כרעמזל

Yiddish

Alternative forms

• כעמזל (khemzl), (chiefly Western Yiddish) קרעמזל (kremzl), קרימזל (krimzl), גרימזל (grimzl), (especially Alsace; pockets in Poland and Lithuania) פֿרימזל (frimzl), פֿרעמזל (fremzl), (Central, South-Eastern Yiddish) כרענזל (khrenzl), כרענדזל (khrendzl)

Etymology

From earlier various *גרימזיל״ש (*grimzils), *וורימזייל״ש (*vrimzils), *ברימזיל״ש pl (*frimzils) (12th century), ultimately from Vulgar Latin *vermicellus (“vermicelli”), alteration of vermiculus (“small worm”), from vermis (“worm”). First re-analyzed as suffixed with ־ל (-l) (attested as *וורמ״זליך (*frimzlikh)) in the second half of the 12th century, hence the neuter gender and diminutive plural. Emergence of *כר־ (*khr-) is attributed to the carryover of Slavic-origin consonant clusters. For the k-kh alternation between Western and Eastern Yiddish, compare כריין (khreyn).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈχ(ə)ʁɛmzɫ̩/

Noun

כרעמזל • (khremzl) n, plural כרעמזלעך (khremzlekh)

1. (Judaism) chremsel: a food item, similar to a latke, made of matzah meal for Passover.

Descendants

• → English: chremsel