The Story of Yiddish
How a Mish-mosh of Languages Saved the Jews
HarperCollins · Print & ebook · March 31, 2009
A delightfully unconventional tale of a people, their place in the world, and the fascinating language that held them together.
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- Who it’s for
- Follow Yiddish through the many places and influences that shaped it—and the history it reflects.
- Themes
- Yiddish language history, Jewish history and culture, Language shaped by migration
- Genres
- Yiddish Language Study, Jewish History, Historical Linguistics
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Start with this bookAbout this book
A delightfully unconventional tale of a people, their place in the world, and the fascinating language that held them together. Yiddish is an unlikely survivor of the ages, much like the Jews themselves. Incorporating antique German dialects and elements from more than a dozen other tongues, the Yiddish language bears the imprint of the many places where European Jews were briefly given shelter.
Continue reading
Neal Karlen's unique, brashly entertaining, yet thoroughly researched telling of the language's story reveals that Yiddish is a mirror of Jewish history, thought, and practice—for better and for worse.
A Language’s Layers
Follow Yiddish through the many places and influences that shaped it—and the history it reflects.
Come here for
- Language history with a cultural lens
- A lively account grounded in research
Expect
- Yiddish shaped by German dialects and more than a dozen other tongues
- Connections to Jewish history, thought, and practice
Where it sits
| Yiddish Language Study | 93% |
|---|---|
| Jewish History | 58% |
| Historical Linguistics | 26% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- History of Education
- Ancient History
- Eastern European History
- Jewish History
Show all 8 publisher categories
- World History
- Social History
- Creative Writing
- Linguistics
- Authors
- Neal Karlen
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- March 31, 2009
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Yiddish language history · Jewish history and culture · Language shaped by migration
- Reading lane
- History of Education