שוויגער
shvigerfeminine
The Yiddish word for mother-in-law is שוויגער (shviger).
The term שוויגער refers to the mother of one's spouse.
Meaning: spouse's mother (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The form שוויגער is feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
shviger
Did you know?
- The word שוויגער descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *sweḱrúh₂, making it a distant cousin to the Sanskrit word 'śvaśrū'.
- In Yiddish literature, the 'שוויגער' is a recurring archetype often portrayed as a powerful, formidable figure who manages the household dynamics.
- The term שוויגער is part of a Germanic linguistic family, meaning it is more closely related to German words for in-laws than to Hebrew words.
Examples in context
- זי איז אַ גוטע שוויגער.zi iz a gute shviger.She is a good mother-in-law.
Example conversation
Yitzhak and Chana are discussing their family plans.
- יצחק Yitzchakחנה, האָט דיין שוויגער שוין גערופֿן?Khone, hot dayn shviger shoyn gerufn?Chana, has your mother-in-law already called?
- חנה Chanaניין, זי האט נאך נישט גערופֿן.neyn, zi hot nokh nisht gerufn.No, she hasn't called yet.
- יצחק Yitzchakאיך וויל זי זיין דא פאר שבת.ikh vil zi zayn do far shabbes.I want her to be here for Shabbat.
- חנה Chanaאיך וועל איר זאגן אז דו ווארטסט.ikh vel ir zogn az du vartst.I will tell her that you are waiting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother-in-law” translations and entries שוויגער, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries שוויגער, CC BY-SA 4.0.
