I was recently at a long-term care (new terminology is "long-term support and services") conference where they talked about green houses and shabazim. I thought I was in another culture! Apparently these terms are familiar to those in gerontology, though I've not heard them. A shabaz (the "im" is plural) is summarized here. Basically it's a universal worker in long-term care who provides a wide range of assistance. Note that they also use the term of "Guide" and "Sage." Here is the legend surrounding it. The people at the conference had three theories for the word: 1) a Yiddish word (sounded Yiddish or Hebrew to me); 2) Came from a Persian legend; or 3) it was a made up word. Does anyone here know any more about it?

Then of course there is the whole green house concept (no, it's not for plants, but for elderly). Here is a description of a green house. That is a concept where elderly live in a home environment, rather than an institutional environment, such as s nursing home.

Are these terms used outside the U.S.?

I've never heard of the terms, but they do seem to be a US-only organisation to judge from their website. It's also an area with which I'm completely unfamiliar.

I was in two different "rehab centers" over the last year but I never heard those terms. They may only be used among staff but not with the actual "clients" (never "patients").

As for "rehab center", the only rehab I had during six weeks in two different ones was a week of physical tests to ascertain my abiiity to function without nursing care. Once they decided I could walk around without assistance, I never heard from that section again.

http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/repo...es/ShahbazLegend.pdf
Add a "z" and it's the family name Malcolm X's wife assumed.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Geoff, August 26, 2011 14:42

Proof, I think the green houses and shabizim are more associated with special home situations for the elderly, and not rehab centers.

I've still not found whence this supposed Shabaz legend came. Hebrew? Arabic? Tinman, Z, helllllp!

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home situations for the elderly,

That's where they stuck me. "Rehab center" was just to get payment from the government.

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I've still not found whence this supposed Shabaz legend came. Hebrew? Arabic? Tinman, Z, helllllp!

That was my original question, Geoff. Apparently no one knows.

I have no idea about the legend, and could find no clues online, but the word itself means a kind of hawk in Persian.

Speaking of hawks,in Russian "hawk" is "COKOЛ, pronounced "sokol." Yesterday at the AMA museum I noticed two Russian-made model engines by that name side-by-side. One was properly transliterated; the other was not. It said, "COKOA." Due to the ever-increasing trendiness of omitting the crossbar in the Roman "A" the staff member assumed the "Л" was an "A," and was ignorant of the "S" sound of the Russian letter, "C." To see the two side-by-side, one correctly done and the other botched, was very funny - and very weird!

Sorry to sidetrack the thread - now go have yourself some Sokol-Blosser wine and forget you ever read this!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Geoff, August 29, 2011 17:36

Interesting you'd say that, z, because one of the speakers said it was Persian word, though another said it was Yiddish. It does sound Yiddish to me. When I put it into Google translate, first they spell it as "shahbazim," but then they call it an English word. When I put both spellings in the OED, nothing comes up. However, there is a "shahi" that is a small silver coin of Persia, between 4d and 10d.

quote:

Originally posted by Geoff:

Add a "z" and it's the family name Malcolm X's wife assumed.

The Tribe of Shabazz is part of the story told by the Nation of Islam, which was a big influence on Malcolm X.

"-im" is a Hebrew plural.