l'havdil
Pronunciations
Definitions
adv. On the contrary, rather.
interj. 'Excuse the comparison'; 'no comparison intended'.
interj. An expression to distinguish sacred from non-sacred discourse.
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Example Sentences
"Which one excites you more, that your child knows Gemoro by heart or l'havdil that he knows Shakespeare…" (source)
“I’m only starting in business, but l’havdil, at some point Rockefeller was only ‘starting in business.'” (NJY)
“'Rabbi, you speak as beautifully as that rabbi over on Thirteenth Street.' 'L’havdil.'” (NJY)
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Languages of Origin
- Textual Hebrew
- Yiddish
Etymology
TH להבדיל lehavdíl 'to separate or distinguish (especially between sacred and profane)' > Y להבֿדיל lehávdl 'to make a distinction'
- Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education
- Older: Jews who are middle-aged and older
- Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage
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- North America
- Great Britain
- South Africa
- The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
- Yiddish and English: A Century of Yiddish in America, by Sol Steinmetz (Tuscaloosa, 1986).
- The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).
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Who Uses This
Regions
Dictionaries
Alternative Spellings
lhavdil, lehavdil, l'havdl
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