About the history and origins of words.
5
votes
3answers
210 views
What are some examples of Jewish names? [closed]
What are Jewish sounding names that come from various occupations and locations? Please give the "rough" translation and background too.
11
votes
2answers
336 views
חס ושלום! (whatever that means)
What on earth does חס ושלום mean literally, or what is its etymology? Why do people use that phrase in particular to "ward off" bad things? (That last part of the question is not asking whether saying ...
7
votes
2answers
654 views
Etymology of the Name Feivel
Where does the Jewish name Feivel (or Feivish) come from?
What does it actually mean?
6
votes
4answers
335 views
Etymology of the surname “Katz”
Are there sources for the etymology of the surname Katz being an acronym for Kohen Tzedek?
Is that simply a backronym?
6
votes
3answers
247 views
4
votes
2answers
220 views
Etymology of the word “Kvater”
What is the etymology of the word "Kvater"? Kvater is what we call the person that carries the baby boy into a Bris.
4
votes
4answers
205 views
What's the origin of the name “Jew”?
Why are we called "the Jews"? Did Hashem pick out this name for us? What does the word "Jew" mean?
4
votes
2answers
215 views
3
votes
2answers
86 views
What does the word לאַטקעס (latkes) mean?
לאַטקעס is the Yiddish word used for the potato pancakes commonly eaten on Chanukah. Where does the word לאַטקעס come from originally? What exactly does it mean?
3
votes
3answers
165 views
Etymology of “Krepel”
What is the Etymology of “Krepel”?
Krepel is a 3 cornered stuffed piece of dough that we eat on Purim, Hoshana Rabah, and Erev Yom Kippur.
2
votes
1answer
219 views
Etymology of the word “Vasikin”
What is the etymology of the word Vasikin? Also is Vasikin Hebrew or Aramaic?
0
votes
1answer
70 views
Extra yud in Yerushalaim
Why and by whom was there a yud added to make "ירושלים" instead of the original "ירושלם"?
