Gezunt - ืืขืืื ื - In Honor of Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller
Gezunt - ืืขืืื ื \ge-ZUNT\ Adjective:
Healthy, well, strong, buxom, wholesome, robust.
Pronunciation: Click here to hear a native Yiddish speaker use this word in conversation.
Synonyms: kreftik (ืงืจืขืคืืืง), mit alemen (ืืื ืึทืืขืืขื), yoderdik (ืืึธืืขืจืืืง).
German equivalent: gesund.
Etymology: The word derives from Middle High German "gesunt," from Old High German "gisunt," from Proto-Germanic *gasundaz, *sundaz, themselves from Proto-Indo-European *sunt-, *swent- โ("vigorous, strong, active, healthy"). Cognates include Danish "sund;" Old Dutch *sund; Middle Dutch "sunt, sont;" Modern Dutch "gezond;" Old English "sund, ฤกesund;" Middle English "sound, sund, isund;" Modern English "sound;" Faroese "sunnur;" Old Frisian "sund;" Middle Low German "sunt;" Low German "sund, gesund;" New High German "gesund;" Old Saxon "gisund;" Scots "sound, soun;" Old Swedish "sunder;" Modern Swedish "sund;" and West Frisian "sรปn, sรปnd."
Also related are Modern Dutch "gezwind;" Old English "swฤซรพ;" New High German "geschwind;" and Gothic ๐๐
๐น๐ฝ๐ธ.
Derivatives of gezunt: gezunt makhn (ืืขืืื ื ืืึทืื) - to heal (transitive); gezunt (ืืขืืื ื) - health, well-being; gezunt-rezort (ืืขืืื ื-ืจืขืืึธืจื) - a health resort; gezunt-opteyl (ืืขืืื ื-ืึธืคึผืืืื) or gezuntamt (ืืขืืื ืืึทืื) - board of health; folksgezunt (ืคืึธืืงืกืืขืืื ื) - public health; umgezuntkayt (ืืืืืขืืื ืืงืฒึทื) - unhealthiness; gezuntgibik (ืืขืืื ืืืืืืง) - healthful; umgezunt (ืืืืืขืืื ื) or nisht-gezunt (ื ืืฉื-ืืขืืื ื) - ailing, sick, unwholesome, unhealthy; gezunterheyt (ืืขืืื ืืขืจืืืื) - in good health, may it do you good!, iron., at your own risk, if you like.
For more gezunt-terminologye (ืืขืืื ื-ืืขืจืืื ืึธืืึธืืืข) - health terminology, in Yiddish and English translation, see the list prepared by Gitl Schaechter-Viswanath, with the collaboration of Sholem Zackary Berger and Paul Glasser.
Phrases with gezunt: araynleygn a gezuntn kop in a kranken bet (ืึทืจืฒึทื ืืืืื ืึท ืืขืืื ืื ืงืึธืคึผ ืืื ืึท ืงืจืึทื ืงื ืืขื) - to knowingly put oneself into a dangerous situation or one in which it is impossible to succeed (lit., to place a healthy head into a sickbed; on the derivation of Modern Hebrew al takhnis rosh bari le-mittah holah from this phrase, see Gold); avekgebn/avekleygn dos gezunt (ืึทืืืขืงืืขืื/ืึทืืืขืงืืืืื ืืึธืก ืืขืืื ื) - to ruin one's health; kostn a shtik gezunt (ืงืึธืกืื ืึท ืฉืืืง ืืขืืื ื) - to damage one's health (lit., to cost a bit of health); gezunter farshtand (ืืขืืื ืืขืจ ืคืึทืจืฉืืึทื ื) - common sense; frish un gezunt un meshuge (ืคืจืืฉ ืืื ืืขืืื ื ืืื ืืฉืืืข) - hale, hearty, and unhinged (said of a fantastical, bizarre idea or story that makes you question the sanity of the person who reported it); gezunt un shtark (ืืขืืื ื ืืื ืฉืืึทืจืง) - in perfect health; abi gezunt (ืึทืื ืืขืืื ื) - as long as you have your health; baym bestn gezunt (ืืฒึทื ืืขืกืื ืืขืืื ื) - in the best of health.
Comparisons with gezunt: gezunt vi (a shtik) ayzn (ืืขืืื ื ืืื [ืึท ืฉืืืง] ืืฒึทืื) - as healthy/strong as (a bit of) iron; a ber (ืึท ืืขืจ) - a bear; a bufloks (ืึท ืืืคืืึธืงืก) - a buffalo; a boym (ืึท ืืืื) - a tree; a demb (ืึท ืืขืื) - an oak; a ferd (ืึท ืคืขืจื) - a horse; a furman (ืึท ืคืืจืืึทื) or a shmayser (ืึท ืฉืืฒึทืกืขืจ) - a coachman; a goy (ืึท ืืื) or tsen goyim (ืฆืขื ืืืืื) - a non-Jew, or ten non-Jews; a katsap (ืึท ืงืึทืฆืึทืคึผ) - a Russian (pej.); a leyb (ืึท ืืืื) - a lion; a moyer (ืึท ืืืืขืจ) - a wall; an oks (ืึทื ืึธืงืก) - an ox; a poyer (ืึท ืคึผืืืขืจ) - a peasant; a riz (ืึท ืจืื) - a giant; a shteyn (ืึท ืฉืืืื) - a stone; a yishuvnik (ืึท ืืืฉืืื ืืง) - a rural Jew; a yurke (ืึท ืืืจืงืข) - an oaf; eysev (ืขืฉื) - Esau; golyes haplishti (ืืืืช ืืคึผืืฉืชึผื) - the Philistine Goliath; oyg melekh haboshn (ืขืื ืืื ืืืฉื) - Og King of Bashan; shimshen hagiber (ืฉืืฉืื ืืืืืจ) - the hero Samson.
Expressions with gezunt:
1. Alts farlirt der mentsh mit di yorn: yugnt, sheynheyt, gezunt, libe far koved; nor eyn zakh blaybt im - zayn narishkeyt (ืึทืืฅ ืคืึทืจืืืจื ืืขืจ ืืขื ืืฉ ืืื ืื ืืึธืจื: ืืืื ื, ืฉืืื ืืืื, ืืขืืื ื, ืืืืข ืคืึทืจ ืึผืืื; ื ืึธืจ ืืืื ืืึทื ืืืฒึทืื ืืื - ืืฒึทื ื ืึทืจืืฉืงืืื) - A person loses everything as he ages: his youth, good looks, health, pursuit of respect; only one thing remains with him - his foolishness. Similarly, A kranker vet gezunt vern, a shiker vet zikh oysnikhtern, a shvartser vet vays vern - un a nar vet blaybn a nar (ืึท ืงืจืึทื ืงืขืจ ืืืขื ืืขืืื ื ืืืขืจื, ืึท ืฉืึผืืจ ืืืขื ืืื ืืืืกื ืืืืขืจื, ืึท ืฉืืืึทืจืฆืขืจ ืืืขื ืืืฒึทืก ืืืขืจื - ืืื ืึท ื ืึทืจ ืืืขื ืืืฒึทืื ืึท ื ืึทืจ) - A sick person will be healed, a drunkard will sober up, the swarthy will turn light - but a fool remains a fool. Also: A nar darf hobn gezunte fis (ืึท ื ืึทืจ ืืึทืจืฃ ืืึธืื ืืขืืื ืืข ืคืืก) - A fool must have strong feet (because he has to repeat his steps a lot to get anything done); Ver es hot nisht keyn seykhl darf keyn gezunt oykh nisht hobn (ืืืขืจ ืขืก ืืึธื ืงืืื ืฉืื ืืึทืจืฃ ืงืืื ืืขืืื ื ืืืื ื ืืฉื ืืึธืื) - He who has no common sense need not have health either; and Er veyst nisht fun zayn gezunt (ืขืจ ืืืืืกื ื ืืฉื ืคืื ืืฒึทื ืืขืืื ื) - He does not know whether he is Arthur or Martha, does not know a hawk from a handsaw (lit., he does not know his own health).
2. Gezunt kumt far parnose (ืืขืืื ื ืงืืื ืคืึทืจ ืคึผืจื ืกื) - Health is more important than income (on which, see Rabbi Dovid Cohen). Similarly, Gezunt un parnose iz di beste bakoshe (ืืขืืื ื ืืื ืคึผืจื ืกื ืืื ืื ืืขืกืืข ืืงืฉื) - Health and earnings are the best yearnings; A kapore dos gelt, dos gezunt iz liber (ืึท ืึผืคึผืจื ืืึธืก ืืขืื, ืืึธืก ืืขืืื ื ืืื ืืืืขืจ) - Who cares about money? Health is preferable; Gezunt iz beser fun gelt (ืืขืืื ื ืืื ืืขืกืขืจ ืคืื ืืขืื) - Health is better than wealth; Beser a gezunter oreman eyder a kranker oysher (ืืขืกืขืจ ืึท ืืขืืื ืืขืจ ืึธืจืขืืึทื ืืืืืขืจ ืึท ืงืจืึทื ืงืขืจ ืขืืฉืจ) - Better poor and healthy than sick and wealthy; Az men iz nor gezunt, iz men shoyn raykh (ืึทื ืืขื ืืื ื ืึธืจ ืืขืืื ื, ืืื ืืขื ืฉืืื ืจืฒึทื) - If one is healthy, one is already wealthy; Az der mentsh iz gezunt, hot er a sakh dayges; az er vert krank, hot er eyn dayge (ืึทื ืืขืจ ืืขื ืืฉ ืืื ืืขืืื ื, ืืึธื ืขืจ ืึท ืกื ืืืืืช; ืึทื ืขืจ ืืืขืจื ืงืจืึทื ืง, ืืึธื ืขืจ ืืืื ืืืื) - When a man is healthy, he has many worries; when he is sick, he has only one worry; and, most poignantly, Far gelt ken men koyfn fargenigns, ober nisht keyn glik; bakantshaftn, ober nisht keyn fraynd; meditsinen, ober nisht keyn gezunt (ืคืึทืจ ืืขืื ืงืขื ืืขื ืงืืืคื ืคืึทืจืืขื ืืื ืก, ืึธืืขืจ ื ืืฉื ืงืืื ืืืืง; ืืึทืงืึทื ืืฉืึทืคืื, ืึธืืขืจ ื ืืฉื ืงืืื ืคืจืฒึทื ื; ืืขืืืฆืื ืขื, ืึธืืขืจ ื ืืฉื ืงืืื ืืขืืื ื) - With money, one can purchase pleasures, but not happiness; acquaintances, but not friends; medications, but not health.
3. A zun iz dos gezunt, a tokhter iz a kind, an eydem iz a hunt, a shnur iz a vund (ืึท ืืื ืืื ืืึธืก ืืขืืื ื, ืึท ืืึธืืืขืจ ืืื ืึท ืงืื ื, ืึทื ืืืืืขื ืืื ืึท ืืื ื, ืึท ืฉื ืืจ ืืื ืึท ืืืึผื ื) (meant to be pronounced in the Southern Yiddish accent so that all the final words rhyme) - A son is one's health, a daughter is a child, a son-in-law is a dog, a daughter-in-law is a wound. Similarly, Eyder men iz megadl a kind, vert men on dos gezunt (ืืืืืขืจ ืืขื ืืื ืืืื ืึท ืงืื ื, ืืืขืจื ืืขื ืึธื ืืึทึธืก ืืขืืื ื) - Before one has managed to raise a child, one has lost his health; and Beser gezunt gehert, eyder krank gezen (ืืขืกืขืจ ืืขืืื ื ืืขืืขืจื, ืืืืืขืจ ืงืจืึทื ืง ืืขืืขื) - Better to hear (mistaken) good tidings about one's children living abroad than to see their misbehavior up close at home.
4. Vos vintsiker men fregt/redt, iz alts gezinter (ืืืึธืก ืืืื ืฆืืงืขืจ ืืขื ืคืจืขืื/ืจืขืื, ืืื ืึทืืฅ ืืขืืื ืืขืจ) - The less you ask/talk, the better off you are.
5. Az me hot kinder, gezunt, un gelt, ken men zikh nisht vuntshn keyn shenere velt (ืึทื ืืข ืืึธื ืงืื ืืขืจ, ืืขืืื ื, ืืื ืืขืื, ืงืขื ืืขื ืืื ื ืืฉื ืืืึผื ืืฉื ืงืืื ืฉืขื ืขืจืข ืืืขืื) - A little house well filled, a little field well tilled, and a little wife well willed, are great riches (lit., When a man has children, health, and wealth, he cannot wish himself a better life).
6. Protsent nemt avek dos gezunt mit di hent (ืคึผืจืึธืฆืขื ื ื ืขืื ืึทืืืขืง ืืึธืก ืืขืืื ื ืืื ืื ืืขื ื) - Interest directly damages one's health.
7. Es iz gezunt - tsum hoyker (ืขืก ืืื ืืขืืื ื - ืฆืื ืืืืงืขืจ) - It's good - for giving you a hunchback (said of a medication or procedure supposed to heal that does nothing in the end).
8. Az a mentsh iz gezunt, meynt er az es kumt im azoy (ืึทื ืึท ืืขื ืืฉ ืืื ืืขืืื ื, ืืืื ื ืขืจ ืึทื ืขืก ืงืืื ืืื ืึทืืื) - If a person is healthy, he thinks it's his due.
9. A krankn fregt men, a gezuntn git men (ืึท ืงืจืึทื ืงื ืคืจืขืื ืืขื, ืึท ืืขืืื ืื ืืื ืืขื) - Inquire of the sick, feed the healthy unasked.
Blessings with gezunt:
1. Tsu(m) gezunt! (ืฆื[ื] ืืขืืื ื) - God bless you, gesundheit (after a sneeze), you're welcome (in response to thanks), may it do you good (in administering medicine) (on the derivation of Modern Hebrew la-beriโut from this phrase, see Gold)! Similarly, Vaksn zolstu tsu gezunt! (ืืืึทืงืกื ืืึธืืกืื ืฆื ืืขืืื ื) - May you grow to health (after a sneeze)! (To someone sneezing three times:) Tsu gezunt, tsu lebn, tsu lange yor! (ืฆื ืืขืืื ื, ืฆื ืืขืื, ืฆื ืืึทื ืืข ืืึธืจ) - To health, to life, to long years! (And the parody: Tsu gezunt, tsu lebn, tsu lange hor [ืฆื ืืขืืื ื, ืฆื ืืขืื, ืฆื ืืึทื ืืข ืืึธืจ] - To health, to life, to long hair.) (To a child:) A gezunt dir in yedn eyverl! (ืึท ืืขืืื ื ืืืจ ืืื ืืขืื ืืืจื) - Health to all your little limbs! or Tsu gezunt, tsu lebn, tsu vaksn, tsu kveln, unter der khupe tsu shteln! (ืฆื ืืขืืื ื, ืฆื ืืขืื, ืฆื ืืืึทืงืกื, ืฆื ืงืืืขืื, ืืื ืืขืจ ืืขืจ ืืืคึผื ืฆื ืฉืืขืื) - To health, to life, to growth, to bringing joy, to standing underneath the wedding canopy!
2. Es gezunterheyt (ืขืก ืืขืืื ืืขืจืืืื) - Bon appรฉtit; For gezunterheyt (ืคืึธืจ ืืขืืื ืืขืจืืืื) - Have a nice trip, bon voyage; Trog/Tserays es gezunterheyt (ืืจืึธื/ืฆืขืจืฒึทืก ืขืก ืืขืืื ืืขืจืืืื) - Wear it well, enjoy wearing it; Shlof gezunterheyt (ืฉืืึธืฃ ืืขืืื ืืขืจืืืื) - Sleep well.
3. Zay gezunt (ืืฒึท ืืขืืื ื) or Zay mir dervayl gezunt (ืืฒึท ืืืจ ืืขืจืืืฒึทื ืืขืืื ื) - Farewell, goodbye, see you later, so long (on the derivation of Modern Hebrew tihyeh bari from this phrase, see Farstey [for those with a subscription to Brill online publishers]).
4. A gezunt in dayn kop/kepele (ืึท ืืขืืื ื ืืื ืืฒึทื ืงืึธืคึผ/ืงืขืคึผืขืืข) - Health to your little head (said to a clever child); A greptsele aroys, a gezuntele arayn (ืึท ืืจืขืคึผืกืขืืข ืึทืจืืืก, ืึท ืืขืืื ืืขืืข ืึทืจืฒึทื) - A little burp will bring you a little health (lit., A little burp out, a little health in; said when burping baby); A hemdele aroyf, a hemdele arop - a gezunt dir in kop (ืึท ืืขืืืขืืข ืึทืจืืืฃ, ืึท ืืขืืืขืืข ืึทืจืึธืคึผ - ืึท ืืขืืื ื ืืืจ ืืื ืงืึธืคึผ) - One shirt off, one shirt on - health be on your head (said by a mother while changing her child's shirt or blouse).
5. Gezunt zolstu zayn (ืืขืืื ื ืืึธืืกืื ืืฒึทื) - God bless you!, iron., just a minute! what are you thinking?; A gezunt tsu dir (ืึท ืืขืืื ื ืฆื ืืืจ) or A gezunt in dayne beyner (ืึท ืืขืืื ื ืืื ืืฒึทื ืข ืืืื ืขืจ) - Well done! Bravo! (lit., health upon you/in your bones).
For more on blessings with gezunt, see Matisoff, esp. pp. 32-40.
Curses with gezunt:
1. Gezunt un shtayf zolstu zayn (ืืขืืื ื ืืื ืฉืืฒึทืฃ ืืึธืืกืื ืืฒึทื) - May you be healthy and stiff (a play on Gezunt un shtark zolstu zayn [ืืขืืื ื ืืื ืฉืืึทืจืง ืืึธืืกืื ืืฒึทื] - May you be healthy and strong).
2. Gezunt un shtark zolstu zayn vi ayzn, zolst zikh nisht kenen aynbeygn (ืืขืืื ื ืืื ืฉืืึทืจืง ืืึธืืกืื ืืฒึทื ืืื ืืฒึทืื, ืืึธืืกื ืืื ื ืืฉื ืงืขื ืขื ืืฒึทื ืืืืื) - May you be healthy and tough as iron, so much so that you cannot bend over.
3. A gezunt dir in boykh, a zalts in di beyner (ืึท ืืขืืื ื ืืืจ ืืื ืืืื, ืึท ืืึทืืฅ ืืื ืื ืืืื ืขืจ) - Health to your stomach, salt to your bones (a play on A gezunt in dayne beyner).
4. Gezunte zoln dikh trogn (ืืขืืื ื ืืึธืื ืืื ืืจืึธืื) - May healthy people carry you off (a play on Gezunterheyt zolt ir es trogn [ืืขืืื ืืขืจืืืื ืืึธืื ืืืจ ืขืก ืืจืึธืื] - May you wear it well; for a Holocaust-era-related application of this curse [to a German officer], see Blumenthal).
5. Got zol dir helfn, zolst shtendik zayn gezunt un shtark, un shtendik fregn vos far a veter es iz in droysn (ืืึธื ืืึธื ืืืจ ืืขืืคื, ืืึธืืกื ืฉืืขื ืืืง ืืฒึทื ืืขืืื ื ืืื ืฉืืึทืจืง, ืืื ืฉืืขื ืืืง ืคืจืขืื ืืืึธืก ืคืึทืจ ืึท ืืืขืืขืจ ืขืก ืืื ืืื ืืจืืืกื) - May God help you that you should always be healthy and strong, and always be asking what the weather's like outside (on which, see Wex).
Gezunt in Jewish culture:
1. As you can probably tell from much of the above, health was considered an extremely valuable asset in Eastern European Jewish society, and the lack of it, a terrible liability (a point made by Alan M. Kraut in his book chapter, "Gezunthayt iz besser vi Krankhayt: Fighting the Stigma of the 'Jewish Disease'"). The sheer number of expressions and wishes concerning health testifies to this. Indeed, perhaps the best blessing one could wish the parents of newlyweds is expressed with the acronym gefen (ืืคื): gezunt, parnose, nakhes (ืืขืืื ื, ืคึผืจื ืกื, ื ืืช) - health, wealth, and delight (see Rivkind). From the other side, sickness was feared so much that it was referred to as euphemistically as possible. Here is what Weinreich has to say on the subject (p. 190):
The linguistic effects of tabu ... go much further than merely refraining from uttering God's name [...] In the Yiddish vernacular of Vilna it was not meet to say er iz krank (he is sick); er iz nit-gezunt (he is unwell) was preferable. And if the illness was serious, er iz shtark nit-gezunt (he is seriously unwell) is still preferable [...] Krank (sick), or es brent (fire!) is very bad; nit-gezunt (unwell) or es netst (it is leaking) is tolerable, if there is no way out [...]
2. Sholem Aleichem famously wrote that Lakhn iz gezunt, doktoyrim heysn lakhn (ืืึทืื ืืื ืืขืืื ื, ืืึธืงืืืืจืื ืืืืกื ืืึทืื) - Laughing is healthy; doctors prescribe laughter. For David G. Roskies' analysis of this witticism, see here.
3. If you've ever wanted to watch a Yiddish-language cooking program, check out Est gezunterheyt! starring Rukhl Schaechter and Eve Jochnowitz, the latter of whom recently came out with an English translation of a Yiddish-language vegetarian cookbook published in Vilna in 1938. (For an earlier Yiddish-language vegetarian cookbook published in America, see A.B. and Shifra Mishulow's Gezunt un shpayz un vegetarishe kokh bukh [New York: The Better Health & Correct Eating Institute, 1926].)
4. The title of the cooking show reminds me of a joke I once heard: "What would be the name of a ship owned by a Jewish mother? Es Es Gezunterheyt." :-)
Gezunt in a sentence: Yetst, az tate geyt aroys oyf pensye, vintshn mir ale er zol mamshikh zayn arbetn farn Yidishn folk, genisndik fun a sakh nakhes, gezunt, un freyd biz hundert un tsvantsik! Lekhaim! (ืืขืฆื, ืึทื ืืึทืืข ืืืื ืึทืจืืืก ืืืืฃ ืคืขื ืกืืข, ืืืื ืืฉื ืืืจ ืึทืืข ืขืจ ืืึธื ืืืฉืื ืืฒึทื ืึทืจืืขืื ืคืึทืจื ืืึดืืืฉื ืคืึธืืง, ืืขื ืืกื ืืืง ืคืื ื ืกื ื ืืช, ืืขืืื ื, ืืื ืคืจืืื ืืื ืืื ืืขืจื ืืื ืฆืืืึทื ืฆืืง! ืืืืื) - Now that my father is retiring, we all wish him the ability to continue working on behalf of the Jewish people while enjoying much delight, health, and happiness till the age of 120! L'chaim!
Use gezunt in your own sentence today!
snowghoul
kianamaiart
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
gracieabrams