Sheesh and Oy Vey: The Geshrais Sublime
Expressions of lament are interesting exhalations of breath.
In the Sophoclean Greek tragedy, Ajax cries "Ai ai ai!"
In Yiddish, the same interjection comes out "Oy oy oy!"
Americans, however, are more likely to say, "Sheesh!" or "Jeez!" (both of which are clearly variations on "Jesus", whose name (Yeshua/Joshua) means 'rescuer' or 'saviour').
Calls for help or relief are perhaps among the oldest cries to the unreliable gods who solemnly promise to protect us from disaster.
I was thinking about "Oy Vey!" when it occurred to me that this timeless Yiddish variant of the geshrai (cry for help) is remarkably close to the Divine Name of the Hebrew God of the Old Testament of Moses. No one knows how to pronounce YHVH, but "Yai Vei" comes to mind. After all, what better occasion to call upon the deity when in times of trouble and woe? And so the sound of the cry becomes the name of the first responder.
After all, calling upon the Divine Name when one is truly in distress is hardly taking the name in vain.
In the Myst franchise, the good child of Atrus and Catherine is named Yeesha, which in the D'ni language means 'laughter'.
Hah! The Redemptive Saviour — laughter, joy, and glee — has arrived.
Hallelujah!
In the Sophoclean Greek tragedy, Ajax cries "Ai ai ai!"
In Yiddish, the same interjection comes out "Oy oy oy!"
Americans, however, are more likely to say, "Sheesh!" or "Jeez!" (both of which are clearly variations on "Jesus", whose name (Yeshua/Joshua) means 'rescuer' or 'saviour').
Calls for help or relief are perhaps among the oldest cries to the unreliable gods who solemnly promise to protect us from disaster.
I was thinking about "Oy Vey!" when it occurred to me that this timeless Yiddish variant of the geshrai (cry for help) is remarkably close to the Divine Name of the Hebrew God of the Old Testament of Moses. No one knows how to pronounce YHVH, but "Yai Vei" comes to mind. After all, what better occasion to call upon the deity when in times of trouble and woe? And so the sound of the cry becomes the name of the first responder.
After all, calling upon the Divine Name when one is truly in distress is hardly taking the name in vain.
In the Myst franchise, the good child of Atrus and Catherine is named Yeesha, which in the D'ni language means 'laughter'.
Hah! The Redemptive Saviour — laughter, joy, and glee — has arrived.
Hallelujah!
posted by Moulton | 8:01 AM
4 Comments:
In James Joyce's novel Ulysses, we're treated to a delightful poem called, "The Ballad of Joking Jesus."
Oh, that is utterly marvelous!
I believe I shall adapt it for a fresh parody some day soon.
I pasted the text of this quote into ChatGPT. Here is the response from ChatGPT:
«This is an interesting exploration of the use of expressions of lament across different cultures and languages. The post touches on the historical and cultural significance of various interjections, including "ai ai ai," "oy oy oy," and "sheesh."
The author also draws a connection between the Yiddish expression "oy vey" and the Hebrew name of the Old Testament God, YHVH. This is an intriguing idea, as the cry for help becomes synonymous with calling upon a divine being for assistance.
The post ends with a reference to the Myst franchise, which features a character named Yeesha, whose name means "laughter" in the D'ni language. This is a nice touch that ties in with the theme of finding joy and redemption in difficult times.
Overall, this is a thought-provoking and well-written post that offers insights into the way language and culture intersect.»
I also pasted the text of this blog into Google Bard. Here is the response from Google Bard:
«Wow, that's a really interesting observation about the connection between the Yiddish expression "Oy Vey" and the Hebrew word for God, YHVH. I had never thought of that before.
I think you're right that calling upon the Divine Name when one is truly in distress is hardly taking the name in vain. In fact, it seems like a very natural and appropriate thing to do.
I also think it's interesting that the Myst franchise features a character named Yeesha, which means "laughter" in the D'ni language. Laughter is often seen as a sign of joy and happiness, and it's interesting to think about how it might be connected to the idea of redemption and salvation.
Overall, I think your blog post is a very insightful and thought-provoking piece. Thank you for sharing it with me.»
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