Ashkenazi

See also: ashkenazi and ashkenazí

English

Etymology

From Hebrew אַשְׁכְּנַזִּי‎ ('ashk'nazí), from Biblical Hebrew אַשְׁכְּנַז‎ (ʾaškənaz). Biblical Ashkenaz was the son of Gomer, grandson of Japheth, and great-grandson of Noah. Ashkenaz's descendants were identified with Germans by medieval Jewish tradition. Ashkenaz was the name used for the Rhine river, which was the starting point of central and eastern European settlement by Jews, who are thought to have arrived in the region from Italy, and then spread east as they fled violent oppression and followed more favorable ownership laws.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌæʃkɪˈnɑːzi/, /ˌæʃkɪnəˈziː/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌɑːʃkɪˈnɑːzi/, /ˌɑːʃkɪnəˈziː/

Adjective

Ashkenazi (comparative more Ashkenazi, superlative most Ashkenazi)

1. Of or relating to Jews of Central European, particularly of German and Polish origin, and their traditions, customs, and rituals.
   • Synonym: Ashkenazic

Translations

of, or relating to Jews from Central Europe

• Arabic: أَشْكِنَازِيّ‎ (ʔaškināziyy)
• Esperanto: aŝkenaza
• French: ashkénaze (fr)
• German: aschkenasisch (de)
• Greek: ασκενάζι m or f (askenázi)
• Hebrew: אַשְׁכְּנַזִּי‎ (he) ('ashk'nazí)
• Italian: ashkenazita (it), askenazita
• Ladino: ashkenazi
• Persian: اشکنازی‎ (aškenâzi)
• Polish: aszkenazyjski (pl), askenazyjski
• Portuguese: ashkenazi
• Russian: ашкена́зский (ru) (aškenázskij), ашкенази́йский (aškenazíjskij)
• Slovak: aškenázsky
• Spanish: asquenazí (es), askenazi
• Swedish: ashkenazisk (sv)
• Ukrainian: ашкеназійський (aškenazijsʹkyj), ашкена́зський (aškenázsʹkyj)
• Yiddish: אַשכּנזיש‎ (ashkenazish)
• Zazaki: eşkenaz

Noun

Ashkenazi (plural Ashkenazim or Ashkenazis)

1. An Ashkenazi Jew.

Translations

Jew from Germany or Eastern Europe

• Arabic: أَشْكِنَازِيّ‎ m (ʔaškināziyy)
• Esperanto: aŝkenazo
• Finnish: aškenasi, aškenasijuutalainen
• French: ashkénaze (fr)
• German: Aschkenasi (de) m
• Greek: ασκενάζι m or f (askenázi)
• Hebrew: אַשְׁכְּנַזִּי‎ (he) ('ashk'nazí)
• Italian: ashkenazita (it) m or f, askenazita m or f
• Ladino: ashkenazi
• Persian: اشکنازی‎ (aškenâzi)
• Polish: aszkenazyjczyk m, aszkenazyjka f, askenazyjczyk m, askenazyjka f
• Portuguese: ashkenazi m or f
• Russian: ашкенази́ (ru) m or f (aškenazí), ашкена́з (ru) m (aškenáz)
• Slovak: Aškenáz m, Aškenázka f
• Swedish: ashkenazisk jude, ashkenaz (sv) c, askenas (sv) c
• Ukrainian: ашкена́з m (aškenáz)
• Yiddish: אַשכּנזי‎ m (ashkenazi)
• Zazaki: eşkenaz

Proper noun

Ashkenazi (plural Ashkenazis)

1. A surname from Hebrew.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Ashkenazi is the 40204^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 545 individuals. Ashkenazi is most common among White (95.96%) individuals.

Derived terms

• Ashkenazic
• Ashkenormativity

 

Further reading

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Ashkenazi”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 1, New York City: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 63.