Pronunciations

Definitions

• n. Essential Jewishness; the essence of a Jew.
  

Example Sentences

Languages of Origin

• Yiddish

Etymology

• דאָס פּינטעלע ייִד dos píntele yíd. lit. 'the dot of the Jew; the quintessence of one's Jewish identity'
  

Who Uses This

• Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)
• Older: Jews who are middle-aged and older
• Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage

Regions

• North America
• Great Britain
• South Africa

Dictionaries

• Yiddish and English: A Century of Yiddish in America, by Sol Steinmetz (Tuscaloosa, 1986).

Alternative Spellings

pintale yid, pintala yid