ZD,
1. A language is a dialect with an army and a navy (the adage was popularized by the sociolinguist and Yiddish scholar Max Weinreich).
2. Actually, you used that term once. However, upon further examination I see that Yiddish is actually a creole language. “A creole language is a stable natural language developed from a mixture of different languages. While the concept is similar to that of a mixed or hybrid language, in the strict sense of the term, a mixed/hybrid language has derived from two or more languages, to such an extent that it is no longer closely related to the source languages. Creoles also differ from pidgins in that, while a pidgin has a highly simplified linguistic structure that develops as a means of establishing communication between two or more disparate language groups, a creole language is more complex, used for day-to-day purposes in a community, and acquired by children as a native language. Creole languages, therefore, have a fully developed vocabulary and system of grammar.” (Wikipedia)
3. In fact, Chazal take a shot at the Romans for not having their own language and alphabet.
770, do you also celebrate the birthday of the Tsar yarum hodo?
RY, I am presently studying German (and French) on Duolingo. Actually the relationship to English (and the few Yiddish words I know) make it easier (so sayeth The Foreign Service Institute of the US Department of State, which ranks both Germna and French in the easiest learning category for English-speakers ) and more interesting.