Yiddish language

Skippy   Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:57 am GMT
Being able to speak a fair amount of German, would the Yiddish language be an easy enough step to help me learn the Hebrew alphabet? I suppose I'm asking if the language is close enough to German and the alphabet close enough to the Hebrew to where it would actual be beneficial to learn.
K. T.   Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:33 am GMT
Skippy,
The Hebrew alphabet isn't hard to learn. You can even sing it to the tune of Yankee Doodle (almost). A lot of alphabets start out the same way.

Aleph-Bet (Hebrew)
Alphabet (A-B)
Alpha Beta (Greek)

If you know the Latin Alphabet you can learn the Hebrew one, and probably the Arabic one as well.

Don't make things difficult for yourself. I'll see if I can find a resource and link it here or give the address.

Hebrew has several ways of writing. There is a block way a cursive way and different types of calligraphy, but just being able to learn the alphabet isn't hard.
K. T.   Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:41 am GMT
Aleph, Bet and Gimmel, Dalet. (Yan-kee Doo-dle went to London.)
Hey and Vav and Zayin. (Just to buy a pony)
Chet and Tet and Yod and Kaf (Stuck a feather in his cap)
Lamed, Mem, Nun, Samekh, 'Ayin. (and called it macaroni)
Pey and Tsade, Qof and Resh. (Yankee Doodle keep it up)
Shin and Sin and Tav (This is where the melody doesn't quite work, but...)
Guest   Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:44 am GMT
This has links to many resources.

http://www.omniglot.com/writing/hebrew.htm
Skippy   Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:45 am GMT
lol thanks ya'll. I appreciate it. I like the Yankee Doodle alphabet.
K. T.   Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:52 am GMT
You're welcome. Btw, Skippy, If you are familiar with the learning languages site, a German speaker over there recently discussed his experiences with Hungarian. He says the pronunciation is easy.

You're the one who wants to learn Hungarian too, right. It sounds like a great language, but I don't have time to learn it.
olaszinho   Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:21 am GMT
én nagyon szeretem a mayar nyelvet! Itthon nekem sok magyar konyet van; Szia
Skippy   Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:33 pm GMT
Yeah I want to but it's tough with school and the fact that it's quite difficult... I think I'm gonna cave and just find a tutor
Guest2   Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:04 am GMT
Here is the Omniglot link for Yiddish:

http://www.omniglot.com/writing/yiddish.htm

Consonants basically as in Hebrew, with a few stop/fricative pairs distinguished, and other combinations for various sounds, as well as the occasional difference in Ashkenazic vs. Sephardic/Israeli pronunciation. Vowels are regularly indicated, unlike Hebrew, using Hebrew consonants or consonant variations or combinations. (Except for words of Hebrew or Aramaic origin, which retain original spellings--with Yiddish pronunciation.)
PARISIEN   Sun Mar 16, 2008 11:28 pm GMT
Yiddish sounds pretty much like German spoken by Arabs
("Bist du aus Minchen oder Disseldorf?"). Very funny!