RE: [Cz-L] Languages

Thank you very entreating.

 

Jerry Lapides

I was born in Czernowitz in 1931. My mother left Margate, NJ to give birth
in her mother's house (complicating my life :-)). As a toddler my mother and
father spoke German to me. In 1934 we immigrated to Palestine and I was
promptly enrolled in Tzila's kindergarten in Tel Aviv and I spoke Hebrew
since then. My parents spoke English among themselves, hoping that I would
not understand. I spoke German with my Maternal Grandmother and in
Czernowitz when we visited in 1935, 1936, 1937and 1938. I always assumed
that German was my first language. Last year I had brain surgery to correct
an Interracial AVM. When I arrived at the Rehabilitation Center after the
surgery I refused to speak until a Hebrew Teacher I knew, who was visiting a
friend in the facility, spoke to me in Hebrew. I responded to her to the
relief of the staff who asked her to translate their questions and my
responses. So after 73 years Hebrew was my imprinted language, in spite of 5
German courses at the City College of New York and my mother's efforts:-).

 

-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-2217605-3499514_at_list.cornell.edu
[mailto:bounce-2217605-3499514_at_list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of HARDY BREIER
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 12:37 AM
To: Miriam Taylor; Czernowitz
Subject: Re: [Cz-L] Languages

 

Hi,

   If someone would ask you what your maternal language was what would you

say ?

     We spoke corrupt German,

        A speck of Yiddish

           A parody of Rumanian,

              A spoonlet of Ruthenian,

   And all of these together , one mixed salad.

       We spoke Czernowitzerisch.

           " Soll er chappen a Miesse meshine ".

        Soll er = German

        Chappen = to catch Ukrainean

         Miesse Meshine = Yiddish , from Hebrew : Mita Meshuna -Strange

death.

Hardy
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Received on 2008-01-08 22:59:58