yichus

Alternative Spellings

yiches, yikhes

Definitions

• "Pedigree, lineage, family background." (JPS)
• Bragging rights based on respected family history

Example Sentences

• "They're poor, but they have really good yiches."

Languages of Origin

Textual Hebrew, Yiddish

Etymology

Heb יחוס yikhús, Yiddish ייִחוס yíkhes

Who Uses This

Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)

Regions

North America

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 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).
JPS: The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001)