Let’s delve into the Yiddish proverb “ווען א שלימזל קוילעט א האן, גייט ער; דרייט ער אן א זייגער, שטייט ער” (Ven a shlimazl koylet a hon, geyt er; dreyt er on a zeyger, shteyt er) from linguistic, lexicographical, and Germanistic perspectives.

• Morphology:

  • ווען (ven): A conjunction meaning “when.”
  • א (a): An indefinite article, equivalent to “a” or “an.”
  • שלימזל (shlimazl): A noun meaning “unlucky person,” “loser,” or “hapless individual.” This is a key Yiddish word with strong cultural connotations.
  • קוילעט (koylet): The third-person singular present tense of the verb קוילן (koyln) meaning “to slaughter” or “to kill” (specifically referring to animals, often poultry).
  • האן (hon): A noun meaning “rooster” or “cock.”
  • גייט (geyt): The third-person singular present tense of the verb גיין (geyn) meaning “to go” or “to walk/hop” in this context. The unexpected action of the rooster hopping after slaughter highlights the bad luck.
  • ער (er): A pronoun meaning “he” or “it.”
  • דרייט (dreyt): The third-person singular present tense of the verb דרייען (dreyen) meaning “to turn” or “to wind.”
  • אן (on): A separable verb prefix meaning “on” or indicating the action of winding something up. It combines with “dreyt” to form “dreyt on” (winds).
  • א (a): Again, the indefinite article “a.”
  • זייגער (zeyger): A noun meaning “clock” or “watch.”
  • שטייט (shteyt): The third-person singular present tense of the verb שטיין (shteyn) meaning “to stand” or “to stop” in this context. The unexpected inaction of the clock after winding emphasizes the bad luck.

2. Lexicographical Analysis (Focusing on Yiddish Vocabulary):

• שלימזל (shlimazl): This is a quintessential Yiddish word. It carries a cultural weight beyond its literal meaning. A shlimazl isn’t just unlucky; there’s often a sense of inherent clumsiness or a cosmic predisposition to misfortune. It’s a term deeply embedded in Ashkenazi Jewish culture and humor.
• קוילן (koyln): While the basic meaning is “to slaughter,” its specific application to poultry in this proverb is noteworthy. It reflects a common aspect of traditional life.
• האן (hon): A straightforward Yiddish word for “rooster,” likely of Germanic origin.
• גיין (geyn): A very common and basic Yiddish verb, but its use here to describe the unusual movement of a slaughtered rooster adds to the proverb’s absurdity.
• דרייען (dreyen): Another common Yiddish verb, also likely of Germanic origin.
• זייגער (zeyger): This word for “clock/watch” is interesting. It’s likely of Slavic origin (compare to Polish zegar, Russian часы – chasy). This highlights the historical linguistic contact of Yiddish speakers with Slavic languages.
• שטיין (shteyn): A fundamental Yiddish verb meaning “to stand/stop,” again likely of Germanic origin.

3. Germanistic Point of View:

Yiddish is a Germanic language, specifically belonging to the West Germanic branch. This proverb clearly demonstrates its Germanic roots:

• Vocabulary: Many of the core words have clear cognates in German:

  • ווען (ven) – wenn (when)
  • א (a) – ein (a/an)
  • האן (hon) – Hahn (rooster)
  • גייט (geyt) – geht (goes)
  • ער (er) – er (he/it)
  • דרייט (dreyt) – dreht (turns)
  • אן (on – prefix) – an (prefix, e.g., andrehen – to wind up)
  • זייגער (zeyger) – likely related to German Zeiger (hand of a clock), though the direct noun for clock is Uhr. The Slavic influence here sets it apart from standard German.
  • שטייט (shteyt) – steht (stands/stops)

• Grammar:

  • The basic SVO word order in the main clauses is typical of Germanic languages.
  • The use of separable verb prefixes like “on” in “dreyt on” is a defining characteristic of German and other West Germanic languages, including Yiddish.
  • The conjugation of the verbs, while distinct in Yiddish, follows Germanic patterns.