ENGLISH
REFERENCE

yiddish

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈjɪdɪʃ// yid·dish Informal

n. a language used by Jewish people from Central and Eastern Europe. It is a mix of German, Hebrew, and other languages, and it is usually written with Hebrew letters.

n. a High German language of Ashkenazic Jewish origin, historically spoken throughout Central and Eastern Europe and now primarily in Israel and the United States. It incorporates elements of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Slavic languages and is conventionally written using the Hebrew alphabet.


SIMPLE

My grandmother still speaks Yiddish with her friends.

CONTEXTUAL

Many English words like 'chutzpah' and 'schmooze' actually come from Yiddish and are used in everyday conversation.

COMPLEX

While the number of native speakers declined significantly in the twentieth century, Yiddish continues to thrive in Hasidic communities and through a global revival of its literature and music.

Origin

From Yiddish ייִדיש (yidish), from Middle High German jüdisch (in reference to the language, more fully jüdischdiutsch (literally “Jewish-German”)). By surface analysis, Yid + -ish.

Usage

Capitalised in all contexts. When referring to the language, it is uncountable; when referring to a specific dialect or variety, it may occasionally be treated as countable.

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