להבֿדיל

Yiddish

Etymology

From Hebrew לְהַבְדִּיל (l'havdíl), infinitive of הִבְדִּיל (hivdíl, “to separate, to distinguish”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɫɛˈhavdɫ̩/, /ɫəˈhavdɫ̩/

Interjection

להבֿדיל • (lehavdl)

1. lehavdil; excuse the comparison
   • 1894, שלום־עליכם (sholem-aleykhem, “Sholem Aleichem”), “קטנתּי (kotonti)”, in טבֿיה דער מילכיקער (tevye der milkhiker, “Tevye the Dairyman”):

     קָטֹנְתִּי! – באַדאַרף איך אײַך זאָגן מיטן לשון, וואָס יעקבֿ אָבֿינו האָט געזאָגט, בשעת ער האָט זיך געלאָזט גיין קעגן עשׂון, להבֿדיל...

     kotoynti! – badarf ikh aykh zogn mitn loshn, vos yankev ovinu hot gezogt, bshas er hot zikh gelozt geyn kegn eysevn, lehavdl...

     “I am unworthy!” I allow myself to say to you with the words our Father Jacob said [to God] while he was on his way to meet Esau, lehavdil...

Usage notes

• Used to separate two items that would otherwise be mentioned sequentially, one of which is sacred and the other of which is profane.

Descendants

• → English: lehavdil