קלאָץ

Yiddish

Etymology

From Middle High German kloz (“stump; ball”), from Old High German kloz (“stump; ball”), from Proto-West Germanic *klott. Compare German Klotz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɫɔt͡s/

Noun

קלאָץ • (klots) m, plural קלעצער (kletser), diminutive קלעצל (kletsl) or קלעצעלע (kletsele)

1. wooden beam

   Synonyms: באַלקן (balkn), בעליק (belik), בעלקע (belke), בערווענע (bervene), זאַמיט (zamit)

2. log (of wood)

   Synonyms: שײַט (shayt), בערווענע (bervene), שאַקעלע (shakele)

3. block (of wood)

   Synonym: קלעצל (kletsl)

4. klutz (clumsy person), oaf, blockhead

Derived terms

• קלאָץ־רעטעניש (klots-retenish, “a perplexing puzzle”)
• ליציטיר־קלאָץ (litsitir-klots, “auction block”)

Descendants

• → English: klutz

References

• Schaechter-Viswanath, Gitl; Glasser, Paul (2016), “קלאָץ”, in Comprehensive English-Yiddish Dictionary, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press