'Ludo' another name for 'Mench'?

[riquecohen]

I can't agree with that. None of my in-laws can write in Hebrew (immediately flushed from the brain following the Bar/Bat Mitzvahs), but they make frequent use of Yiddish words in their speech and writing.

I'd spell it as mensch, but of course there often many ways to spell the same word. Hanukkah alone probably has a half-dozen spellings.

You don't agree that Yiddish is written in the Hebrew alphabet, or that where I live people Romanize it as Mench?

As for the spelling of "mensh", you're both right, as is TomUK, whom I failed to quote here. There is no 'correct" way of spelling Yiddish words in English. Rules for orthography were established by the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in 1937, however these are largely set aside by writers and editors and no uniformity exists.
BTW, the Yiddish Dictionary Online uses the YIVO "rules."

 

[konungursvia]

As for Yiddish writing, it is written in the Hebrew alphabet:
Yiddish orthography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Barb_D]

I engage in written communications with my Jewish family, and Yiddish words slip in. I assure you no one flips over to Hebrew to capure that. I don't care what Wiki says about the origins of Yiddish and how it was used by Orthodox Jews. When my mother-in-law talks about schvitzing, kvetching, or kvelling, it's in Roman lettering.

Insist on whatever you want. I know how it's used on a day-to-day basis by the people who use these words as part of their native vocabulary. Non-Jews use words like schmuck or putz without being able to tell Hebrew writing from Vietnamese.

I'm not going to argue with you about it any further.

 

[konungursvia]

When my mother-in-law talks about schvitzing, kvetching, or kvelling, it's in Roman lettering.

I'm not arguing with you, personally, I am discussing a linguistic point. When people speak, it is not in Roman lettering or any other type of script. I agree people Romanize Yiddish words in English correspondence; I don't agree with your implied claim to privileged authority on the matter due to your heritage.

When you go to a Jewish bookstore to buy Yiddish books, few are available in Roman letters. It's a fact.

But I agree that we have no reason to continue the "debate."

For our readers, here is a famous and beautiful poem that was displayed on the fridge of my Israeli high school sweetheart, on a fridge magnet, for many years. This is exactly how it was originally written -- in the Hebrew alphabet.


זאָג ניט קיין מאָל, אַז דו גייסט דעם לעצטן וועג,
כאָטש הימלען בלײַענע פֿאַרשטעלן בלויע טעג.
קומען וועט נאָך אונדזער אויסגעבענקטע שעה –
ס׳וועט אַ פּויק טאָן אונדזער טראָט: מיר זײַנען דאָ!

פֿון גרינעם פּאַלמענלאַנד ביז ווײַסן לאַנד פֿון שניי,
מיר קומען אָן מיט אונדזער פּײַן, מיט אונדזער וויי,
און וווּ געפֿאַלן ס׳איז אַ שפּריץ פֿון אונדזער בלוט,
שפּראָצן וועט דאָרט אונדזער גבֿורה, אונדזער מוט!

ס׳וועט די מאָרגנזון באַגילדן אונדז דעם הײַנט,
און דער נעכטן וועט פֿאַרשווינדן מיט דעם פֿײַנט,
נאָר אויב פֿאַרזאַמען וועט די זון אין דער קאַיאָר –
ווי אַ פּאַראָל זאָל גיין דאָס ליד פֿון דור צו דור.

דאָס ליד געשריבן איז מיט בלוט, און ניט מיט בלײַ,
ס׳איז ניט קיין לידל פֿון אַ פֿויגל אויף דער פֿרײַ,
דאָס האָט אַ פֿאָלק צווישן פֿאַלנדיקע ווענט
דאָס ליד געזונגען מיט נאַגאַנעס אין די הענט.

טאָ זאָג ניט קיין מאָל, אַז דו גייסט דעם לעצטן וועג,
כאָטש הימלען בלײַענע פֿאַרשטעלן בלויע טעג.
קומען וועט נאָך אונדזער אויסגעבענקטע שעה –
ס׳וועט אַ פּויק טאָן אונדזער טראָט: מיר זײַנען דאָ!

 

[5jj]

I believe that is the one to be found here, with an English translation: Zog Nit Keynmol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You can hear it here: ????? ???. ?????? ?????? ?????

 

[TomUK]

May I ask the whole mishpokhe to return to discussing the English language? I fear you makhn me meshuge.

TomUK