wimpel

Edit

Pronunciations

wimpel (VIHM-pel) listen

Record a Pronunciation

Definitions

  • n. A long, linen sash used as a binding for the Sefer Torah by Jews of German (Yekke) origin.

Example Sentences

  • "Most people bind the sefer Torah (after gelila) with a sort of velvet thing with a clasp. Yekkes use a wimpel instead. (Under the mantel.)" (source)

Record a Sentence

Languages of Origin

  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • Western Yiddish װימפּל vimpl, cognate of German "cloth," derived from Old German, bewimfen, meaning "to cover up" or "conceal"

      • Who Uses This

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

      Regions

      • North America
      • Great Britain

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).

      Alternative Spellings

      vimpel

Notes

  • Used primarily by German-origin Jews.

    See here for more info.

    Mentioned in the JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words under entry for gartl.

Edit     Something missing from this entry? Inaccurate? Feel free to suggest an edit.