Meanings
Ashkenazi1
comparative more Ashkenazi · superlative most Ashkenazi
- Of or relating to Jews of German origin, and their traditions, customs, and rituals. Their traditional vernacular is Yiddish, and they historically dominated Jewish life in Europe north of the Mediterranean, in contrast to the Sephardim.
The book significantly extends on Rosenstein’s monumental 1990 work, “The Unbroken Chain,” which focused on the genealogies of the major Ashkenazi rabbinic dynasties from medieval times to the present.
2004 October 24, Bill Gladstone, “The oldest family in the world”, in Jewish Telegraphic Agency, archived from the original on 28 Sep 2021Synonyms: Ashkenazic
plural Ashkenazim · plural Ashkenazis
- An Ashkenazi Jew.
AshkeNazi2
comparative more AshkeNazi · superlative most AshkeNazi
- alternativeAlternative form of Ashke-Nazi.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveOf or relating to Jews of German origin, and their traditions, customs, and rituals. Their traditional vernacular is Yiddish, and they historically dominated Jewish life in Europe north of the Mediterranean, in contrast to the Sephardim.
Origin
- Biblical Hebrewאַשְׁכְּנַז
- Hebrewאַשְׁכְּנַזִּי
- EnglishAshkenazi
Borrowed from Hebrew אַשְׁכְּנַזִּי ('ashk'nazí), from Biblical Hebrew אַשְׁכְּנַז (ʾaškənaz). The biblical Ashkenaz was the son of Gomer, the grandson of Japheth, and the great-grandson of Noah. Ashkenaz's descendants were identified with the Germans by medieval Jewish tradition. Ashkenaz was also the name used for the Rhine river, which was the starting point of central and eastern European settlement by Jews, who are thought to have arrived in the region from Italy, and then spread east as they fled violent oppression and followed more favorable ownership laws. By surface analysis, Ashkenaz + -i.
More words from Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic أَشْكِنَازِيّ, أَشْكِنَازِيّ
- أَشْكِنَازِيّ (ʔaškināziyy)of, or relating to Jews of German origin
- أَشْكِنَازِيّ (ʔaškināziyy)Jew of German origin
Catalan asquenazita, asquenazita
- asquenazitaof, or relating to Jews of German origin
- asquenazitaJew of German origin
Chinese Mandarin 阿什肯納茲猶太人 /阿什肯纳兹犹太人
- 阿什肯納茲猶太人 /阿什肯纳兹犹太人of, or relating to Jews of German origin
Esperanto aŝkenaza, aŝkenazo
- aŝkenazaof, or relating to Jews of German origin
- aŝkenazoJew of German origin
Finnish aškenasi, aškenasijuutalainen
- aškenasiJew of German origin
- aškenasijuutalainenJew of German origin
French ashkénaze, ashkénaze
- ashkénazeof, or relating to Jews of German origin
- ashkénazeJew of German origin
German aschkenasisch, Aschkenasi
- aschkenasischof, or relating to Jews of German origin
- AschkenasiJew of German origin
Greek ασκενάζι, ασκενάζι
- ασκενάζι (askenázi)of, or relating to Jews of German origin
- ασκενάζι (askenázi)Jew of German origin
Hebrew אַשְׁכְּנַזִּי, אַשְׁכְּנַזִּי
- אַשְׁכְּנַזִּי ('ashk'nazí)of, or relating to Jews of German origin
- אַשְׁכְּנַזִּי ('ashk'nazí)Jew of German origin
Hungarian askenázi
- askenáziof, or relating to Jews of German origin
Italian ashkenazita, askenazita
- ashkenazitaof, or relating to Jews of German origin
- askenazitaof, or relating to Jews of German origin
- ashkenazitaJew of German origin
- askenazitaJew of German origin
Persian اشکنازی, اشکنازی
- اشکنازی (aškenâzi)of, or relating to Jews of German origin
- اشکنازی (aškenâzi)Jew of German origin
Polish aszkenazyjski, askenazyjski
- aszkenazyjskiof, or relating to Jews of German origin
- askenazyjskiof, or relating to Jews of German origin
- aszkenazyjczykJew of German origin
- aszkenazyjkaJew of German origin
- askenazyjczykJew of German origin
- askenazyjkaJew of German origin
Portuguese ashkenazi, ashkenazi
- ashkenaziof, or relating to Jews of German origin
- ashkenaziJew of German origin
Romanian așkenaz
- așkenazJew of German origin
Russian ашкена́зский, ашкенази́йский
- ашкена́зский (aškenázskij)of, or relating to Jews of German origin
- ашкенази́йский (aškenazíjskij)of, or relating to Jews of German origin
- ашкенази́ (aškenazí)Jew of German origin
- ашкена́з (aškenáz)Jew of German origin
Slovak aškenázsky, Aškenáz
- aškenázskyof, or relating to Jews of German origin
- AškenázJew of German origin
- AškenázkaJew of German origin
Spanish asquenazí, askenazi
- asquenazíof, or relating to Jews of German origin
- askenaziof, or relating to Jews of German origin
Swedish ashkenazisk, ashkenazisk jude
- ashkenaziskof, or relating to Jews of German origin
- ashkenazisk judeJew of German origin
- ashkenazJew of German origin
- askenasJew of German origin
Turkish Aşkenaz
- AşkenazJew of German origin
Ukrainian ашкеназійський, ашкена́зський
- ашкеназійський (aškenazijsʹkyj)of, or relating to Jews of German origin
- ашкена́зський (aškenázsʹkyj)of, or relating to Jews of German origin
- ашкена́з (aškenáz)Jew of German origin
Welsh Ashcenasig, Ashcenasi
- Ashcenasigof, or relating to Jews of German origin
- AshcenasiJew of German origin
Yiddish אַשכּנזיש, אַשכּנזי
- אַשכּנזיש (ashkenazish)of, or relating to Jews of German origin
- אַשכּנזי (ashkenazi)Jew of German origin
Cite this entry
Ashkenazi. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ashkenazi
“Ashkenazi.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ashkenazi. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Ashkenazi,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ashkenazi.
Source: Ashkenazi on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.