tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post6914719297450310587..comments2024-03-27T08:03:12.221-07:00Comments on WILD ABOUT HARRY: The family languageJohn Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-90411363138228875832022-07-15T14:42:47.086-07:002022-07-15T14:42:47.086-07:00I always wondered where Houdini learned French.
...I always wondered where Houdini learned French. <br /><br />If I seem to remember correctly, Houdini's mom came from a good family. After all, she was related to the Newman's who owned the yeast company. <br /><br />I think she might have married down when she married Samuel. Michael Pascoenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-44856733018610672792014-10-11T17:14:48.911-07:002014-10-11T17:14:48.911-07:00It was not uncommon for Europeans of that period t...It was not uncommon for Europeans of that period to speak three or four languages. Today most non-Americans speak more languages than just their native tongue. James Hamiltonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-8809370635957720262013-05-12T15:30:14.758-07:002013-05-12T15:30:14.758-07:00I don't think they dropped out of school to pu...I don't think they dropped out of school to pursue their careers. I believe formal education for all the kids ended when the family left Appleton and fell into poverty. John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-70404826721399464312013-05-12T15:27:49.835-07:002013-05-12T15:27:49.835-07:00Interesting points, David. Thanks.Interesting points, David. Thanks.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-70057850115221396842012-11-29T10:51:02.506-08:002012-11-29T10:51:02.506-08:00Curious wording in Bess's PS to Doyle:
1. So...Curious wording in Bess's PS to Doyle: <br /><br />1. Sounds like she's saying Hungarian (Magyar) was Cecilia's mother tongue, not German. Reformist ("Neolog") Jews of Budapest in that era did speak Magyar, but it was usually their second language, after German, or third, after Yiddish. If we accept the thesis that the Weiss family fled Budapest because of anti-semitism, it DAVID SALTMANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06270760638995836991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-26817646536170212742012-11-28T18:28:26.326-08:002012-11-28T18:28:26.326-08:00I'm also wondering if Cecelia received some hi...I'm also wondering if Cecelia received some higher education. That's five languages in her arsenal. If so, I wonder what she thought when Erich and Theo dropped out of school to pursue other creative paths.Leo Hevianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-3423242931304928782012-11-27T11:22:13.685-08:002012-11-27T11:22:13.685-08:00Yes, good points.
I also wonder how fluent she w...Yes, good points. <br /><br />I also wonder how fluent she was in these other languages. It surprises me that she knew Spanish, but maybe she was pretty well educated? I need to break out my Weltman.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-2659604477724128382012-11-27T11:19:03.352-08:002012-11-27T11:19:03.352-08:00Language acquisition is more challenging as an adu...Language acquisition is more challenging as an adult, even with "immersion" as happens when a person migrates to a new country as she did.<br /><br />I imagine too her social circle was not huge and she would have spent most time within her own community and her own family. Obviously, the kids picked up the new language quickly as kids do, but probably continued to speak German at homemelbohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14032793912135092967noreply@blogger.com