Yiddish

American  

[yid-ish] / ˈjɪd ɪʃ /

noun

1. a Germanic language of Ashkenazi Jews, based on Middle High German dialects with an admixture of vocabulary from Hebrew, Aramaic, the Slavic languages, and Old French and Old Italian, written in Hebrew letters, and spoken mainly in eastern and central Europe and by Jewish emigrants from these regions and their descendants.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Yiddish.

Yiddish British  

/ ˈjɪdɪʃ /

noun

1. a language spoken as a vernacular by Jews in Europe and elsewhere by Jewish emigrants, usually written in the Hebrew alphabet. Historically, it is a dialect of High German with an admixture of words of Hebrew, Romance, and Slavonic origin, developed in central and E Europe during the Middle Ages

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adjective

1. in or relating to this language

Etymology

Origin of Yiddish

First recorded in 1885–90; from Yiddish yidish; see yid, -ish ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Yiddish

His website provides a treasure trove of compelling radio and television programs, his copious Thomashefsky Yiddish theater archive, a vast legacy of searching and believing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026

To him, presenting “Fiddler on the Roof” in Yiddish is revolutionary, as is “John Proctor Is the Villain’s” dissection of a classic through a feminist lens.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 29, 2026

By 1904, the congregation’s old guard had dismissed his preference for sermons presented in English rather than Yiddish, which many of their immigrant family members still preferred.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026

“I Have Sinned” was the first Yiddish sound film made in Poland.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026

It wasn’t until the final word left his mouth that I realized he hadn’t been speaking in Yiddish, even though the words had sounded like Yiddish when they passed through my head.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros