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b-hebrew - RE: doven-ing, another Just-So-Story by izzy (humor)

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  • From: "Cohen, Izzy" <Izzy_Cohen AT bmc.com>
  • To: Shoshanna Walker <rosewalk AT concentric.net>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT franklin.metalab.unc.edu
  • Subject: RE: doven-ing, another Just-So-Story by izzy (humor)
  • Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 10:36:13 -0600


>> The Hebrew word for bear is DoV.
>> Hence, DoVen-ing.

Hi, Shoshana

> Except that the word is DAVen
> And I think it is Yiddish

You are right, twice. The usual English transliteration
is "daven". In "The Joys of Yiddish" Leo Rosten says:
Pronounced DAH-ven, to rhyme with "robin".

But in American Yiddish dialects, it may sound more
like "doven", to rhyme with "oven"... and Random House
does give "doven" as an alternative spelling in English
with the derivation "< Yiddish davnen, dovnen".

> You knew that, you were just teasing us...
> Shoshanna

Yes, but Rosten also says:
The origin of daven is unknown; it may be descended
(remotely) from the French: l'office divin, "divine
service". The word daven, incidentally, is used only
by east European Jews, and those descended from them.

And izzy (that's me) says:
The Yiddish word for bear is BeR, but the Hebrew word
DoV = bear is well-known to Yiddish speakers. It was a
not-uncommon Yiddish first name with the meaning "bear".

BTW, I cannot *disprove* any of the etymological
suggestions that were made in the Doven-ing post
that I sent to the list earlier.

ciao,

Israel Cohen
izzy_cohen AT bmc.com




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