Język szmoncesowy jako znacznik żydowskiej opowiastki humorystycznej
The language of szmonces as a sub-code of the Jewish humorous tales

Summary/Abstract: This article explains the following terms: ‘szmonces’, ‘humour’, ‘comicality’, and ‘anecdote’.It proposes a register of over 30 linguistic properties that distinguish a standardversion of Polish from the spoken language used by the first generation of assimilatedJews, living in Poland during the interwar period. The author discuses a Jewish diaspora,often characterized by the above mentioned sub-code, with a focus on: a) people – theirweaknesses, strengths, professions, and (b) everyday objects used in shtetlekh as wellas a range of events and concepts that influenced the everyday of people of the Jewishfaith. The paper concludes with a list of functions of szmonces which reach beyond thesub-code, such as: identification, humour, education, and popularization.

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