Pronunciations

Definitions

• n. A particularly well-respected rabbi; a sage.

• n. A well-respected person.

Example Sentences

Languages of Origin

• Textual Hebrew
• Yiddish

Etymology

• TH גדול gadól 'big' > Y גדול gódl 'prominent man, scholar'

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
• Australia / New Zealand

Dictionaries

• Yiddish and English: A Century of Yiddish in America, by Sol Steinmetz (Tuscaloosa, 1986).
• Frumspeak: The First Dictionary of Yeshivish, by Chaim Weiser (Northvale, 1995).

Alternative Spellings

godol, godl