The Yiddish Book Center's

Wexler Oral History Project

A growing collection of in-depth interviews with people of all ages and backgrounds, whose stories about the legacy and changing nature of Yiddish language and culture offer a rich and complex chronicle of Jewish identity.

"Boo-Boo" Comes from Yiddish

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Mark Louden, professor of linguistics, describes the positive aspects of teaching Yiddish and explains how the word "boo-boo" came from a Yiddish phrase.

This is an excerpt from an oral history with Mark Louden.

This excerpt is in English.

Mark Louden was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1962.

This interview is part of the Yiddish in the Academy: scholars, language instructors, and students series.

Other video highlights from this oral history

A Daughter's Interest in Yiddish

1 min 48 sec

A New Chapter in the Fascinating Story of Yiddish

1 min 51 sec

The Strengths of Studying Yiddish Academically

1 min 53 sec

"Taking the Fruits of Our Knowledge Out to the Curious General Public" The Academic's Role in Transmission of Information

1 min 31 sec

A Portal to a Different Culture

1 min 22 sec

Yiddish and Pennsylvania Dutch

1 min 29 sec

Yiddish and English: Languages in Contact

1 min 33 sec

The Way That People Speak

1 min 45 sec

Yiddish and Multicultural Identity

1 min 57 sec

"The Bottom Line" Comes from Yiddish

1 min 19 sec

More information about this oral history excerpt

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