Jewish English or "Hebonics"
The Encino School Board has declared Jewish English a second language.
Backers of the move say the district is the first in the nation to recognize
Hebonics as the language of many of America's Jews. Here are some
characteristics of the language and sample phrases in standard English
and Jewish English.
Pronunciation Characteristics
Jewish English or "Hebonics" hardens consonants at the ends of words.
Thus, "hand" becomes "handt."
The letter "W" is always pronounced as if it were a "V".
Thus "walking" becomes "valking"
"R" sounds are transformed to a guttural that is difficult to
represent in standard English orthography. For example,
It is "ghraining" "algheady".
Idiomatic Characteristics
Questions are always answered with questions:
Question: "How do you feel?"
Hebonics response: "How should I feel?"
The subject is often placed at the end of a sentence
after a pronoun has been used at the beginning:
"She dances beautifully, that girl."
Sarcastic emphasis is obtained by repeating a word
after adding or substituting "sh" at the beginning.
money becomes "money shmoney"
love becomes "luv shmuv"
Usage Comparisons
Standard English Phrase Hebonics Phrase
"He walks slowly" "Like a fly in the ointment, he walks"
"You're sexy" (unknown concept)
"Sorry, I do not know the time" "What do I look like, a clock?"
"I hope things turn out for the best "You should BE so lucky"
"Anything can happen" "It is never so bad, it can't get worse"
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mensch
n. (Informal) A person having admirable characteristics, as
fortitude and firmness of purpose.
Etymology: Yiddish < Middle High German, man < Old High German
mennisco.
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