yosem

Alternative Spellings

yetom

Definitions

• orphan

Example Sentences

• "It was hard for them to find money for the wedding since the groom is a yosem."

Languages of Origin

Textual Hebrew, Yiddish

Etymology

Heb יתום yatóm, Yiddish יתום yósem 'orphan' (used for one who has lost one parent, not necessarily both)

Who Uses This

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

Regions

North America

Dictionaries

Yiddish and English: A Century of Yiddish in America, by Sol Steinmetz (Tuscaloosa, 1986).

Notes

feminine form is יתומה yetomá/yesóyme