Shm-reduplication

The Shm - reduplication, even jew - reduplication is a form of reduplication in the English language, in which the original word is repeated orthographically starting with a previously set shm - (pronounced ' dresses up ' [ ʃm ] ), which is sometimes also schm - is written. The construction is generally used to express irony, ridicule or skepticism regarding the discussed object. example:

The construction seems to come from the Yiddish and was subsequently transferred by Yiddish - speakers in the English, especially the American English of cities in the northeastern United States. Nowadays it is used and understood that even do not speak Yiddish by many speakers.

Phonological Features

  • For words that begin with a single consonant, it is usually replaced by shm (eg table- shmable ).
  • For words that begin with a consonant cluster, some speakers if possible replace only the first consonant ( breakfast shmreakfast ), but all other initial consonant ( breakfast shmeakfast ).
  • For words that begin with a vowel, is added at the beginning of shm - reduplicated word ( apple shmapple ).
  • Some speakers do not modify the first syllable of the word, but the syllable with the main emphasis ( incredible inshmedible ). In some of these speakers in turn additionally the part of the word falls away, which precedes the stressed syllable ( incredible shmedible; cf. Spitzer 1952).
  • The shm - reduplication is generally avoided or altered in words, already begin shm - with. For example, does not the replication of "schmuck " to the expected " smug " but if it is not generally avoided such forms as "schmuck shluck ", " jewelry fluck " etc.
  • Many speakers use sm- instead of shm - in words that already contain a sh ( Ashmont Smash Mont, not, Shmashmont ).
  • Other phonological details results of an online survey by Bert Vaux and Andrew Nevins, which is linked below.

Bibliography

  • Fine Silver, Lillian (1961 ): On Yiddish Shm. American Speech 36, pp. 302-303.
  • Nevins, Andrew; Vaux, Bert (2003): Metalinguistic, shmetalinguistic: The phonology of shm - reduplication. Proceedings of the Chicago Linguistics Society annual meeting, April 2003.
  • Southern, Mark ( 2005): Contagious Couplings: Transmission of Expressive in Yiddish Echo Phrases. Westport, Conn.:. Greenwood Publishing Group.
  • Spitzer, Leo ( 1952): Confusion shmooshun. Journal of English and Germanic Philology 51, ​​pp. 226-233.
Yiddish language
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