Yiddish

noun

Yid·​dish ˈyi-dish 

: a High German language written in Hebrew characters that is spoken by Jews and descendants of Jews of central and eastern European origin

Yiddish adjective

Examples of Yiddish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Mason’s defenders said that the offending word simply means black in Yiddish. —Calvin Trillin, The New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2024

Both Klezmer on Ice, in Minneapolis, and Phoenix Klezmer and Yiddish Dance Festival welcome all ages. —Nora Giuffrida, Sun Sentinel, 13 Nov. 2024

My Russian is good, which helps in conversation with several shop owners, but my Yiddish is not, which is a barrier to conversing with customers. —Talia Lavin, Curbed, 7 Nov. 2024

The ad, in Yiddish, appeared on page two of the May 17, 1946, edition of the Forward, the nation’s largest Jewish newspaper. —Andrew Silverstein, Washington Post, 22 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Yiddish yidish, short for yidish daytsh, literally, Jewish German, from Middle High German jüdisch diutsch, from jüdisch Jewish (from Jude Jew) + diutsch German

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Yiddish

noun

Yid·​dish ˈyid-ish 

: a language that began among the Jews of eastern Europe and is based on German and written in the Hebrew alphabet

Yiddish adjective

Etymology

from Yiddish yidish, a shortened form of yidish daytsh, literally "Jewish German (language)," derived from early German jüdisch "Jewish" and diutsch "the German language"