Yiddish
Yiddish is a High German-derived language historically spoken by the Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a High German-based vernacular fused with elements taken from Hebrew and Aramaic as well as from Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages. Yiddish is written with a fully vocalized alphabet based on the Hebrew script.
History[edit | edit source]
The earliest surviving references to the Yiddish language date back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated in the Rhineland and spread with the Ashkenazi Jews to Central and Eastern Europe.
Dialects[edit | edit source]
Yiddish has several dialects, developed by the Ashkenazi Jews as they spread from their homelands. The main dialects are Western Yiddish and Eastern Yiddish. Eastern Yiddish is far more widely known and spoken. It is further divided into Southeastern (Ukrainian–Romanian), Mideastern (Polish–Galician–Eastern Hungarian), and Northeastern (Lithuanian–Belarusian) dialects.
Phonology[edit | edit source]
Yiddish has a rich phonetic system. It includes a number of distinctive sounds, such as the uvular 'r', and a variety of vowel sounds.
Grammar[edit | edit source]
Yiddish grammar is quite complex, with a large number of inflections. It is similar in many respects to German, but also has many features in common with other languages that were in contact with Yiddish speakers, such as Slavic languages and Hebrew.
Vocabulary[edit | edit source]
The vocabulary of Yiddish is mainly derived from German, with significant influences from Hebrew, Slavic languages, and several Romance languages.
Writing system[edit | edit source]
Yiddish is written using the Hebrew alphabet. The spelling represents the pronunciation of the language more accurately than is the case with German.
Modern use[edit | edit source]
Today, Yiddish is spoken by approximately 1.5 million people, primarily in the United States, Israel, and Russia. It is used in a number of religious, cultural, and academic contexts.
See also[edit | edit source]
| Yiddish Resources | |
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