Ashkenazi
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Hebrew אַשְׁכְּנַזִּי ('ashk'nazí), from Biblical Hebrew אַשְׁכְּנַז (ʾaškənaz). The biblical Ashkenaz was the son of Gomer, the grandson of Japheth, and the great-grandson of Noah. Ashkenaz's descendants were identified with the Germans by medieval Jewish tradition. Ashkenaz was also 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. By surface analysis, Ashkenaz + -i.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˌæʃkɪˈnɑːzi/, /ˌæʃkɪnəˈziː/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˌɑːʃkɪˈnɑːzi/, /ˌɑːʃkɪnəˈziː/
Audio (US): (file) - Hyphenation: Ash‧ke‧na‧zi
Adjective
Ashkenazi (comparative more Ashkenazi, superlative most Ashkenazi)
- Of or relating to Jews of German origin, and their traditions, customs, and rituals. Their traditional vernacular is Yiddish, and they historically dominated Jewish life in Europe north of the Mediterranean, in contrast to the Sephardim.
- Synonym: Ashkenazic
- Hypernym: Jewish
- Hyponym: Ashkephardi
Translations
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Noun
Ashkenazi (plural Ashkenazim or Ashkenazis or Ashkenazi)
- An Ashkenazi Jew.
- Hypernym: Jew
- Hyponym: Ashkephardi
Translations
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Proper noun
Ashkenazi (plural Ashkenazis)
- A surname from Hebrew.
Statistics
- According to the 2010 United States Census, Ashkenazi is the 40204th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 545 individuals. Ashkenazi is most common among White (95.96%) individuals.
Derived terms
See also
Further reading
- Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Ashkenazi”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 1, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 63.