Yiddish Language Origins and Development Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

The beginning of the Yiddish language

The Yiddish language is nearly 1,000 years old. It was in the 10th century that this language begun. This saw the Jews from France and Italy establishing a large community in Germany. Though there were natives who still spoke German, the new residents reached the place speaking in Laaz. This was a Jewish-French dialect mix of languages. Laaz was used in punctuating the German dialogue.

By the 19th century, the Yiddish language reached in Poland, German and other European regions. Yiddish became exposed to Slavic languages. It was during the 16th century that Yiddish language became a written language. This was mainly in some parts of Poland. The Jews used Hebrew characters in writing Yiddish.

Yiddish connection with Ashkenaz, Kabbalists and Hasidism

The Pious of Ashkenaz, the Kabbalists, and Hasidism are all associated with Yiddish and lived in different generations. Pious of Ashkenaz was the earliest community that lived in Yiddish generation. The term ‘Ashkenaz’ refers to the Middle Ages applied only to German lands. The pious of Ashkenaz are the early descendants who migrated from German and France to Poland.

They brought the German dialect and customs to the Jews in the Slavic territories. The Kabbalist community lived between the 16th and 18th centuries. At the start of the 17th century, there was the popularization of Kabbalah practice. This led to some changes in Ashkenazi society. The kabbalah ideas started to diffuse during this period. Kabbalah immensely influenced the Yiddish Literature.

The Kabbalistic tradition became an integral part of the religious culture. This was particularly seen in the liturgical practice. Kabbalah practice was associated with magical practices, charm and exorcism. Hasidism emerged on the onset of the 18th century. It started in the Polish-Lithuanian territory (nowadays known as Ukraine). Yiddish literature played an integral part in spreading Hasidism.

In that period, there was an influence on the Jews to become modern. The Haskala community fought hard to modernize its activities. There were several leaders who tried to explain their calling through Yiddish literature.

German language as a piece in developing Yiddish language

German language was a crucial piece in developing Yiddish language. During the early periods, the early arrivals used Laaz to punctuate their German speech and expressions. This saw the modification of the language. The Jews tried to articulate Yiddish in writing and Hebrew came to play that part. This led to the emergence of the Yiddish literature. Slavic languages played a crucial role in facilitating Yiddish language to its own right.

This is when the Jews arrived in Poland, Germany and other parts of Eastern Europe. Logically, Yiddish originated from the South of Europe. Jews migrated from France and Northern Italy to Germany. The growth of Yiddish language started from the South heading to the North (Poland). At that time, Yiddish used a lot of Slavic language. However, in the Western Europe, Yiddish started to decline.

The most historic period in Yiddish literature

The most historic period in Yiddish literature was after the 1860s. Abramovitsh wrote many books to try and bring Yiddish back. He used the basic Hebrew he knew since he thought that Yiddish lacked enough literature.

The role of Mendele Moykher Sforim was to criticize the modern Jewish life in an ironic manner. The character tries to attune to the traditional Eastern Jews. Odessa (in Ukraine) was the place where Sholem Aleichem and Abramovitsh often met to articulate their ideas.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2020, March 12). Yiddish Language Origins and Development. https://ivypanda.com/essays/yiddish-language/

Work Cited

"Yiddish Language Origins and Development." IvyPanda, 12 Mar. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/yiddish-language/.

References

IvyPanda. (2020) 'Yiddish Language Origins and Development'. 12 March.

References

IvyPanda. 2020. "Yiddish Language Origins and Development." March 12, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/yiddish-language/.

1. IvyPanda. "Yiddish Language Origins and Development." March 12, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/yiddish-language/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Yiddish Language Origins and Development." March 12, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/yiddish-language/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1