אייניקל
eynikl/ˈɛɪ̯nɪkɫ̩/
The Yiddish word for granddaughter is אייניקל (eynikl).
The term refers to the daughter of someone's child.
Meaning: daughter of someone’s child (noun)
Which one should you use?
אייניקל functions as both the masculine form meaning 'grandchild' and the generic term used to refer to any grandchild regardless of their gender.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is eynikl.
Did you know?
- The word אייניקל is actually a diminutive form, originating from an Old High German word that used a 'smallness' suffix to describe a grandchild.
- In Yiddish, if you want to specify a 'granddaughter' instead of a general 'grandchild', you would often add the word for 'girl' or 'daughter' to the phrase.
Examples in context
- זי איז מיין אייניקל.zi iz mayn eynikl.She is my granddaughter.
Example conversation
Yitzhak and Chana are looking at a family photograph.
- יצחק Yitzchakוער איז דאס אויף דעם פאלט?ver iz dos oyf dem falt?Who is this in the photo?
- חנה Chanaדאס איז מיין קליינע אייניקל.dos iz mayn klayne aynikl.This is my little granddaughter.
- יצחק Yitzchakזי זעט אויס פונקט ווי די מאמע.zi zet oys punkt vi di mame.She looks exactly like the mother.
- חנה Chanaיא, זי איז א רעכטע אייניקל.yo, zi iz a rekhte aynikl.Yes, she is a true granddaughter.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry אייניקל, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries אייניקל, CC BY-SA 4.0.
