mayofes

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Definitions

  • n. A servile person.

Example Sentences

  • "From there, a mayofes-Jew is one who bows to non-Jewish authorities in a servile manner." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • Y מה־יפֿית ma-yofes, lit. 'how beautiful,' the first words of the verse (Song of Songs 7:7) that according to legend, was sung by Polish Jews and often requested by nobles they worked for.

      • Who Uses This

      • Older: Jews who are middle-aged and older
      • Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage

      Dictionaries

      • Yiddish and English: A Century of Yiddish in America, by Sol Steinmetz (Tuscaloosa, 1986).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      mayufes, mayofesnik, mayufesnik, ma yofes, ma yofis

Notes

  • The Friday night melody was removed from the liturgy in many communities because of its historical connotations. 

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