18th and 19th century Jewish word lexicons. Also, ba'alei shem, and Hebrew conversations.

Here's an interesting excerpt from a 1754 lexicon of Hebrew terms used by Jews and translated into German. The Hebrew is transliterated into German for the ease of readers, who may not even know how to read Hebrew. Here's an excerpt under the category "Spiritual Terms:"




Gallach - A shaved person, or pastor
Lamdan - a learned person
Melamet - a school master
Rabbiner - a Jewish priest
Rav - ibid.
Rosch Jeschiwe - a Jewish rector, magister
Balschem - a necromancer
Bochur - a student
Chason - a Jewish choirmaster [I know it's not the best translation, but I'm trying to keep it literal]
Chosid - a frommer man, or pietist
Zadidig [sic] - a righteous man
Schames - the synagogue knocker (i.e., the man who knocks on homes to wake people for synagogue)
Bess Hackneses - the synagogue
Tefilla - the prayer
Schir - song
Orrun Hackodesch - the altar where the 10 commandments are contained
Omuth - the choirmaster's place
Allmemer - where the 10 commandments are placed
Drosche - the sermon
Migdol - the church tower (?)
Paimon - the bells
Zedocke - alms
Bes Chaiem - the Jew's graveyard
Kewer - a grave
Mazewa - a grave stone
Kabron - tomb of the dead
Mitta - bier for the dead
Orren - not exactly sure, but I guess funeral prayer?
Mess - a dead body
Heureg - a murder victim
Owel - the mourners
Kewura - burial
Kriereissen - a nearby friend tears the clothes

From Friedrich Osterchrist "Hebräisch und teutsches Sprach-Buch" (Regensburg 1754).

In the introduction there is a guide to pronunciation. By way of illustration it points out that there is a huge difference between "chinim" חינם (umsonst, free) and "kinnim" קינם [sic] (leusse, lice) and gives several other examples along those lines.

One of the more interesting entries is probably the one for Balschem, given that the most famous one who ever lived was still very much alive in 1754. Here's an excerpt from a 1748 book which explains what a Ba'al Shem is, and quotes a saying among Jews:



"Er kann oder verstehet Schemos." "He comprehends Names."

For those interested in the lexicon, there is an even better, more updated version from 1846 (link). It translates Rosch Jeschivoh as "ein juedischer Controvers-Prediger" which seems to mean "a Jewish preacher of controversy." It also has a sort of proto-entry for "klezmer," which it calls Kelee Semorim, and translates as the musical instrument.

There's also a section on how to have a Hebrew conversation. the example is between a buyer and a seller (zwei handels-Juden), because of course that's what Jews do. An excerpt:



B: ?ומה הוא הדבר אשר אדוני רצה למכור"What do you, Sir, have for sale?"

A: .יש לי בגדי הולנדי יפים מאוד "I have very beautiful Dutch fabric."

B: ? זה כמה רוצה אדוני באמה או בחתיכה קולו "How much is it, Sir, per yard or for the whole thing?"

Following this is a creepy Hebrew conversation between a missionary and a Jew. An excerpt:



St[udent]: ?מי אתה

J[ew]: .יהודי אנכי

S: ?ומה הוא אמונתך

J: .אני מאמין באלהי אבינו בורא שמים וארץ שהוא יחיד

S: .והלוא אני מאמין באלהי בורא שמים וארץ, אך אני מאמין בשלשה יסודות אב, בן, ורוח הקודש

J: ?דבר זה לא אוכל להבין. ולמה לא תעשו העשרת הדברות

Etc.