The Language of Thieves: My Family's Obsession with a Secret Code the Nazis Tried to Eliminate

by Martin Puchner

Book Overview

Centuries ago in middle Europe, a coded language appeared, scrawled in graffiti and spoken only by people who were "wiz" (in the know). This hybrid language, dubbed Rotwelsch, facilitated survival for people in flight--whether escaping persecution or just down on their luck. It was a language of the road associated with vagabonds, travelers, Jews, and thieves that blended words from Yiddish, Hebrew, German, Romani, Czech, and other European languages...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1324005912
• ISBN13: 9781324005919
• Release Date: October 2020
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.9" x 8.3"