דריידל

Yiddish

FWOTD – 18 December 2020

Etymology

From דרייען (dreyen, “turn, spin”) +‎ ־ל (-l, “diminutive”).

Pronunciation

• (YIVO) IPA^(key): /ˈdʁɛɪ̯.dɫ̩/

Noun

דריידל • (dreydl) n, plural דריידלעך (dreydlekh)

1. spinning top
2. (specifically) Hanukkah dreidel
   • 1912, Mordkhe Rivesman (lyrics and music), “Oy Khanike [Oh Chanukah]”:

     אַלע נאַכט אין דריידלעך שפילן מיר / זודיק־הייסע לאַטקעס, עסט אָן אַ שיעור

     ale nakht in dreydlekh shpiln mir / zudik-heyse latkes, est on a shir

     Every night with dreidels we will play / Boiling hot latkes, eat them endlessly.

Descendants

• → Dutch: dreidel
• → English: dreidel

Further reading

• Map of dialectal variants for "dreidel" from Litvish: An Atlas of Northeastern Yiddish by Dovid Katz