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

Chroniclers of the shtetl in Yiddish literature, such as Sholem Aleichem (1859–1916) and Mendele Moykher Sforim (1835–1917), constructed fictional depictions of the shtetl. — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 June 2026

The novel is made of math equations, lengthy jokes, digressions in Yiddish, and a whole lot of language play. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026

The city’s population was diverse and fractious, with religious and ethnic groups who spoke Russian, Polish, Belarusian, German, Yiddish, and Hebrew, and often came to blows with one another. — Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026

But for his collection of Jewish material, Kline has works dating back to the 1600s in multiple foreign languages, including German, Hebrew, Yiddish, and Polish. — Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026

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"