בלויז

Yiddish

Alternative forms

• בלייז (bleyz)

Etymology

From Middle High German blōȥ (“naked, bare, unarmed, exposed, wretched”), from Old High German blōz, from Proto-Germanic *blautaz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlaw- (“weak, frightened”). Cognate with German bloß (“naked, mere, sole”), Dutch bloot (“bare, naked”), Swedish blott (“merely, just”).

The sense “dull” can be derived from “unarmed”. The sense “stupid” can be derived thence or even from “naked” directly; compare German bloßstellen (“to embarrass, stultify”). Therefore influence by Middle High German blœde (“frail, craven”), whence German blöd (“stupid”), is not absolutely necessary, although it does appear likely and would also explain the front vowel in the variant bleyz above.

Adjective

בלויז • (bloyz)

1. bare, uncovered, empty
2. unadorned, plain
3. blunt, dull
4. (figurative) stupid

Declension

Declension of בלויז

predicative					בלויז bloyz
case	masculine	neuter			feminine	plural
		indefinite	definite	post./nom.
nominative	בלויזער bloyzer	בלויז bloyz	בלויזע bloyze	בלויזס bloyzs	בלויזע bloyze	בלויזע bloyze
accusative	בלויזן bloyzn
dative			בלויזן bloyzn		בלויזער bloyzer

Derived terms

• אויסבלייזן (oysbleyzn, “to strip, to undress”)
• אַנטבלויזן (antbloyzn, “to bare, to uncover”)
• מיטן בלויזן אויג (mitn bloyzn oyg, “with the naked eye”)

Noun

בלויז • (bloyz) m, plural בלויזן (bloyzn)

1. space, open/free/bare place, emptiness
2. gap, shortage

Adverb

בלויז • (bloyz)

1. only, just

   Synonym: נאָר (nor)

Usage notes

• The alternative form בלייז (bleyz) does not apply with the adverb.

Derived terms

• נאָר און בלויז (nor un bloyz, “only, exclusively”)

References

• Astravux, Aljaksandar (2008), “blojz”, in Idyš-bjelaruski slównik [Yiddish–Belarusian Dictionary], Minsk: Mjedisónt, →ISBN, page 163
• Astravux, Aljaksandar (2008), “blojzer”, in Idyš-bjelaruski slównik [Yiddish–Belarusian Dictionary], Minsk: Mjedisónt, →ISBN, page 163
• Justus van de Kamp et al., “בלױז” in Jiddisch-Nederlands Woordenboek [Yiddish-Dutch Dictionary], Amsterdam: Stichting Jiddische Lexicografie, 1987-present (ongoing). [1].