Elye Falkovitsh’s grammar, first published in Moscow in 1940, is one of the most important reference works of Yiddish linguistics. The new edition makes this rare work available for the first time since its publication. The work includes a theoretical description of phonetics, graphemics, lexis, and grammar and provides a comprehensive account of modern Yiddish. A formalist and synchronic description of the language system is supplemented by passages on the history of Yiddish and the development of individual forms. A central focus is on presenting Yiddish in the context of general linguistics.
For this new edition, the Soviet orthography of the original text has been adjusted to conform to the now standard YIVO orthography. The edition includes a commentary that serves as a reference work for the various grammatical themes considered and sets out Falkovitsh’s approach in the context of contemporary Yiddish linguistics.
Our edition sheds light on an important aspect of Soviet Yiddish linguistics that has been largely overlooked due to ideological prejudice. Four essays contextualize Falkovitsh’s life and work both linguistically and historically, situating his grammar in relation to Yiddish language projects inside and outside the Soviet Union.