Comments on: Ah, Those -ah words in English!

By: Maeve Maddox

Maeve Maddox — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:39:20 +0000

Anagha,
You’re right. It’s a typo. Thanks for pointing it out.

By: Anagha

Anagha — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 05:10:16 +0000

majarajah/majaraja >> Is that a typo?
Dictionary.com doesn’t recognise majarajah.

By: sherry roth

sherry roth — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:12:33 +0000

Vic, You are definitely right as far as the discrepancies in pronunciation. As far as why “shabbat” became “shabbis”: There is a Hebrew letter (the last letter of the alphabet, taf). It can have a “dot” in it or not, depending on various grammar rules that I can hardly remember now. To differentiate between a taf with a dot and a taf without, there were people who made the “one without the dot” a “soft” taf, or “saf.” Ergo, Shabbat (ending with the taf-without-the-dot) became Shabbas (shabbis, shabbos, whatever). It kind of makes me think of Sneetches, and I personally see no reason to differentiate between them, but it does follow suit with other letters that do similar things (Kaf/Chaf, Bet/Vet, Pay/Phay, depending on if there is a dot in them or not). So I guess it’s not that bizarre, if I think about it.
It probably goes back to the Litvack-versus-Galitziana thing, and maybe goes along with those who pronounce “ayntz-tzvay” versus “eintz-tvy.” (one-two). Why can’t we all just get along LOL

By: Vic

Vic — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:50:18 +0000

Sherry; I have no idea where yarmulke, yahmakah or yamikah comes from. I spent four years with a Holocaust survivor from Poland, writing his life story, and he told me that many strange pronunciations come from pronouncing Hebrew words with a Yiddish accent. This must be what I heard when I was small and explains a lot of discrepancies such as toirah for torah, or shabbas for shabbat. But thanks for your explanation.

By: sherry roth

sherry roth — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:12:21 +0000

LOL Vic, but the Hebrew word for the man’s head covering is “kipa” (kipah?? another -AH word). I am not sure where “yarmulka” (or whatever variant spelling one chooses to use) came from…but it’s true, we do pronounce it YAH-muh-kuh (maybe that’s a Noo Yawk thing…except for my dad, who really does say YAHR-mul-kuh)! LOL