How (and Why!) to Talk About Mermaids and Werewolves in Yiddish

College classes teach us BORING vocab.

You know, words like... "train station," "spoon," and "cow."

But did you know there's a whole fantasy literature in Yiddish?

Mermaids, werewolves, fire-breathing dragons, vampires, unicorns, spells, potions... we've got it all! So why not learn it???

Here are 36 fantasy words to get you started, followed by a list of recommended readings.

1. Bewitch - bakíshefn
2. Curse - di klóle (di klóles)
3. Demon - der sheyd (di shéydim)
4. Elf - der elf (di élfn); dos shrétl (di shrétlekh)
5. Enchant - farkíshefn
6. Enchantment - di farkíshefung (di farkíshefungen)
7. Fairy - di féye (di féyes)
8. Fire-breathing dragon - der fáyer-blózndiker drakón (di fáyer-blózndike drakónen)
9. Ghost - der gáyst (di gáyster)
10. Goblin - der kobóld (di kobóldn)
11. Magic - der kíshef; der tsóyber
12. Magic potion - dos kíshef-getránk (di kíshef-getránken); dos vaserl (di vaserlekh)
13. Magic ring - dos kíshef-ringl (di kíshef-ringelekh)
14. Magic spell - der kíshef-shprokh (di kíshef-shprokhn)
15. Magic wand - dos kíshef-shtékele (di kíshef-shtékelekh)
16. Mermaid - dos yám-meydl (di yám-meydelekh)
17. Merman - dos yám-yingl (di yám-yingelekh)
18. Mummy - di múmiye (di múmiyes)
19. Pegasus - der pegáz (di pegázn)
20. Perform magic - tón kíshef
21. Poltergeist - der shtúb-sheyd (di shtúb-sheydim)
22. Sorcerer - der tsóyberer (di tsóyberers)
23. Sorceress - di tsóyberin (di tsóyberins)
24. Spirit - der rúekh (di rúkhes)
25. Transfiguration - di ibergeshtaltung (di ibergeshtaltungen)
26. Transform - transformírn; farvárfn; farvándlen; megúlgl vern
27. Troll - der tról (di tróln)
28. Unicorn - der éynhorn (di éynherner)
29. Vampire - der vampír (di vampírn)
30. Werewolf - der volkelák (di volkelákes)
31. Will-o-wisps - di blóndzhelikht
32. Witch - di kíshefmakherin (di kishefmakherins)
33. Witchcraft - dos kíshefmakheray
34. Wizard - der kíshefmakher (di kíshefmakhers)
35. Wizardry - dos tsóyberay
36. Zombi - der zómbi (di zómbis)

Recommended Fantasy Books Originally Written in Yiddish:

• Yingl tsingl khvat [Yingl the Badass], short story by Mani Leyb (1918)
• Yingele ringele [The Boy with the Ring], novel by Leon Elbe (1929)
• Dos kluge shnayderl [The Clever Little Tailor], novel by Solomon Simon (1933)
• A rayze tsu der levone [A Journey to the Moon], short story collection by Eda Glasser (1940)
• Fantastish! [Fantastical!], Yiddish picture book guide to fantasy creatures by Nikolai Olnianski (2019)

Yiddish Translations of Fantasy Literature from Other Languages

• Der kishefmakher un zayn zun [The Wizard and His Son], translated from the Brothers Grimm by Shloyme Bastomski (1921)
• Mayselekh [Stories], translated from Hans Christian Anderson by Der Nister (1921)
• Der Hobit [The Hobbit], translated from J. R. R. Tolkien by Barry Goldstein (2015, 2nd Edition 2019)
• Der Har fun di Fingerlekh [Lord of the Rings], translated from J. R. R. Tolkien by Barry Goldstein (2014-2016)
• Heri Poter un der Filosofisher Shteyn [Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone], translated from J. K. Rowling by Arun Viswanath (2020)