geferlech

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Pronunciations

geferlech (guh-FAIR-luhkh) listen

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Definitions

  • adj. Dangerous, terrible.

Example Sentences

  • “'I understand that you have been through a very difficult time.' Hmm. What would be the correct word in Yiddish: Geferlech, maybe? 'Something geferlech.'” (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • געפֿערלעך geférlekh, from געפֿאַר gefár, 'danger, peril'

      • 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

      geferlach, geferlekh

Notes

  • Often used in the phrase nisht geferlech / nish geferlach / nisht geferlekh / nish gaferlach (not terrible) (נישט געפֿערלעך).

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