tchotchke

Alternative Spellings

tchotchka, tshatshka, tshatshke, chochka, tshotshke, chotchke, chachke, tchatchka, chotchka, tchachke

Definitions

• trinket, knicknack

Example Sentences

• "He brought us back a little tchatchka from Peru."

Languages of Origin

Yiddish

Etymology

טשאַטשקע tshatshke 'trinket', צאַצקע tsatske 'knick-knack, toy'

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)

Notes

Also pronounced tsatske or tsatska or tshatshki or tshotshky. Sometimes used with its diminutive / endearing suffix: tsatskele, tchotchkele, etc.