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
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Variations on this word include the Yiddish Balabuste or Balabusteh and the Ladino Balabusha among Sephardi Jews.[4]
In popular culture
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
- Homemaker
- Jewish views of marriage
- List of English words of Yiddish origin
- Rebbetzin
- Role of women in Judaism
- Tzniut
References
- "Modern Balabusta". Retrieved 2007-12-03.
- "Website of Santa Barbara Jewish Festival". Archived from the original on 3 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-03.
- "Balabusta Project". Archived from the original on 13 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-03.
- "Webster's Online Dictionary". Retrieved 2007-12-03.