Re: Thieves slang

[Joshua Horowitz <horowitz...>]

The original sources for klezmer-loshn are:

Landau, Zur russisch-jüdischen Klesmersprache.
Weissenberg, Die Klesmersprache
Elzet, Melokhes un bale-melokhes
Borokhov, Di bibliotek funem yidishn fililog
Prilutski, Lashon ha klezmarim

Especially in Weissenberg, the manipulating mechanics of the language
are shown. The languages have this manipulation in common, in much the
same way that Pigs Latin works, but more involved. Some examples:

-Prefixing consonants: swino for wino; matám for tam

-Interpolation of consonants : stáchnize from stánica; kudrun from
kurit; schpljache from spjoch, shnosken from shasken

-Elimination of the opening sound: motren from smotrét

-Elimination of a middle sound: witschen from wintschen

-Changing of the opening sound: sm: ssmaljer for talar; ssmassan for
chassan; ssmalziwen for tancowat

- Joining words: Kley + Zemer etc, etc.

Furthermore, Klezmer-lushn delights in using so-called borrowed words
(from Turkish, German, Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, even Danish and Italian. 

There were also terms referring to specific instrumentalists, like
Klappzimmerer for tsimbl players and knutsher for accordionists, etc.  

the greater part of the language deals with sex, money, fighting, music
and drinking. It wasn't for nothing that Oscar Wilde said: When bankers
meet they talk of art; when musicians meet they talk of money.... Josh

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