Yeshivish (the language) ישיבישע שפראך

What is Yeshivish

"Yeshivish", also called Yeshiva English, is a way of speaking English that developed among yeshiva students and others closely connected to the yeshiva world ^[1]. It takes English and mixes in words from Yiddish, Hebrew and Aramaic, like "shkoyach" for "thank you" and "Baruch Hashem" ^[1]. In 1995 a whole dictionary appeared: "Frumspeak: The First Dictionary of Yeshivish" by Chaim Weiser ^[1].

An example

A bochur says: "The sevara is geshmak, but I have a kasha on the whole mehalech, so I'm going to be mechadesh a teretz by the Rosh Yeshiva after second seder." No English speaker understands it, no Hebrew speaker either, but every Lakewood bochur understands every word and will tell you he speaks "plain English".

A Chasidish view

Chasidim speak Yiddish with English mixed in; Litvaks speak English with Yiddish mixed in. At a chasunah where both meet, you hear a language with no name yet, and everyone understands each other perfectly, especially about cholent.