Linguistics
Joshua Fishman, Yiddishist and Linguistics Pioneer, Dies at 88
Sociolinguist, Yiddish scholar and advocate for endangered languages Joshua (Shikl) Fishman died March 1 in New York.
At Least Six Degrees of Wisdom and Nuttiness
Philologos points out that not every rabbi is a ‘rabbinical scholar’ and not every rabbi’s pupil is a smart man. Did a Forward article muddy the Talmudic waters?
Political Correctness Doesn’t Make Speech More Meaningful
Should we bend over backward to avoid using male-centric language? No, argues Philologos, because political correctness can sometimes get in the way of communicating properly.
The Secret Yiddish History of Scotland
As the Scottish independence vote looms, Philologos investigates the origins of Scots Yiddish. Is it a dialect, a language all its own — or something else entirely?
Philologos Takes On The Times and the Forward in Epic Hebrew Battle
The New York Times isn’t the only paper that can have a little trouble with Hebrew: Philologos takes issue with an article that recently appeared in the Forward.
When Jews — and Everyone Else — Learned How To Have Fun
Why doesn’t any Jewish language have a word for ‘fun’? It’s not because the tribe doesn’t know how to amuse itself, Philologos explains.
The Origins of Yiddish, Part Dray
Is it possible that Yiddish comes from Sorbian, a little-known Slavic language that is still spoken by a few thousand people in Germany? Philologos says it very well might have.
The Origins of Yiddish: Part Tsvey
The origins of Yiddish are subject to serious scholarly dispute. It’s so serious, in fact, that Philologos dedicates a second column to deciphering its beginnings.
Origins of Yiddish Are Anything But Understood
The origin of Yiddish was long thought to be an open-and-shut case for Jewish historians. But serious linguistic and genetic challenges have made it a much tougher call.
No, Amos Oz, We Shouldn't Call Settlers Jewish 'Neo-Nazis'
Novelist Amos Oz has referred to Jewish settlers in the West Bank as ‘neo-Nazis.’ Philologos explains why the phrasing is wrong — both morally and linguistically.