Re: [Cz-L] German language

Correction: Curva is not used in Ukrainian, except in the areas
bordering Poland.
And in Yiddish the word used is: Chonte or Shmate.

Mimi
On May 28, 2011, at 11:03 PM, HARDY BREIER wrote:

> 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 2011-05-29 06:25:21