Mail Archive sponsored by Chazzanut Online

jewish-music

<-- Chronological -->
Find 
<-- Thread -->

Re: YIVO Acronym

actually, I believe YIVO's acronym is from transliteration of tsvey yudn, 
tsvey vov, alef... it stands for YIdisher Visinshaftlikher Institut [when you 
spell "institut" in Yiddish, it starts with alef, which can be pronounced 
'oh' as in komets alef], which means  -- literally -- the Jewish Scientific 
Institute (remember, Yiddish means Jewish in Yiddish).  Back in the 1920s, 
when they founded YIVO in Vilna, calling anything scientific gave it a 
dignified tone, and of course there were many social sciences being studied 
there.

YIVO today translates its name into English as the YIVO Institute for Jewish 
Research.

Eve Sicular
former YIVO photo & film curator, East 86th St & West 57th St

---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+

<-- Chronological --> <-- Thread -->