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Not in the dictionary: Yiddish words and abbreviations

This page is an appeal to expand the most comprehensive Yiddish-English dictionary to date by Beinfeld/Bochner/Niborski/Vaisbrot. As a Yiddish translator, I find words, variant definitions of existing words, and many abbreviations that are simply not in the dictionary. I have started compiling a list, which I would gladly see incorporated in the dictionary’s second edition.

running from the bandit Hitler
Gitler(n) = Hitler. “we ran from the bandit Hitler” (1946)

I will attempt to systematically show my proof for the given definitions, using examples from the original written Yiddish samples. At the same time, I have not chosen to add non-YIVO standard spelling, or German/English words simply written in Hebrew letters. The following are words that I believe truly should be new entries in the standard Yiddish dictionary.

Let me know what words you haven’t been able to find using the comment feature below!

New Yiddish Words

אין – in

to
e.g., “to bring you and the children to a new country and have a happy life.” ((15.22.24))

אױך – oykh

even
e.g., “Even Aunt Goldi knows this…”

אױסבױערן – oysboyern

to dig out, to bore into((15.9.7))

אונדז – undz

2. we
e.g., “Undz shrayben nisht tsu keyn kinder zey zolen undz shikn gelt.” (We don’t write to any of the children to send us money.((15.8.2)))

אַזױרימעט – azoyermet

with it (?)
comp. אַזױנאָך
alt. spelling אַזױאַרימעט
Confirmation: eydes.de

אָנברעכן – onbrekhn

אָנברעכן די בײנער – onbrekhn di beyner
to beat up (See בײן)

אַרומרײַסערײַען זיך – arumrayserayen zikh

see אַרומרײַסן זיך
(squabble, bicker)

באַהיטן – bahitn

באַהיטע גאָט – bahite got!
God forbid!

בײדנס – beydns

(check in dictionary) – both of ours

בינסטו – binstu

(check in dictionary) – are you

בעפֿאָרשטײענד – beforshteyend

upcoming((https://twitter.com/jewyid/status/999359336618045440))

גיטלער – gitler

Hitler (Adolf)((15.19.1))

גלײַכן – glaykhen – geglikhn

3. to like
e.g., “Mir hobn gedarft trogn an uniform mit a kakarde un dos hob ikh zeyer geglikhn.”
Confirmation: eydes.de

קומען צום גרונט – גרונט – grunt – kumen tsum grunt

alt. to גײן צום גרונט – sink, be in jeopardy((15.20.2))

געפֿאַרפֿול – gefarful

dangerous((https://twitter.com/jewyid/status/997513651086118918))

גרונטקאַפּיטאַל – gruntkapital

investments, stocks((15.9.3))
Confirmation: Algemeiner Journal

װאַרנישקעס – varnishkes

see װאַרניטשקעס
Confirmation: eydes.de

װידערװײלונג – viderveylung

reelection((https://twitter.com/jewyid/status/998749250610659328))

װילי – vili

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York((https://twitter.com/jewyid/status/996810486850170880))

װעמענען – vemenen

see װעמען (whom)
Confirmation: eydes.de

װערעמעט – veremet

how((15.8.5))
Confirmation1: alt. spelling װירימעט (see book)
Confirmation2: eydes.de

זיאַלעװען זיך – zialeven zikh

to wait, expect, watch for((15.8.5))
Confirmation: book – Russian translation: жадвть

טוצן – tutsn

dozen((15.8.4))
Confirmation: eydes.de

יעדערן – yedern

everyone (accusative)
see יעדערער
e.g., “azoy vi ikh shik yedern eyn karte fun mir, azoy shik ikh dir oykh eyn.” (“Just like I send everyone a picture of me, I am sending you one too.((15.8.8)))
Confirmation: eydes.de

ישובֿניק – yeshuvnik

see ייִשובֿניק
(Jewish country bumpkin)
Confirmation: eydes.de

נצ’לניק – natshalnik началник, начальник

manager, supervisor
alt. spelling נאצאילניק ((15.8.1))
Confirmation: eydes.de, נאַטשאַלניק , natshalnik

פּאָרטעליאָן – portillon

doorman, porter((15.9.6))

פּײפּערל – peyperl

paper, paper for rolling cigarettes
Confirmation: eydes.de

פֿאַרנעכטן – farnekhtn

day before yesterday, two days ago((https://twitter.com/jewyid/status/996387733605056514))

פֿלעג – fleg

would (in the habitual past)
e.g., “…a taykh, vu men flegt zumer geyen bodn.” (…a river, where people used to go swimming in the summer.)
Confirmation: eydes.de

פֿרױ

ערשטע פֿרױ – ershte froy

First Lady of the United States((https://twitter.com/jewyid/status/996539918695501824))

צװירן – tsvirn

thread((https://twitter.com/jewyid/status/997459351441944576))

קאַרטע – karte

picture
e.g., “azoy vi ikh shik yedern eyn karte fun mir, azoy shik ikh dir oykh eyn.” (“Just like I’m sending everyone a picture of me, I’m sending you one too.((15.8.8)))
Confirmation: eydes.de

Evan Sung for The New York Times
Evan Sung for The New York Times

קאַשע־װאַרנישקעס – kashe-varnishkes

see קאַשע־װאַרניטשקעס
bowtie pasta with buckwheat
Confirmation: eydes.de

קוזײנג – kuzeyng

see קוזינין – cousin((15.20.II.2, 15.19.II.1))

קומזיץ – kumzits

singalong((https://twitter.com/jewyid/status/999284918344732672))

קטלא קניא – katle kanye

simpleton((https://twitter.com/jewyid/status/997073121147543552))

שעצן זיך – shetzn zikh

to consider oneself
Ikh shetz zikh mir glikhlekh.((15.9.3))
Confirmation: hebrewbooks

New Yiddish Abbreviations

‘ג – g’

got – God (equivalent to writing G-d)

גצ”ד – gts”d

got tzu danken – thank God

ק”ק – k”k

postcard((15.25.J-Gl1.17))

צב”ש – tsb”sh

tsum bayshpil – for example

צ”ג – ts”g

tsu gesund – bye

 

Hebrew Abbreviations

This section is for additional abbreviations that I’ve seen in handwritten Yiddish letters but which are Hebrew abbreviations. These are also not listed in the dictionary.

חו”ש – khv”sh – khas v’shalom – God forbid
כ”ט – k”t – kol tuv – all the best
למ”ה – lm”h –  lma’an hashem – For the sake of heaven – context: “you should, lm”h, follow the …”((Kaplan will2))
רמ”ל – rm”l – rachmane litzlan – God help us((15.25.J-Gl1.21))

Resources:

Wikipedia: Yiddish abbreviations
Wikipedia: Hebrew abbreviations

 

Let me know your thoughts using the comment feature below! What words you haven’t been able to find? Can you correct something I wrote?

 

 

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