yesod

Pronunciations

yesod (yeh-SOHD) listen
yesod (YEH-sohd) listen

Definitions

  • n. A guiding principle, foundation.

Example Sentences

  • "The yesoid of this store is to sell anything, as long as it costs under $1.00." (Weiser)

Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • TH יְסוֹד y'sod 'base, foundation' > Y יסוד yesod

    • 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).
      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • Frumspeak: The First Dictionary of Yeshivish, by Chaim Weiser (Northvale, 1995).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      yesoid, yesoid hadavar, yesoyd hadavar, yesoyd

Notes

  • Yesod is the 9th of the 10 sefirot (aspects of God) in Kabbalah.

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