Where does “dreidl” come from?
dreidl (Welsh) comes from English dreidel, from Yiddish דריידל, from Yiddish דרייען, from Middle High German dræhen, from Old High German drāen, from Proto-West Germanic þrāan, from Proto-Germanic þrēaną, from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- — to rub, turn; to drill, pierce.
dreidl (Welsh): dreidel
Definitions
- dreidel
Ancestry of “dreidl”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dreidel | A four-sided spinning top, inscribed with the four Hebrew letters נ, ג, ה, and ש (or פ) on each side, often used to play a traditional game during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah |
| 2 | Yiddish | דריידל | spinning top; Hanukkah dreidel |
| 3 | Yiddish | דרייען | to turn, spin, twist |
| 4 | Middle High German | dræhen | — |
| 5 | Old High German | drāen | to turn; to twist; turn |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | þrāan | to twist |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | þrēaną | to twist, to turn |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |