מענטש

Yiddish

Etymology

From Middle High German mensch, from Old High German mennisko.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mɛnt͡ʃ]

Noun

מענטש • (mentsh) m, plural מענטשן (mentshn)

1. human

   יעדער מענטש ווערט געבוירן פֿרײַ און גלײַך אין כּבֿוד און רעכט.

   yeder mentsh vert geboyrn fray un glaykh in koved un rekht.

   Every human being is born free and equal in dignity and rights.

2. mensch; an honorable person; a gentleman

   זײַן שוואָגער איז אַ מענטש.

   zayn shvoger iz a mentsh.

   His brother-in-law is a mensch.

Usage notes

This is one of the few nouns in Yiddish to inflect for case, optionally becoming מענטשן (mentshn) in the accusative/dative and מענטשנס (mentshns) in the possessive.

Derived terms

• אָרעמ־מענטש (orem-mentsh, “poor woman”)
• לופֿטמענטש (luftmentsh, “person without a definite occupation; idler”)
• מענטשהייט (mentshheyt, “mankind, humanity”)
• מענטשיש (mentshish, “human; decent”)
• מענטשלעך (mentshlekh, “humane; human (ideally)”)
• מענטשלעכקייט (mentshlekhkeyt, “humanity; humaneness”)
• מענטשלען (mentshlen, “to become mature”)

 

Descendants

• → English: mensch