#the translation just says reb todros and doesn't account for בורר at all

[mashkaroom]

oh you fucking know what. i’m a fool, Todrus is his first name, and it’s equivalent to Theodore (it’s also primarily a Sephardic name). I think their last name is בורר (boyrer), bc it makes no sense in the sentence otherwise...and we know it’s alter vishkower, but he’s always called reb alter, not reb vishkower....i literally tagged my fanfic yentl/anshel todros bc i thought i was better than the movie where it’s yentl mendel...tbf, it’s also possible they didn’t have a last name, in which case anshel would be ben-todros or todrosovich or sth like that anyway, so ultimately....maybe i am right. whew, saving face. i don’t think anshel introduces himself with a last name at all -- in fact the only last name that makes it into the translation is Vishkower, and we’re told they’re the richest family in town.

before i slink away in shame to change the tag, i am tagging some of you yiddishists to tell me if there is in fact another interpretation of this (potential last name in bold) -- the dictionary entry for it is “arbitrator”

@chicago-geniza @zukkot @horrid-little-pedant

אין די יאָרן וואָס דער טאַטע עליו-שולם ר’ טודרוד בורר, איז געלעגן געליימט, האָט ער מיט איר, די טאָכטער, געלערנט תּורה ווי מיט אַ זון.