knaidel

Alternative Spellings

knaydle, kneydle, knaidle, kneidle, kenaidel, knaydl, kneydl, kneydel, knaydel, kenaidle, kneidel

Definitions

• matzah ball; "a dumpling made of matzah meal meal and beaten eggs, usually served in chicken broth, often at the Pesach seder" (JPS)

Example Sentences

• "Looking for Gluten free or pesachdik kneidel mix" (http://www.imamother.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=161624&highlight=kneidel)
• "When my host opened the lid of the soup, she served me the biggest, and most delicious knaidel I had ever had." (http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishFeatures/Article.aspx?id=139013)

Languages of Origin

Yiddish

Etymology

קנײדל kneydl, stemming from Middle High German knödel

Who Uses This

Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements
Older: Jews who are middle-aged and older
Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage

Regions

North America

Dictionaries

The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).
The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001)

Notes

Pronounced k-NEIGH-dl. Often used in the plural form: kneidlach / knaydlech / knaidelech / kneydlekh... (קנײדלעך) This word became the subject of controversy after it was the winning word in the U.S. Scripps National Spelling Bee in May 2013. (http://www.jewishjournal.com/opinion/article/a_linguists_take_on_the_knaidel_kneydl_controversy)