Many of you may be familiar with the Hanukkah song "Ocho Kandelikas," and you may also know that it is sung in a language other than Hebrew or English, called Ladino, that sounds a bit like Spanish. You may even know that this special language is the primary language of generations of Jews that call themselves Sephardim? However, you might not know that Ladino is NOT just a combination of Spanish and Hebrew, but is a blend of languages from over eight different countries?!
For a quick primer on the history of the Sephardim and their travels, the Shiraniks watched this brief video, all in Spanish!
We have been learning about the Sephardim, their culture and their music. This week, the Shiraniks learned a few phrases in Ladino of their own! Try them on for size, and the next time you are in the situation when you need to say, "Bon Appetit!," try "Kome kon gana!" (KOH-may kon GAH-na), or instead of "Goodbye," try "Sano i rezio!" (SAH-no ee REZ-yo)
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ALL SHIRANIKS: Earn PRIZE POINTS!! Since we have two weeks off until we see each other again, (no classes over Thanksgiving Break!), it is the perfect opportunity to learn some of these phrases at home. I will be giving prize points for each phrase learned!!
2 points for all phrases except...
5 points for the Ladino version of "Bless You!," which is really long!
Come prepared to recite your phrase to the class and earn points!!
You must:
1. Pronounce it correctly
2. Tell what it means
Here are a few more we learned in class:
Ladino Pronunciation Guide
j as in French “bonjour”
h as in English “hot”
dj as in English “joy”
1. Ijo de ken sos tu? ?איז’ו די קין סוס טו
Pronunciation: EE-jo de ken sos tu
Meaning: You are the child of whom?
How to use it: You meet someone, realize you might know people in common, and begin playing Sephardic Jewish geography with the question: “Ijo de ken sos tu?”
2. Haberes buenos! !חאביריס בואינוס
Pronunciation: ha-BEAR-es BWE-nos
Meaning: Good news!
How to use it: This can be used either to announce good news or as a way to ward off bad news.
Sample uses: You aced your exam and tell you parents: “Haberes buenos! I got an A!”
Or… You find out Nona (grandma) broke her hip and, to ward off the bad news, reply, “Haberes buenos!”
3. Dezmazalado de mi! !דיזמאזאלאדו די מי
Pronunciation: dez-ma-zal-A-do de MEE
Meaning: Pity me! I’m out of luck.
Sample use: You haven’t texted me in weeks! Dezmazalado de mi!
4. Djente de piron ג’ינטי די פירון
Pronunciation: DJEN-te de pee-ROAN
Meaning: The one percent (i. e. rich folks)
Literal translation: “People of the fork”: owning a fork (and not just a spoon) was once a sign of high-class status.
5. Kome kon gana! !קומי קון גאנה
Pronunciation: KO-may kon GA-na
Meaning: Bon appetit!
Literal translation: “Eat with desire.”
6. Engleneate! !אינגליניאטי
Pronunciation: en-glen-AY-a-te
Meaning: Have fun!
Literal translation: Entertain yourself!
7. Hadras i baranas חאדראס אי באראנאס
Pronunciation: HAD-ras ee bar-an-AS
Meaning: An outrageously big fuss. Being pretentious and really noisy at the same time.
How to use it: When someone is really making a scene: “Look at all that hadras i baranas!”
8. Bavajadas de benadam באב’אז’אדאס די בן אדם
Pronunciation: ba-va-JAD-as de ben a-DAM
Meaning: Human foibles
Literal translation: Stupidities of mankind
Sample sentence: Gossip the bavajadas de benadam.
9. Bivas, kreskas, engrandeskas, komo un peshiko en aguas freskas! Amen!
ביב’אס קריסקאס אינגראנדיסקאס קומו און פישיקו אין אגואס פ’ריסקאס אמן
Pronunciation: BEE-vas, KRES-kas, en-gran-DES-kas, KO-mo un pesh-EE-ko en AG-uas FRES-kas! a-MEN!
Meaning: An elaborate “bless you” after a sneeze (or multiple sneezes)
Literal translation: Live; thrive; grow; like a little fish in fresh water! Amen!
10. Kaminos de leche i miel! קאמינוס די ליג’י אי מייל
Pronunciation: Ka-MEE-nos de LE-che ee MEE-el
Meaning: Bon voyage!
Literal meaning: May you follow paths of milk and honey
11. Sano i rezio! סאנו אי ריזייו
Pronunciation: SA-no ee REZ-yo
Meaning: Farewell!
Literal meaning: May you be healthy and strong
To show off their new Ladino skills, the students created skits showing how they might use these phrases in real life.
MUSICAL NOTES
Throughout out unit on the Sephardim, we have been listening to various forms of music from the Sephardic Jews that descend from Spain and Northern Africa. The students have been learning about the various Sephardic "genres," including the Romancero (romantic ballads, often lamenting a lost love - a metaphor for the lost homeland of Spain), the Cancion and
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