Yid (English)
Where does "Yid" come from?
The English noun 'Yid' enters the language directly from the Yiddish term 'yid', which means 'Jew'[1]. This Yiddish form traces back through Middle High German 'jüde' or 'jude' and Old High German 'judeo' or 'judo'[2]. These Germanic ancestors are derived from the Latin 'iūdaeus', which itself stems from the Ancient Greek 'Ioudaîos' and ultimately the Hebrew 'yehudí'[2]. The term is a doublet of the word 'Jew'[1].
Full etymology tree
- Yid (English), 'A Jew.'
- inherited ייִד (yid) (Yiddish), 'a Jew'
- inherited jüde (Middle High German)
- inherited judeo (Old High German)
- borrowed iudaeus (Latin), 'Jewish, of or pertaining to the Jewish people.'
- inherited Ἰουδαῖος (Ioudaîos) (Ancient Greek), 'Jew or Judean'
- inherited יהודי (yehudí) (Hebrew), 'Jewish: being a Jew, or relating to Jews or Judaism.'
- inherited Ἰουδαῖος (Ioudaîos) (Ancient Greek), 'Jew or Judean'
- borrowed iudaeus (Latin), 'Jewish, of or pertaining to the Jewish people.'
- inherited judeo (Old High German)
- inherited jüde (Middle High German)
- inherited ייִד (yid) (Yiddish), 'a Jew'
Cognates and doublets
- Jew (English)
Sources
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris