Litvak

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Pronunciations

Litvak (LIHT-vahk) listen

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Definitions

  • n. A Jew with ancestry in Lithuania or nearby regions.

  • adj. Of or relating to the culture, customs, language, or ancestry of Jews with ancestry in Lithuania.

  • n. A dry, humorless, educated person.

  • n. A clever person.

  • n. (derogatorily) An untrustworthy person who cuts corners.

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Example Sentences

  • "What can you expect from a Litvak?" (Rosten)

  • "He's as clever as a Litvak." (Rosten)

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Languages of Origin

  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • ליטװאַק 'Jew from Lithuania; (stereotypically) learned Jew'

      • Who Uses This

      • Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage

      Regions

      • North America
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa
      • Australia / New Zealand

      Dictionaries

      • The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).

Notes

  • "Litvaks are contrasted with the other ethnic subgroup of Ashkenazic Jews, the Galitzianers, by geography and their pronunciation of Yiddish" (JPS).

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