כריין

Yiddish

Alternative forms

• (Western Yiddish) קריין (kreyn), קרען (kren)

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *xrěnъ (“horseradish”), possibly via Old Czech chřěn. Note however also East Central German Krên, southern German Kren, also ultimately from the Proto-Slavic term.

In terms of Western Yiddish variants, given the lack of a diphthong, קרען (kren) was most likely directly borrowed from German, while קריין (kreyn) is likely to have been inherited naturally from Middle High German krên, krêne, chrên.

It is possible that the modern dominant Eastern Yiddish term was formed initially as קריין (kreyn), but later altered and re-converged with Slavic under the influence of contact Slavic languages; compare Polish chrzan, Russian хрен (xren).

For another case of k-kh alternation between Western and Eastern Yiddish, compare כרעמזל (khremzl).

Noun

כריין • (khreyn) m

1. horseradish (plant)
2. chrain (a relish made principally from horseradish)

Descendants

• → Dutch: chrein
• → English: chrain

Further reading

• Justus van de Kamp et al., “כרײן” in Jiddisch-Nederlands Woordenboek [Yiddish-Dutch Dictionary], Amsterdam: Stichting Jiddische Lexicografie, 1987-present (ongoing). [1].