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Re: Yiddish Question

From: "stoney" <stoney AT touchwood.net>
To: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Subject: Re: Yiddish Question
Date: Tue, 04 Sep 2001 13:50:17 -0500

At 02:29 PM 9/4/2001 -0400, you wrote:

Shalom to all,
Since Yiddish is technically a fusion between Hebrew and German, I suppose
a Yiddish question is not out of place on this list. So, here it is: What
is the linguistic origin of the Yiddish phrase "oy vey?" I have been told
two separate explanations. One, from a former German professor, is that it
comes form the German expression "Oje," a simple expression of grief or
frustration. Another is that it is a contraction of a swear involving the
divine name, YHVH, thus "O!" + "YHVH." Any ideas? Thanks, Matt

I have always assumed, on no evidence whatever, that the 'vey' represented German 'weh'='woe'. Run it by your German professor . . .

Yiddish Question, Matthew R. Miller, 09/04/2001
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
- RE: Yiddish Question, Trevor Peterson, 09/04/2001
- Re: Yiddish Question, Jonathan D. Safren, 09/04/2001
- Re: Yiddish Question, Kevin W. Woodruff, 09/04/2001
- Re: Yiddish Question, stoney, 09/04/2001
- RE: Yiddish Question, Trevor Peterson, 09/04/2001
- Re: Yiddish Question, Ben Crick, 09/04/2001
- RE: Yiddish Question, Lisbeth S. Fried, 09/04/2001