Re: mues

[Heiko Lehmann <hklehmann...>]

The history of the word "Moos" meaning "moss" in English actually goes back
to Old High German. But I agree with you that "Moos" in its monetary meaning
came from the Yiddish. A lot of Yiddish and Hebrew words came into use in
East Europe and Germany, and some of them in certain secret languages such
as "klezmer shprakh" or "Gaunersprache"  ("Gauner" [cheater"] comes from
Rotwelsch and "Ganove" from Yiddish "ganev"). Some of these words survived
as slang words till the present day; the Yiddish origin of "Moos", though,
is forgotten by users in Germany.

Heiko.

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Leopold N Friedman <apikoyros (at) juno(dot)com>
An: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 28. März 2001 14:30
Betreff: Re: mues


> This explication of the word moos doesn't acknowledge that
> the German slang word also originated from the Yiddish and
> was assimilated from there into German "slang." That it might
> have coalesced with the like sounding word for moss is irrelevant.
> Money has little in common with moss except the sound of its name.
>
> Languages can be notoriously promiscuous, but, in light of the
> history of the Jews under German hegemony, gelt's Hebraic
> Yiddish sibling should not be disinherited. There's a bottomless
> pit of cultural and symbolic associations, usually derogatory,
> and worldwide but most particularly in Germany, linking Jews
> and money throughout history; it's curious that, in this case of
> an actual etymological link, it's absent.
>
> The word mues can be found in its native habitat in the
> song of the same name performed by Adrienne Cooper
> on her (together with Zalman Mlotek) Ghetto Tango CD,
> performances appropriate to this season's remembrances
> of Passover and the Holocaust.
>
>
> On Wed, 28 Mar 2001 11:09:47 +0200 "Heiko Lehmann" <hklehmann (at) gmx(dot)de>
> writes:
> > In German slang the word appears as "Moos" (which also is "moss" in
> > English). As a slang word it has the sole meaning of "money".
> >
> > Heiko.
> >
> > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> > Von: Robert A. Rothstein <rar (at) slavic(dot)umass(dot)edu>
> > An: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
> > Gesendet: Sonntag, 25. März 2001 06:46
> > Betreff: Re: mues
> >
> >
> > > Lori Cahan-Simon wrote:
> > >
> > > > I seem to remember, a long time ago, a discussion about the
> > origin of
> > > > the word "muess" as a slang for money in some songs, I think.  I
> > cannot
> > > > remember the general consensus, except that of German origin or
> > a
> > > > corruption of Moshe.  I recently ran across a description of
> > "mo-os
> > > > chittim", a fund collected by the rabbi and well-to-do members
> > of the
> > > > community by going house to house to be given to poor people to
> > buy
> > > > wheat to bake matsos at peysakh time.  Do any in our learned
> > community
> > > > think this word could be the origin?
> > >
> > >         "Mues" is the southern (Polish or Ukrainian) Yiddish
> > version of
> > > "moes,"
> > > which derives from a post-biblical Hebrew word for money
> > > (mem-ayin-vov-sof).
> > > The Hebrew word (of unknown origin) was originally the plural of
> > the name
> > > of a
> > > coin of Talmudic times (mem-ayin-hey).  The Yiddish term was used
> > in both
> > > Jewish
> > > and Polish underworld slang presumably since it would be less
> > recognizable
> > > than
> > > "gelt," which is identical to the German word for money.  ("Masz
> > mues?" in
> > > the Polish
> > > underworld meant "Got any money?")  "Moes-khitn" or "moes-khitim"
> > (money
> > > for
> > > wheat), from the same word, was indeed the money collected for
> > poor people
> > > for
> > > matzos.  There's a proverb that says "Dos gantse moes-khitin geyt
> > baym
> > > shiker avek
> > > af khometsdikn bronfn" (The drunkard spends all the money he gets
> > for
> > > matzos on
> > > non-kosher-for-Passover liquor.)
> > >
> > >         Bob Rothstein
> > >
> > >
> >
> > ---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
> > ---------------------+
> >