Balabusta

Balabusta (Yiddish: בעל־הביתטע‎) is a Yiddish expression describing a good homemaker among Ashkenazi Jews. The Anglicized form is baleboste. the expression derives from Hebrew in a creole fashion- the Hebrew word pair בַּעַל הַבַּיִת‎ bá'al habáyit (lit: "the home owner") was borrowed in its masculine from and became balebos, which was then feminised to בעל-הביתטע‎ balabusta according to the Yiddish rule for feminine nouns and became more popular than the original Hebrew expression for female home owner בעלת הבית‎ bá'alat habáyit. the term shares its Hebrew origin with the deity Baal, which literally means either husband, owner or master.

Connotations

It usually has purely positive connotations,[1] although there are sources that claim otherwise.[2] The traditional role of the balabusta also includes, besides fulfilling the household duties for the family, its spiritual bonding and helping its members hold together.[3]

Variations

Variations on this word include the Yiddish Balabuste or Balabusteh and the Ladino Balabusha among Sephardi Jews.[4]

Martin Davidson's Rechnitzer Rejects group recorded a song titled "Balabustas", an homage to the traditional role set to the theme song of the 1984 movie Ghostbusters.

See also

References
  1. "Modern Balabusta". Retrieved 2007-12-03.
  2. "Website of Santa Barbara Jewish Festival". Archived from the original on 3 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-03.
  3. "Balabusta Project". Archived from the original on 13 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-03.
  4. "Webster's Online Dictionary". Retrieved 2007-12-03.


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