format: Print Book
URL for this record:http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/10429144
Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:9780198739319
0198739311
Notes:Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
Summary:This book traces the origins of modern varieties of Yiddish and presents evidence for the claim that, contrary to most accounts, Yiddish only developed into a separate language in the 15th century. Through a careful analysis of Yiddish phonology, morphology, orthography, and the Yiddish lexicon in all its varieties, Alexander Beider shows how what are commonly referred to as Eastern Yiddish and Western Yiddish have different ancestors. Specifically, he argues that the western branch is based on German dialects spoken in western Germany with some Old French influence, while the eastern branch has its origins in German dialects spoken in the modern-day Czech Republic with some Old Czech influence. The similarities between the two branches today are mainly a result of the close links between the underlying German dialects, and of the close contact between speakers. Following an introduction to the definition and classification of Yiddish and its dialects, chapters in the book investigate the German, Hebrew, Romance, and Slavic components of Yiddish, as well as the sound changes that have occurred in the various dialects.
Table of Contents:
  • Preface
  • Acknowledgments
  • Abbreviations
  • Introduction
  • 1. Main concepts and classifications
  • 1.1. Schemes of the development of Yiddish
  • 1.1.1. The Rhine hypothesis
  • 1.1.2. The Danube hypothesis
  • 1.1.3. Suggested general scheme
  • 1.2. Definitions of the term Yiddish
  • 1.2.1. General aspects
  • 1.2.2. Germanistic approach
  • 1.2.3. Jewish-oriented approach: terminological issues
  • 1.2.4. Jewish-oriented approach: fusion character of Yiddish
  • 1.2.5. Jewish-oriented approach: classification of Jewish languages
  • 1.2.6. Suggested approach
  • 1.3. Classifications of Yiddish elements
  • 1.3.1. Principal classification used in this book
  • 1.3.2. Classification methodology
  • 1.3.3. Comparison between competing hypotheses
  • 1.3.4. Classification by components
  • 1.4. Special domains of application of the principal classification
  • 1.4.1. Orthography
  • 1.4.2. Toponyms
  • 1.4.3. Given names
  • 1.4.4. Surnames
  • 1.5. Classifications of Yiddish dialects
  • 1.5.1. Previous classifications
  • 1.5.2. Suggested classification
  • 1.5.3. Classification schemes
  • 1.6. Yiddish proto-vowels
  • 1.7. Monogenesis versus polygenesis
  • 1.8. Terminological and substantive issues
  • 2. The German component
  • 2.1. Main issues
  • 2.2. Consonants
  • 2.2.1. Changes of /p/, /k/, and /t/
  • 2.2.2. Changes of /d/, /g/, and /b/
  • 2.2.3. Changes between [b], [w], [v], and [f]
  • 2.2.4. Changes between [s], [¿], and [z]
  • 2.2.5. Changes related to nasals
  • 2.2.6. Forms with or without /d/
  • 2.2.7. Changes of /h/ and /x/
  • 2.2.8. Miscellaneous German phenomena
  • 2.2.9. Yiddish innovations
  • 2.3. Stressed vowels
  • 2.3.1. Basic rules
  • 2.3.2. Unrounding, rounding, and lowering
  • 2.3.3. Shortening and lengthening
  • 2.3.4. Basic Ashkenazic vocalic shifts
  • 2.4. Unstressed vowels
  • 2.5. Morphology and grammar
  • 2.6. Lexicon and semantics
  • 2.7. Orthography
  • 2.8. Given names
  • 2.8.1. Pan-Ashkenazic names
  • 2.8.2. Names restricted to Central and Eastern Europe
  • 2.8.3. Phonological peculiarities
  • 2.9. Yiddish toponyms of German origin in Slavic countries
  • 2.9.1. Previous studies
  • 2.9.2. Toponyms in the Czech lands
  • 2.9.3. Poland in the medieval period
  • 2.9.4. Poland in the modem era
  • 2.9.5. Reasons for the German origin of toponyms in Eastern Europe
  • 2.10. Selectivity in the German component
  • 2.11. Synthesis
  • 2.11.1. Early Ashkenazic sources and German dialects
  • 2.11.2. Modem Yiddish varieties and German dialects
  • 2.11.3. Age of Yiddish according to its German component
  • 2.11.4. Classification of Yiddish varieties according to their German component
  • 3. The Hebrew Component
  • 3.1. Main issues
  • 3.2. Channels of transmission of Hebrew
  • 3.2.1. Antiquity
  • 3.2.2. Early Middle Ages
  • 3.2.3. High/Late Middle Ages and modem times
  • 3.3. Whole Hebrew and merged Hebrew
  • 3.4. Consonants
  • 3.4.1. Hem
  • 3.4.2. Sibilants
  • 3.4.3. Tav and daleth
  • 3.4.4. Yod with dagesh
  • 3.4.5. Veth and vav
  • 3.4.6. Oilier consonants
  • 3.5. Non-Ashkenazic vocalic systems
  • 3.6. Stress position
  • 3.6.1. Middle Ages
  • 3.6.2. Main modern Yiddish patterns
  • 3.7. Stressed vowels
  • 3.7.1. Main reflexes in modem Yiddish
  • 3.7.2. Schemes for ancient Yiddish
  • 3.7.3. E-Effect
  • 3.7.4. Exceptions: patah, hatef-patah, and qames
  • 3.7.5. Exceptions: segol, sere, and shewa
  • 3.7.6. Exceptions: shureq and holem
  • 3.7.7. Other exceptional reflexes
  • 3.8. Vowels in unstressed syllables
  • 3.9. Non-phonological features
  • 3.9.1. Lexical and semantic peculiarities
  • 3.9.2. Morphological and grammatical peculiarities
  • 3.9.3. Hybrid Hebrew-German words and expressions
  • 3.10. Semitic and Greek given names
  • 3.10.1. Bnby Hes / Bney Khes and their legacy
  • 3.10.2. Hebrew and oriental names of East Canaanites
  • 3.10.3. Ashkenazic innovations
  • 3.11. Age of the Hebrew component
  • 3.11.1. Hebraisms in early Ashkenazic texts
  • 3.11.2. Direct references in non-Jewish sources
  • 3.11.3. Indirect methods
  • 3.11.4. Dynamics of the size of the Hebrew component
  • 3.12. Hebrew of East Canaanites
  • 3.13. Synthesis
  • 3.13.1. Unity of modern Yiddish varieties
  • 3.13.2. Bney Hes and Bney Khes
  • 4. Romance elements
  • 4.1. Main issues
  • 4.2. Links between Ashkenazic and Zarfatic Jews
  • 4.2.1. Oral tradition and theory by Güdemann
  • 4.2.2. Cultural links
  • 4.2.3. Pronunciation of Hebrew
  • 4.3. Romance onomastic items
  • 4.3.1. Given names
  • 4.3.2. Toponyms
  • 4.4. Romance lexical elements in Yiddish
  • 4.5. Romance morphological elements in Yiddish
  • 4.6. Basic Ashkenazic vocalic shifts and Romance elements
  • 4.7. Synthesis
  • 4.7.1. French connection
  • 4.7.2. Romance elements and modern Yiddish varieties
  • 4.7.3. The term "Romance component"
  • 5. Slavic elements
  • 5.1. Main issues
  • 5.2. Methodology
  • 5.3. West Canaanites
  • 5.3.1. Given names
  • 5.3.2. Toponyms
  • 5.3.3. Words
  • 5.4. East Canaanites
  • 5.4.1. Given names
  • 5.4.2. Vernacular language of Lithuanian Jews
  • 5.4.3. Words
  • 5.5. Early Jewish communities in Poland
  • 5.5.1. EY elements borrowed from Old Polish
  • 5.5.2. Vernacular language of Polish Jews
  • 5.6. Slavisms outside of EY
  • 5.7. Basic Ashkenazic vocalic shifts and Slavic elements
  • 5.8. Synthesis: status of Slavic elements in Yiddish
  • 6. Sound changes and dialects
  • 6.1. Main issues
  • 6.2. Vocalic changes
  • 6.2.1. Reality of basic Ashkenazic vocalic shifts
  • 6.2.2. Derivation of vowels in EY
  • 6.2.3. Derivation of vowels in WY
  • 6.2.4. Derivation of vowels in CzY, EGY, and DuY
  • 6.2.5. Status of proto-dialects and proto-vowels
  • 6.3. Consonantal changes
  • 6.4. Borders between EY subdialects
  • 6.5. Synthesis: classification of Yiddish dialects
  • 6.5.1. General classification
  • 6.5.2. Transitional and mixed dialects
  • Conclusion
  • Appendix A. Yiddish dialect of PhilogLottus 1733
  • Appendix B. Germans and German language in Poland
  • Appendix C. Origins of Ashkenazic Jewry
  • C.1. Main Issues
  • C.2. Rhenish Jews
  • C.2.7. Romance migrants
  • C.2.2. Franconia and eastern Swabia
  • C.3. West Canaanites
  • C.4. East Canaanites
  • C.5. Ashkenazic Jews in Central and Eastern Europe
  • C.6. Composition of modern Ashkenazic Jewry
  • C.6.1. Approaches
  • C.6.2. Arguments revealing cultural and administrative western influences
  • C.6.3. Historical arguments
  • C.6.4. Arguments from demography
  • C.6.5. Arguments from genetics
  • C.6.6. Arguments based on given names
  • C.6.7. Arguments based on surnames
  • C.6.8. Linguistic arguments
  • C.7. Synthesis
  • Glossary
  • Main sources for Yiddish words, toponyms, and given names
  • References
  • Index of discussed linguistic features
  • General index
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