{"product_id":"blessings-curses-hopes-and-fears-9780804733946","title":"Blessings, Curses, Hopes, and Fears","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this delightful book, the author enumerates and classifies the formulas Yiddish speakers use to express their emotions. It is a rarity among scholarly books, for it brings joy while it teaches; it makes us smile, sometimes roar with laughter, while it develops the most rigorous linguistic argumentation. The author analyzes the many kinds of Yiddish \"psycho-ostensives\"—ranging from blessings and thanks to lamentations and curses. To a person who mentions something horrible you can say: \u003ci\u003eZalts dir in di oygn, fefer dir in noz!\u003c\/i\u003e (\"Salt into your eyes, and pepper into your nose!\"). Or to a child you might tenderly murmur: \u003ci\u003eA gezúnt dir in yeder éyverl!\u003c\/i\u003e (\"A health to all your little body-parts!\"). The author illustrates how these formulas can be used to fulfill social conventions, to keep away evil, to show off—or even to deceive the listener.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eComments\u003c\/i\u003e [1999]\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I have known and profited from this book for many years, and its interest for linguistics and Yiddish studies has grown steadily. The book will have three audiences: specialists in Yiddish; linguists, psychologists, and anthropologists who are interested in the emotional side of language; and general linguists familiar with Matisoff's outstanding contributions, both witty and insightful, in other linguistic fields.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e—William Labov,\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUniversity of Pennsylvania\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Matisoff's book was pathbreaking, innovative, and crucially important when it was first published and remains so today. It is as relevant as it was then, if not more so. Matisoff is a consummate scholar and also an excellent writer: clear and weighty but also whimsical and witty.\" —Deborah Tannen,\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGeorgetown University\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"James A. Matisoff","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48294734528763,"sku":"9780804733946","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0779\/3917\/9771\/files\/9780804733946.jpg?v=1772482418","url":"https:\/\/indiepubs.com\/products\/blessings-curses-hopes-and-fears-9780804733946","provider":"IndiePubs","version":"1.0","type":"link"}