לופֿטמענטש

Yiddish

FWOTD – 25 June 2018

Etymology

From לופֿט (luft, “air”) +‎ מענטש (mentsh, “man”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɫʊftmɛnt͡ʃ/

Noun

לופֿטמענטש • (luftmentsh) m, plural לופֿטמענטשן (luftmentshn)

1. luftmensch
   • 1992, Di Goldene Keyt, page 91:

     זאַל איך אידעאַליזירן די יידישע סוחרים, שניידערס, לופֿטמענטשן?

     zal ikh idealizirn di yidishe soykhrim, shnayders, luftmentshn?

     Shall I idealize the Jewish merchants, tailors, luftmenschen?

References

• Uriel Weinreich, Modern English-Yiddish, Yiddish-English Dictionary (1968)