mame-loshn

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Pronunciations

mame-loshn (MA-meh LO-shen) listen
mame-loshn (MA-muh LOSH-in) listen

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Definitions

  • n. "Mother tongue", usually refers to Yiddish.

Example Sentences

  • "Please call us to discuss the many naming opportunities available at Yiddishkayt. Name one of our education and outreach programs, or one of our upcoming events, as a powerful tribute to mameloshn." (on the Yiddishkeit LA web site donor page)

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Languages of Origin

  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • מאַמע־לשון mame-loshn. "Loshn" is the Yiddish version of the Hebrew word "lashon," which means both "tongue" and "language."

      • Who Uses This

      • Older: Jews who are middle-aged and older

      Regions

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

      • The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
      • 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).
      • 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

      mameloshn, mame-loshen, mameloshen

Notes

  • The name "mame-loshn," or "mother-tongue," reflects the emotional connection that many speakers feel towards this language.

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