Yiddish edit

Etymology edit

Unknown. Started appearing in Eastern Yiddish dialects from the 16th century. Several etymologies were proposed: from Romance, related to Latin dīvīnus or to Old French deviner (to wish).[1] Another proposed etymology links the verb to Middle High German dœnen, although this raises several phonological problems.[2] Finally, the verb was linked to Hebrew דבר (dāvar, to speak).[3]

Pronunciation edit

  • (YIVO, Litvish, Poylish) IPA(key): /ˈdavnən/
  • (Ukraynish) IPA(key): /ˈdɔvnən/
  • (Litvish, dialectal) IPA(key): /ˈdɔɪnən/ (only in forms of the conjugation with -nen)

Verb edit

דאַוונען (davnen) (past participle געדאַוונט (gedavnt))

  1. to pray, daven

Conjugation edit

Descendants edit

  • Dutch: dawenen
  • English: daven
  • Swedish: davna
  • Hungarian: davenol

References edit

  1. ^ The Romance Component in Yiddish: A Reassessment
  2. ^ Dovid Katz (ed.): Origins of the Yiddish Language. Oxford 1987, pp. 11--14.
  3. ^ Agostini, P. "The Etymology of "Davenen"." Yiddish, vol. 11.1-11.2. Queens College Press. 1998, pp. 93-118.