b'laz

Alternative Spellings

belaaz, b'laaz, b'la'az

Definitions

• 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."

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).

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'.