דריידל

Yiddish

FWOTD – 18 December 2020

Etymology

From דרייען (dreyen, “turn, spin”) +‎ ־ל (-l, “diminutive”).

Pronunciation

(YIVO) IPA^(key): /ˈdʁɛɪ̯.dɫ̩/

Noun

דריידל • (dreydl) n, plural דריידלעך (dreydlekh)

spinning top
(specifically) Hanukkah dreidel
- 1912, Mordkhe Rivesman (lyrics and music), “Oy Khanike [Oh Chanukah]”:
  אַלע נאַכט אין דריידלעך שפילן מיר / זודיק־הייסע לאַטקעס, עסט אָן אַ שיעור
  ale nakht in dreydlekh shpiln mir / zudik-heyse latkes, est on a shir
  Every night with dreidels we will play / Boiling hot latkes, eat them endlessly.

Descendants

→ Dutch: dreidel
→ English: dreidel

Further reading

Map of dialectal variants for "dreidel" from Litvish: An Atlas of Northeastern Yiddish by Dovid Katz

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