LANGUAGE OF ISRAEL: NO REAL NATIONAL LANGUAGE

MANY YEARS LATER, A PUPIL OF ELIEZER BEN-YEHUDA'S DECIDED TO GO
AND PINPOINT WHAT THE JEWISH PEOPLE USED FOR THEIR NATIONAL
LANGUAGE. SINCE THEY WERE ALL CAREFUL IN ORDINARY SPEAKING, THIS
PUPIL DECIDED THAT THE ONLY WAY TO FIND OUT HOW THE PEOPLE REALLY
SPOKE WOULD BE TO CATCH THEM WITH THEIR TONGUES OFF GUARD. SO ONE
DAY HE WENT TO A JEWISH SCHOOL IN JERUSALEM AND WAITED UNTIL ONE
OF THE SMALLEST BOYS CAME OUT INTO THE PLAYGROUND. THE PUPIL
WALKED UP TO HIM FROM BEHIND AND ROUGHLY KNOCKED THE LITTLE BOY'S
HAT OFF. THE PUPIL EXPECTED THE BOY TO CRY OUT "MOTHER," EITHER
SAYING "IMMA," WHICH IS HEBREW, OR "MAMALE," WHICH IS YIDDISH,
BUT INSTEAD THE LITTLE BOY PICKED UP HIS HAT, FACED BEN-YEHUDA'S
PUPIL SQUARELY AND HISSED "HAMAR" (ASSHOLE), WHICH IS THE SAME
IN BOTH LANGUAGES. SO BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT, THEN, WE STILL
DO NOT KNOW IF ISRAEL'S NATIONAL LANGUAGE IS HEBREW OR YIDDISH.

Data entry tech comment:

Beginning of tale is missing.

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Culture ; ETYMOLOGY ; Hebrew ; Israel ; Jewish ; Language ; Origin ; Yiddish

View just this record