פֿרײלעכע ניטל
freylekhe nitl
פֿרײלעכע ניטל (freylekhe nitl) is the Yiddish way to say "merry Christmas".
This phrase is used to express good wishes during the Christmas season.
Meaning: good wishes at Christmas time (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The term for Christmas is expressed through the diminutive ניטל, meaning "little night", a term traditionally used by Jewish communities to refer to the holiday.
How do you pronounce it?
freylekhe nitl
When do people say it?
In Yiddish, the word for Christmas is expressed via the diminutive ניטל (little night), which is the term traditionally used by Jewish communities to refer to the holiday.
Did you know?
- The word ניטל is not actually a reference to the 'night' of Christmas, but is a linguistic descendant of the Latin 'nātālis', meaning 'birthday'.
- The word פֿרײלעכע shares its root with the Yiddish word for a traditional folk dance.
- In Yiddish, adding a diminutive like the 'little' in ניטל is often used to soften the tone of a word or express a complex emotional relationship with the subject.
Examples in context
- פֿרײלעכע ניטל!fraylekhye nitl!Merry Christmas!
Example conversation
Two friends greet each other on the street during December.
- יצחק Yitzchakשלום, חנה! פֿרײלעכע ניטל!Sholom, Khone! Fraylekhe Nitl!Hello, Hana! Merry Christmas!
- חנה Chanaאַ דאַנק, יצחק! פֿרײלעכע ניטל צו דיר אויך.A dank, Yitshok! Fraylekhe Nitl tsu dir oykha.Thank you, Itzhak! Merry Christmas to you too.
- יצחק Yitzchakזענט איר גרייט פֿאַרן פֿייער?Zent ir greyt farn feyer?Are you ready for the celebration?
- חנה Chanaיאָ, מיר זענען זייער פֿרײלעך.Yo, mir zenen zeyer fraylekh.Yes, we are very happy.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ניטל, CC BY-SA 4.0.
