b'laz

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Definitions

  • adv. Abbreviation for "B'loshn am zar", "in a foreign language"; usually used by the commentator Rashi when using a Middle French expression.

Example Sentences

  • "Rashi often includes vocabulary 'b'laz' to help his medieval French readers."

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • בלע"ז

      • Who Uses This

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

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      belaaz, b'laaz, b'la'az

Notes

  • La'az refers to "lashon am zar," and the "b" prefix means "in."

    La'az / lo'ez means foreign language, as found in the phrase "Me'am Lo'ez", from a people who speak a foreign language.

    The Yiddish b(e)láz can humorously express the meaning 'otherwise known as'.

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