ייִד

Yiddish

Alternative forms

• איד (id)

Etymology

From Middle High German jüde, jude, from Old High German judeo, judo, a borrowing from Latin iūdaeus, from Ancient Greek Ἰουδαῖος (Ioudaîos), from Hebrew יהודי (yehudí).

Pronunciation

• (YIVO) IPA^(key): /jɪd/, [jid]
• (Northeastern) IPA^(key): /(j)id/
• (Southern Yiddish) IPA^(key): /jiːt/

Noun

ייִד • (yid) m, plural ייִדן (yidn), diminutive ייִדל (yidl) or ייִדעלע (yidele)

1. a Jew

Usage notes

• This is one of the few nouns in Yiddish to inflect for case, becoming ייִדן (yidn) in the accusative/dative and taking the possessive form ייִדנס (yidns).
• Though grammatically masculine, the term is used for both men and women. However, the specifically feminine term ייִדישקע (yidishke) also exists along with phrases like ייִדישע פֿרוי (yidishe froy, “Jewish woman”), ייִדישער מאַן (yidisher man, “Jewish man”), ייִדישער בחור (yidisher bokher, “young Jewish man”), etc. The term ייִדענע (yidene) refers to an old-fashioned Jewish woman or to a wife, and can also be derogatory.
• In traditional or Jewish contexts, this term is often used where "man" or "guy" would be expected in English, to refer to a male person not known by name. Similarly, a male stranger could be addressed with ר׳ ייִד (reb yid, literally “Mr. Jew”).

Related terms

• ייִדישקע (yidishke)
• ייִדיש (yidish)

Descendants

• → English: Yid, yid