מענדעלע

ikh farnem zikh di teg mitn iberzetsn _Alice in Wonderland_ af yidish, un halt zikh shoyn mer-veyniker in mitn (d"h dem 6tn fun 12 kapitln). oyb eyner a leyener volt zikh farinteresirt mit aza zakh (tsum groysn badoyren zaynen di zaytlekh geshribn mit der hant un on ilustratsies), zayt azoy gut git mir a shrayb un kh'l aykh gern tsushikn a por kapitln. ikh neytik zikh shtark in eytses un mevines i fun proste, i fun oysgebildete leyeners, ubifrat leyeners mit kinder.

sholem berger

I was wondering if anyone was aware of any biographical materials on Nukhem Stutchkoff. Does he have any descendants? I find it odd that the life of so prolific and influential a lexicographer, writer and dramatist should be so difficult to document. A sheynem dank,

Heynekh Sapoznik

I have been teaching my 5th-grade Sunday-school (Jewish, of course) class Nokhem Sternheim's "undzer nigndl," which my students are quite taken with. Can anyone tell me more about Sternheim's life and songs, and/or point me toward more information? Is there a published collection of his songs anywhere out there?

A sheynem dank aykh.

Marti Krow-Lucal Sunnyvale, CA

We are very happy and proud to tell you that a Website for the International Yiddish Festival has been created on Internet.

You can find the page on URL: http://www.noterik.nl/jiddisj

We hope you enjoy the page and might even have some comments for the "Words of Wisdom"-wall or a story you would like to share with us.

Kind regards Marjon Veerkamp

Shtetl presents first online Yiddish-Hebrew-English-German-Russian Picture Dictionary (http://sunsite.unc.edu/yiddish/Vort). Current version contains 85 words with pictures and English index. More words, audio, and indices in other languages would be added in the following versions.

The dictionary has been prepared by Ester-Basya Vaisman to celebrate her Bas Mitzva. Ester would love to hear suggestions and opinions about the dictionary. She can be reached by e-mail c/o iiv@mmlds1.pha.unc.edu

Iosif Vaisman

Several months ago I published here (6.073,7) a short post on the subject of how to say "maiden name" in Yiddish.

My subject today is: How do you say _first name_ in Yiddish?

The answer is: _rufnomen_ (plural: rufnemen).

To the question, depending on whether you "dutst" or you "irtst" the person: "Vi _ruft_ men dir /aykh/?" or "Vi heystu /vi heyst ir/?" [What is your first name?], the answer is: "Mayn rufnomen iz... [my first name is...].

There are _formal_ rufnemen, the name a child is given at birth, and _informal_ rufnemen, the name(s) by which one is addressed at home, by friends, acquaintances, and, generally, in secular life.

Informal _rufnemen_ often present interesting changes, such as clipped, shorter forms, differences in pronunciation, an occasional shift in the syllabic stress, diminutions, augmentations, or forms of endearment, for example (some of the names quoted below are from Mordkhe Shaechter's _Yiddish Tsvey_, p. 271):

Srol, Srolikl (from Yisroel), Avrom, Avremele, Avremtshik (from Avrohom), Yo'me (from Binyomin), Itsik, itsikl (from Yitskhok), Sender (from Aleksander), Yoske, Yosl (from Yoysef), Motke, Motl (from Mordekhay), Lyokem (from Elyokum), Ki've (from Akive), Zalmenke, Zemele (from Zalmen); Leyke, Leyele (from Le'a), Sime, Simke (from Simkhe), Serke, Sorele (from Sa'ra), Mirke, Mirele (from Miryom), Rive, Rivele, Rivtshe (from Rivke), and so one.

This list, of course, is not a comprehensive one, and there are many more male and female informal _rufnemen_ to be added.

Note that all the _formal_ rufnemen (in parentheses above) are of Hebrew origin, while the various changes they underwent in their transition to become _informal_ rufnemen are the names in Yiddish.

Zellig Bach Lakehurst, NJ