Gezunt - געזונט - In Honor of Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller
Gezunt - געזונט \ge-ZUNT\ Adjective:
Healthy, well, strong, buxom, wholesome, robust.
Pronunciation: Click here to hear a native Yiddish speaker use this word in conversation.
Synonyms: kreftik (קרעפטיק), mit alemen (מיט אַלעמען), yoderdik (יאָדערדיק).
German equivalent: gesund.
Etymology: The word derives from Middle High German "gesunt," from Old High German "gisunt," from Proto-Germanic *gasundaz, *sundaz, themselves from Proto-Indo-European *sunt-, *swent- ("vigorous, strong, active, healthy"). Cognates include Danish "sund;" Old Dutch *sund; Middle Dutch "sunt, sont;" Modern Dutch "gezond;" Old English "sund, ġesund;" Middle English "sound, sund, isund;" Modern English "sound;" Faroese "sunnur;" Old Frisian "sund;" Middle Low German "sunt;" Low German "sund, gesund;" New High German "gesund;" Old Saxon "gisund;" Scots "sound, soun;" Old Swedish "sunder;" Modern Swedish "sund;" and West Frisian "sûn, sûnd."
Also related are Modern Dutch "gezwind;" Old English "swīþ;" New High German "geschwind;" and Gothic 𐍃𐍅𐌹𐌽𐌸.
Derivatives of gezunt: gezunt makhn (געזונט מאַכן) - to heal (transitive); gezunt (געזונט) - health, well-being; gezunt-rezort (געזונט-רעזאָרט) - a health resort; gezunt-opteyl (געזונט-אָפּטייל) or gezuntamt (געזונטאַמט) - board of health; folksgezunt (פאָלקסגעזונט) - public health; umgezuntkayt (אומגעזונטקײַט) - unhealthiness; gezuntgibik (געזונטגיביק) - healthful; umgezunt (אומגעזונט) or nisht-gezunt (נישט-געזונט) - ailing, sick, unwholesome, unhealthy; gezunterheyt (געזונטערהייט) - in good health, may it do you good!, iron., at your own risk, if you like.
For more gezunt-terminologye (געזונט-טערמינאָלאָגיע) - health terminology, in Yiddish and English translation, see the list prepared by Gitl Schaechter-Viswanath, with the collaboration of Sholem Zackary Berger and Paul Glasser.
Phrases with gezunt: araynleygn a gezuntn kop in a kranken bet (אַרײַנלייגן אַ געזונטן קאָפּ אין אַ קראַנקן בעט) - to knowingly put oneself into a dangerous situation or one in which it is impossible to succeed (lit., to place a healthy head into a sickbed; on the derivation of Modern Hebrew al takhnis rosh bari le-mittah holah from this phrase, see Gold); avekgebn/avekleygn dos gezunt (אַוועקגעבן/אַוועקלייגן דאָס געזונט) - to ruin one's health; kostn a shtik gezunt (קאָסטן אַ שטיק געזונט) - to damage one's health (lit., to cost a bit of health); gezunter farshtand (געזונטער פאַרשטאַנד) - common sense; frish un gezunt un meshuge (פריש און געזונט און משוגע) - hale, hearty, and unhinged (said of a fantastical, bizarre idea or story that makes you question the sanity of the person who reported it); gezunt un shtark (געזונט און שטאַרק) - in perfect health; abi gezunt (אַבי געזונט) - as long as you have your health; baym bestn gezunt (בײַם בעסטן געזונט) - in the best of health.
Comparisons with gezunt: gezunt vi (a shtik) ayzn (געזונט ווי [אַ שטיק] אײַזן) - as healthy/strong as (a bit of) iron; a ber (אַ בער) - a bear; a bufloks (אַ בופלאָקס) - a buffalo; a boym (אַ בוים) - a tree; a demb (אַ דעמב) - an oak; a ferd (אַ פערד) - a horse; a furman (אַ פורמאַן) or a shmayser (אַ שמײַסער) - a coachman; a goy (אַ גוי) or tsen goyim (צען גויים) - a non-Jew, or ten non-Jews; a katsap (אַ קאַצאַפּ) - a Russian (pej.); a leyb (אַ לייב) - a lion; a moyer (אַ מויער) - a wall; an oks (אַן אָקס) - an ox; a poyer (אַ פּויער) - a peasant; a riz (אַ ריז) - a giant; a shteyn (אַ שטיין) - a stone; a yishuvnik (אַ יישובניק) - a rural Jew; a yurke (אַ יורקע) - an oaf; eysev (עשו) - Esau; golyes haplishti (גלית הפּלשתּי) - the Philistine Goliath; oyg melekh haboshn (עוג מלך הבשן) - Og King of Bashan; shimshen hagiber (שמשון הגבור) - the hero Samson.
Expressions with gezunt:
1. Alts farlirt der mentsh mit di yorn: yugnt, sheynheyt, gezunt, libe far koved; nor eyn zakh blaybt im - zayn narishkeyt (אַלץ פאַרלירט דער מענטש מיט די יאָרן: יוגנט, שיינהייט, געזונט, ליבע פאַר כּבוד; נאָר איין זאַך בלײַבט אים - זײַן נאַרישקייט) - A person loses everything as he ages: his youth, good looks, health, pursuit of respect; only one thing remains with him - his foolishness. Similarly, A kranker vet gezunt vern, a shiker vet zikh oysnikhtern, a shvartser vet vays vern - un a nar vet blaybn a nar (אַ קראַנקער וועט געזונט ווערן, אַ שכּור וועט זיך אויסניכטערן, אַ שוואַרצער וועט ווײַס ווערן - און אַ נאַר וועט בלײַבן אַ נאַר) - A sick person will be healed, a drunkard will sober up, the swarthy will turn light - but a fool remains a fool. Also: A nar darf hobn gezunte fis (אַ נאַר דאַרף האָבן געזונטע פיס) - A fool must have strong feet (because he has to repeat his steps a lot to get anything done); Ver es hot nisht keyn seykhl darf keyn gezunt oykh nisht hobn (ווער עס האָט קיין שכל דאַרף קיין געזונט אויך נישט האָבן) - He who has no common sense need not have health either; and Er veyst nisht fun zayn gezunt (ער ווייסט נישט פון זײַן געזונט) - He does not know whether he is Arthur or Martha, does not know a hawk from a handsaw (lit., he does not know his own health).
2. Gezunt kumt far parnose (געזונט קומט פאַר פּרנסה) - Health is more important than income (on which, see Rabbi Dovid Cohen). Similarly, Gezunt un parnose iz di beste bakoshe (געזונט און פּרנסה איז די בעסטע בקשה) - Health and earnings are the best yearnings; A kapore dos gelt, dos gezunt iz liber (אַ כּפּרה דאָס געלט, דאָס געזונט איז ליבער) - Who cares about money? Health is preferable; Gezunt iz beser fun gelt (געזונט איז בעסער פון געלט) - Health is better than wealth; Beser a gezunter oreman eyder a kranker oysher (בעסער אַ געזונטער אָרעמאַן איידער אַ קראַנקער עושר) - Better poor and healthy than sick and wealthy; Az men iz nor gezunt, iz men shoyn raykh (אַז מען איז נאָר געזונט, איז מען שוין רײַך) - If one is healthy, one is already wealthy; Az der mentsh iz gezunt, hot er a sakh dayges; az er vert krank, hot er eyn dayge (אַז דער מענטש איז געזונט, האָט ער אַ סך דאגות; אַז ער ווערט קראַנק, האָט ער איין דאגה) - When a man is healthy, he has many worries; when he is sick, he has only one worry; and, most poignantly, Far gelt ken men koyfn fargenigns, ober nisht keyn glik; bakantshaftn, ober nisht keyn fraynd; meditsinen, ober nisht keyn gezunt (פאַר געלט קען מען קויפן פאַרגעניגנס, אָבער נישט קיין גליק; באַקאַנטשאַפטן, אָבער נישט קיין פרײַנד; מעדיצינען, אָבער נישט קיין געזונט) - With money, one can purchase pleasures, but not happiness; acquaintances, but not friends; medications, but not health.
3. A zun iz dos gezunt, a tokhter iz a kind, an eydem iz a hunt, a shnur iz a vund (אַ זון איז דאָס געזונט, אַ טאָכטער איז אַ קינד, אַן איידעם איז אַ הונט, אַ שנור איז אַ וווּנד) (meant to be pronounced in the Southern Yiddish accent so that all the final words rhyme) - A son is one's health, a daughter is a child, a son-in-law is a dog, a daughter-in-law is a wound. Similarly, Eyder men iz megadl a kind, vert men on dos gezunt (איידער מען איז מגדל אַ קינד, ווערט מען אָן דאַָס געזונט) - Before one has managed to raise a child, one has lost his health; and Beser gezunt gehert, eyder krank gezen (בעסער געזונט געהערט, איידער קראַנק געזען) - Better to hear (mistaken) good tidings about one's children living abroad than to see their misbehavior up close at home.
4. Vos vintsiker men fregt/redt, iz alts gezinter (וואָס ווינציקער מען פרעגט/רעדט, איז אַלץ געזינטער) - The less you ask/talk, the better off you are.
5. Az me hot kinder, gezunt, un gelt, ken men zikh nisht vuntshn keyn shenere velt (אַז מע האָט קינדער, געזונט, און געלט, קען מען זיך נישט וווּנטשן קיין שענערע וועלט) - A little house well filled, a little field well tilled, and a little wife well willed, are great riches (lit., When a man has children, health, and wealth, he cannot wish himself a better life).
6. Protsent nemt avek dos gezunt mit di hent (פּראָצענט נעמט אַוועק דאָס געזונט מיט די הענט) - Interest directly damages one's health.
7. Es iz gezunt - tsum hoyker (עס איז געזונט - צום הויקער) - It's good - for giving you a hunchback (said of a medication or procedure supposed to heal that does nothing in the end).
8. Az a mentsh iz gezunt, meynt er az es kumt im azoy (אַז אַ מענטש איז געזונט, מיינט ער אַז עס קומט אים אַזוי) - If a person is healthy, he thinks it's his due.
9. A krankn fregt men, a gezuntn git men (אַ קראַנקן פרעגט מען, אַ געזונטן גיט מען) - Inquire of the sick, feed the healthy unasked.
Blessings with gezunt:
1. Tsu(m) gezunt! (צו[ם] געזונט) - God bless you, gesundheit (after a sneeze), you're welcome (in response to thanks), may it do you good (in administering medicine) (on the derivation of Modern Hebrew la-beri’ut from this phrase, see Gold)! Similarly, Vaksn zolstu tsu gezunt! (וואַקסן זאָלסטו צו געזונט) - May you grow to health (after a sneeze)! (To someone sneezing three times:) Tsu gezunt, tsu lebn, tsu lange yor! (צו געזונט, צו לעבן, צו לאַנגע יאָר) - To health, to life, to long years! (And the parody: Tsu gezunt, tsu lebn, tsu lange hor [צו געזונט, צו לעבן, צו לאַנגע האָר] - To health, to life, to long hair.) (To a child:) A gezunt dir in yedn eyverl! (אַ געזונט דיר אין יעדן אברל) - Health to all your little limbs! or Tsu gezunt, tsu lebn, tsu vaksn, tsu kveln, unter der khupe tsu shteln! (צו געזונט, צו לעבן, צו וואַקסן, צו קוועלן, אונטער דער חופּה צו שטעלן) - To health, to life, to growth, to bringing joy, to standing underneath the wedding canopy!
2. Es gezunterheyt (עס געזונטערהייט) - Bon appétit; For gezunterheyt (פאָר געזונטערהייט) - Have a nice trip, bon voyage; Trog/Tserays es gezunterheyt (טראָג/צערײַס עס געזונטערהייט) - Wear it well, enjoy wearing it; Shlof gezunterheyt (שלאָף געזונטערהייט) - Sleep well.
3. Zay gezunt (זײַ געזונט) or Zay mir dervayl gezunt (זײַ מיר דערווײַל געזונט) - Farewell, goodbye, see you later, so long (on the derivation of Modern Hebrew tihyeh bari from this phrase, see Farstey [for those with a subscription to Brill online publishers]).
4. A gezunt in dayn kop/kepele (אַ געזונט אין דײַן קאָפּ/קעפּעלע) - Health to your little head (said to a clever child); A greptsele aroys, a gezuntele arayn (אַ גרעפּסעלע אַרויס, אַ געזונטעלע אַרײַן) - A little burp will bring you a little health (lit., A little burp out, a little health in; said when burping baby); A hemdele aroyf, a hemdele arop - a gezunt dir in kop (אַ העמדעלע אַרויף, אַ העמדעלע אַראָפּ - אַ געזונט דיר אין קאָפּ) - One shirt off, one shirt on - health be on your head (said by a mother while changing her child's shirt or blouse).
5. Gezunt zolstu zayn (געזונט זאָלסטו זײַן) - God bless you!, iron., just a minute! what are you thinking?; A gezunt tsu dir (אַ געזונט צו דיר) or A gezunt in dayne beyner (אַ געזונט אין דײַנע ביינער) - Well done! Bravo! (lit., health upon you/in your bones).
For more on blessings with gezunt, see Matisoff, esp. pp. 32-40.
Curses with gezunt:
1. Gezunt un shtayf zolstu zayn (געזונט און שטײַף זאָלסטו זײַן) - May you be healthy and stiff (a play on Gezunt un shtark zolstu zayn [געזונט און שטאַרק זאָלסטו זײַן] - May you be healthy and strong).
2. Gezunt un shtark zolstu zayn vi ayzn, zolst zikh nisht kenen aynbeygn (געזונט און שטאַרק זאָלסטו זײַן ווי אײַזן, זאָלסט זיך נישט קענען אײַנבייגן) - May you be healthy and tough as iron, so much so that you cannot bend over.
3. A gezunt dir in boykh, a zalts in di beyner (אַ געזונט דיר אין בויך, אַ זאַלץ אין די ביינער) - Health to your stomach, salt to your bones (a play on A gezunt in dayne beyner).
4. Gezunte zoln dikh trogn (געזונט זאָלן זיך טראָגן) - May healthy people carry you off (a play on Gezunterheyt zolt ir es trogn [געזונטערהייט זאָלט איר עס טראָגן] - May you wear it well; for a Holocaust-era-related application of this curse [to a German officer], see Blumenthal).
5. Got zol dir helfn, zolst shtendik zayn gezunt un shtark, un shtendik fregn vos far a veter es iz in droysn (גאָט זאָל דיר העלפן, זאָלסט שטענדיק זײַן געזונט און שטאַרק, און שטענדיק פרעגן וואָס פאַר אַ וועטער עס איז אין דרויסן) - May God help you that you should always be healthy and strong, and always be asking what the weather's like outside (on which, see Wex).
Gezunt in Jewish culture:
1. As you can probably tell from much of the above, health was considered an extremely valuable asset in Eastern European Jewish society, and the lack of it, a terrible liability (a point made by Alan M. Kraut in his book chapter, "Gezunthayt iz besser vi Krankhayt: Fighting the Stigma of the 'Jewish Disease'"). The sheer number of expressions and wishes concerning health testifies to this. Indeed, perhaps the best blessing one could wish the parents of newlyweds is expressed with the acronym gefen (גפן): gezunt, parnose, nakhes (געזונט, פּרנסה, נחת) - health, wealth, and delight (see Rivkind). From the other side, sickness was feared so much that it was referred to as euphemistically as possible. Here is what Weinreich has to say on the subject (p. 190):
The linguistic effects of tabu ... go much further than merely refraining from uttering God's name [...] In the Yiddish vernacular of Vilna it was not meet to say er iz krank (he is sick); er iz nit-gezunt (he is unwell) was preferable. And if the illness was serious, er iz shtark nit-gezunt (he is seriously unwell) is still preferable [...] Krank (sick), or es brent (fire!) is very bad; nit-gezunt (unwell) or es netst (it is leaking) is tolerable, if there is no way out [...]
2. Sholem Aleichem famously wrote that Lakhn iz gezunt, doktoyrim heysn lakhn (לאַכן איז געזונט, דאָקטוירים הייסן לאַכן) - Laughing is healthy; doctors prescribe laughter. For David G. Roskies' analysis of this witticism, see here.
3. If you've ever wanted to watch a Yiddish-language cooking program, check out Est gezunterheyt! starring Rukhl Schaechter and Eve Jochnowitz, the latter of whom recently came out with an English translation of a Yiddish-language vegetarian cookbook published in Vilna in 1938. (For an earlier Yiddish-language vegetarian cookbook published in America, see A.B. and Shifra Mishulow's Gezunt un shpayz un vegetarishe kokh bukh [New York: The Better Health & Correct Eating Institute, 1926].)
4. The title of the cooking show reminds me of a joke I once heard: "What would be the name of a ship owned by a Jewish mother? Es Es Gezunterheyt." :-)
Gezunt in a sentence: Yetst, az tate geyt aroys oyf pensye, vintshn mir ale er zol mamshikh zayn arbetn farn Yidishn folk, genisndik fun a sakh nakhes, gezunt, un freyd biz hundert un tsvantsik! Lekhaim! (יעצט, אַז טאַטע גייט אַרויס אויף פענסיע, ווינטשן מיר אַלע ער זאָל ממשיך זײַן אַרבעטן פאַרן ייִדישן פאָלק, געניסנדיק פון א סך נחת, געזונט, און פרייד ביז הונדערט און צוואַנציק! לחיים) - Now that my father is retiring, we all wish him the ability to continue working on behalf of the Jewish people while enjoying much delight, health, and happiness till the age of 120! L'chaim!
Use gezunt in your own sentence today!
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