Re: [Cz-L] German language

Commentary on : Curva.
  The meaning is known but language use is more expanded.
   The term is used in Polish, Hungarian, Czech ,Slovakian,
    Russian , Ukrainean, Slovenian,
   Rumanian, Bulgarian , Serbo-Croatian and Yiddish.
   Maybe more.
    Most universally used term.
Hardy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Miriam Taylor" <mirtaylo_at_indiana.edu>
To: "HARDY BREIER" <HARDY3_at_bezeqint.net>
Cc: "CZERNOWITZ-L" <Czernowitz-L_at_cornell.edu>
Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2011 4:44 PM
Subject: Re: [Cz-L] German language

> Who cares about what the Germans thought of the way we spoke?
> We spoke among ourselves; those born in Czernowitz in the 20th century,
> spoke German, those born earlier, or in the surrounding villages spoke
> Yiddish.
> Everyone spoke some Ruthenian, those with a high-school or higher
> education,
> also spoke Romanian and the creme de la creme - spoke French.
> (did'nt you know that every well educated Czernowitzer spoke French and
> plaid the piano?)
> The lingua franca was Austrian German with a peculiar accent and bad
> grammar,
> mixed with some Yiddish and occasional Ukrainian or Ruthenian
> expressions.
> We used the language in which a term was most expressive;
> "Czort ne voznye" - "the devil will not take him" in Ruthenian,
> "saracu, saracu" - sarcastic "poor guy" in Romanian.
> "curva" - prostitute in Polish,
> "Meila, davka, chutzpe" in Yiddish.
> Our language was rich and expressive and to this day, I enjoy speaking
> it,
> more than any other language.
>
> Mimi

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Received on 2011-05-28 22:04:43