JEWISH ENGLISH OR "HEBRONICS"

    The Encino (California) School Board has declared Jewish
English a second language.  Backers of the move say the district
is the first in the nation to recognize Hebronics as the language
of many of America's Jews.  Here are some descriptions of the
characteristics of the language, and samples of phrases in
standard English and Jewish English:

            SAMPLES OF PRONUNCIATION CHARACTERISTICS

    Jewish English or "Hebronics" hardens consonants at the ends of
words.  Thus "hand" becomes "handt."

    The letter "W" is always pronounced as if it were a "V".  Thus
"walking" becomes "valking".

    "R" sounds are transformed to a guttural utterance that is
virtually impossible to spell in English.  It's "ghraining"
"algheady".

             SAMPLES OF IDIOMATIC CHARACTERISTICS

    Questions are always answered with questions:

    Question: "How do you feel?"  Hebronics response: "How should I
feel?"

    The subject is often placed at the end of a sentence after a
pronoun has been used at the beginning: "She dances beautifully,
that girl."

    The sarcastic repetition of words by adding "sh" to the front
is used for emphasis": mountains becomes "shmountains", turtle
becomes "shmurtle", etc.

                 SAMPLE USAGE COMPARISONS

Standard English Phrase                  Hebronics Phrase
===========================================================================

"He walks slow."                          "Like a fly in the
                                          ointment he walks."

"You're sexy."                            (unknown concept)

"Sorry, I do not know the time."          "What do I look like, a
                                          clock?"

"I hope things turn out for the best."    "You should be so lucky."

"Anything can happen."                   "It's never so bad it
                                         can't get worse."