This process of giving names to concepts within the framework of the German and Hebrew languages gave birth to an astounding number of creatively designed Yiddish words. For example yahrzeit comes from the German word Jahreszeit whose meaning only references the seasons: summer, winter, fall and spring. The word schlimmazel, is a combination of the German word schlimm meaning bad or evil and the Hebrew word mazel meaning luck that is generated by the constellations resulting in a word often used to reference an individual who is the object of minor unfortunate experiences.
Our dreidel is inscribed with the four Hebrew letters: nas-gadol-hayah-sham (or po) meaning: A great miracle was there (here). But unfortunately this English translation is grammatically ill formed. Therefore, the commonly used English expression is: A great miracle happened there. To me this is an unfortunate translation. The Webster dictionary defines happens as follows: to take place especially without being planned and to do or be something by chance. The miracle of the everlasting shemen that we celebrate was decidedly not by chance. Let’s use: A great miracle occurred there (or here).
