באָקע

Yiddish

Alternative forms

• באָק m (bok)

Etymology

Borrowed from Slavic; compare Polish, Serbo-Croatian bok (“flank”), Russian бочо́к (bočók). Ultimately from Proto-Slavic *bokъ, although likely from some dialectal variant *boka or *бока, which would explain the unexpected feminine gender. The alternative form derives from the regular Slavic form, although the plural form is also באָקעס (bokes).

Noun

באָקע • (boke) f, plural באָקעס (bokes)

1. (anatomy) flank (of an animal)
2. (in the plural) haunches, hips

   מיט די הענט אין די באָקעס ― mit di hent in di bokes ― with the hands on the hips

References

• Beinfeld, Solon, Bochner, Harry (2013) “באָקע”, in Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, →ISBN
• Justus van de Kamp et al., “באָקע” in Jiddisch-Nederlands Woordenboek [Yiddish-Dutch Dictionary], Amsterdam: Stichting Jiddische Lexicografie, 1987-present (ongoing). [1].