Re: CHAT: Multi-Lingos

On 22 Aug,  chollie wrote:

>    I was a bit surprised that the Klezmatics chose to render the Hebrew
>bits on their albums with the traditional Ashkenazic pronunciation (Hinokh
>yafo rayosi, hinokh eynayikh yoynim...").  I've never thought of the
>Ashkenazic pronunciation as being especially musical, but it works rather
>well on their album "Possessed."
    Actually not so suprising when one considers that
the klezmir style of music originated with the Yiddish
speakers in Eastern Europe who, if they spoke Hebrew,
would have used an Ashkenazic pronounciation. (It was
the music played at weddings and other festive occasions,
Eastern European Jews of that time not having DJs
with million-decibel amps aimed at wedding guests a few
feet away! I wouldn't mind more instrumental music at
weddings! Me, I always take along industrial-strength
ear-plugs to weddings, in case I find myself right in front
of a loudspeaker! (Seriously! It may scandalize the other guests,
but I value my hearing!)
    Anyhow, klezmir is a Yiddish word made from two Hebrew words:
/kle/ (= instruments of) and /zemer/ (= music.) Using the
root "z-m-r", Israeli Hebrew has the word "tizmoret " for "band"
or "orchestra". Also from that root is "zamar". What is interesting
is that a "zamar" , while he may or may not accompany himself on
an instrument, is mainly a singer. A solo instrumentalist would never
 be referred to as a "zamar".

Dan Sulani

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likehsna rtem zuv tikuhnuh auag inuvuz vaka'a.

A word is an awesome thing.