Yiddish Word of The Week: Shenken – שענקען \SHENK-en\ Verb – to give
photo by Shulamit Seidler-Feller
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Shenken - שענקען \SHENK-en\ Verb
Definition:
To gift, give, grant, present, donate; pardon, forgive.
Note on usage: Shenken is usually used in the sense of giving someone a handout; if one wants to say "to give a gift," one should probably use the verb gebn (געבן).
Pronunciation:
Synonyms:
matone (מתנה), prezent (פרעזענט).
German equivalents:
gestatten, gewähren, gönnen, schenken, stiften.
Yiddish Phrases:
shenken a nedove(שענקען א נדבה) - to give a handout
shenken an oyer (שענקען אן אויער) - to lend an ear
nisht shenken keyn oyfmerkzamkayt (נישט שענקען קיין אויפמערקזאמקייט) - not to pay any attention
Yiddish Expressions:
1. Got, shenk mir an oysreyd! (גאט, שענק מיר אן אויסרייד) - God, give me an excuse! (something I find myself saying probably more often than I should...)
2. Es iz nisht azoy lib dos geshank vi der gedank (עס איז נישט אזוי ליב דאס געשאנק ווי דער געדאנק) - It's the thought that counts (lit., The gift is not as loved as the thought).
Sentence:
Far Khanike, geyt men in kromen arayn tsu koyfn bikher, tsatskes, un andere geshanken far di kleyne kinderlekh, ober, tsum badoyern, nisht far di groyse kinder (פאר חנוכה, גייט מען אין קראמען אריין צו קויפן ביכער, צאצקעס, און אנדערע
געשאנקען פאר די קליינע קינדערלעך, אבער, צום באדויערן, נישט פאר די גרויסע קינדער) - Before Hanukkah, people go to stores to buy books, toys, and other gifts for the small children, but not for the older children, unfortunately. 🙁
This was from an older issue, I think around Khanuka...
Have a gute vakh! And a gut yontiv! Sukos is coming soon!
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