l'chaim

Definitions

• traditional toast. [lit. "to life" (Rosten)]

Example Sentences

• At a celebration such as a wedding where many toasts are given, it is customary to exclaim "L'chaim" before drinking.

Languages of Origin

• Textual Hebrew
• Yiddish
• Modern Hebrew

Etymology

• Heb לחיים lekhaím, Yiddish לחײם lekháim

Who Uses This

• Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements
• Non-Jews: (words that have spread outside of Jewish networks)

Regions

• North America

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).
• The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).
• Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).
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Alternative Spellings

lechaim