Chanukah Yiddish words

By Sol Awend, GenShoah SWFL

What better way to deal with winter than to have Chanukah to celebrate … and to eat.

Chanukah, amongst Yiddish speakers, was a most festive time, especially around Europeans. The way they spoke about wonderful times spent with brothers and sisters, running and screaming around the house. Of cooking with De Mameh and watching her watch the latkes sizzling, of seeing Deh Thateh getting the Menorah ready. Table was set and time came for the B ’raac ’hess to be chanted.

Survivors would sometimes comment quietly about their experiences, wiping away a tear.

Here are a few words about Chanukah that helps jog the memory, including a zinger.

Prayggl

Pronunciation: PRAY ggel

Meaning: In English? To lightly sauté

In a sentence: Bah ins Yeedim?

Amongst us Yiddelc’h?, fry in emisken coc’hekikin boymel.

Fry to the power of the ultimate boiling oil. Prayggl dee geh toffel pletzlec’h!

Fry those potato latkes!

Ah glayz’l tei

Pronunciation: Ah GLAY zel tei

Meaning: A sturdy glass of hot tea, dark in complexion, miraculously taking on a blushing golden hue.

In a sentence: In ah glayzel tei, miz zaan t’zeh treen un t’zikeh!

In a glass of tea, there must be lemon and sugar!

Kompawt

Pronunciation: KAWM-pawt

Meaning: Compote, applesauce. Homemade and hot with little raisin pillows and cinnamon.

In a sentence: In ah kompawt miz zaan rozhinkess!

There has to be raisins in applesauce!

Dee lac’ht

Pronunciation: Dee LAC’HT

Meaning: The Lights. The Chanukah candles that grace our homes.

In a sentence: Deh Taateh ot geh bench’t ibbeh dee lac’ht.

Father blessed the Chanukah Lights.

Shit!

Pronunciation: Shit — just like it sounds in English.

Meaning: It’s OK. This is a common Yiddish word that means “to sprinkle or pour something granular.”

In a sentence: Shit aroff ah bisel tzikeh off dee latkes!

Pour a little sugar on these potato latkes!