erlech

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Pronunciations

erlech (AIR-lihkh) listen

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Definitions

  • adj. Honest, legitimate.

  • adj. Religious.

Example Sentences

  • "They're really erliche Yidden."

  • "Years ago the highest compliment that one could give to a Jew was not that he or she is frum, but that he or she is ehrlich." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • ערלעך erlekh (honest, religious)

      • Who Uses This

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

      Regions

      • North America
      • Great Britain

      Dictionaries

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

      Alternative Spellings

      erlich, erlekh, ehrlech, ehrlich, ehrliche

Notes

  • Often used with Yiddish prenominal adjectival suffix: erliche yidden. "Erlich" connotes complete or legitimate observance, not honesty in personal dealings.

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