Yiddish

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Etymology

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From Middle High German pfīfen, from Old High German phīfōn, from onomatopoeic Latin pīpāre. Cognate to German pfeifen.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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פֿײַפֿן (fayfn) (past participle געפֿײַפֿט (gefayft))

  1. to whistle
    • Mordkhe Gebirtig, Reyzele
      פֿײַפֿן, זאָגט זי, איז נישט ייִדיש / עס פּאַסט בלויז פֿאַר זיי / גיב אַ צייכן פּראָסט אויף ייִדיש / איינס, צוויי, דרײַ
      fayfn, zogt zi, iz nisht yidish / es past bloyz far zey / gib a tseykhn prost oyf yidish / eyns, tsvey, dray
      Whistling, she says, is not Yiddish / It just suits them / Give a sign simply in Yiddish / One, two, three
  2. (+ אױף (oyf)) to not give a damn about
    כ'פֿײַף אױף יאָשקע.
    kh'fayf oyf yoshke.
    I don't give a damn about Yoshke.

Conjugation

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Derived terms

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