Born to Kvetch: Yiddish Language and Culture in All of Its Moods

“An earthy romp through the lingua franca of Jews. . . . This treasure trove of linguistics, sociology, history and folklore offers a fascinating look at how, through the centuries, a unique and enduring language has reflected an equally unique and enduring culture.”--Publishers Weekly, starred review

The main spoken language of the Jews for more than 1,000 years, Yiddish offers a comprehensive picture of the mind-set that enabled them to survive a millennium of unrelenting persecution across Europe.

Through the idioms, phrases, metaphors, and fascinating history of this wonderful tongue, Michael Wex gives us a moving and inspiring portrait of a people, and a language, in exile.

From tukhes to goy, meshugener to bobe mayse (cok-and-bull story), Born to Kvetch offers a wealth of material, some that has never appeared in English before, on all elements of Yiddish life, including food, nature, divinity, humanity, and even sex.

Author: Michael Wex
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Published: 08/15/2006
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.56lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.34w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9780061132179

About the Author
Wex, Michael: -

Novelist, lecturer, and translator Michael Wex is one of the leading lights in the revival of Yiddish, and author of the New York Times bestseller Born to Kvetch and its follow-up, Just Say Nu.