top of page

What does 'klezmer' mean?

Jun 24, 2021
1 min read

Updated: Jul 25, 2021

  1. Original meaning: 'kle' and 'zemer', two words in Yiddish & Hebrew, make up klezmer, meaning vessel of song = musical instrument.

  2. A professional Jewish folk musician (the plural is 'klezmorim' or 'klezmers')

  3. 3. Music with its roots in Jewish eastern Europe. This is the most recent use of the word. ​ Klezmer is pronounced with the 'z' as in 'zoo'. ​



SOURCE: Stutchkoff, Der Oytser fun der Yidisher Shprakh. Literal translation: He's an expert like a goat's an expert on a musician. The Yiddish word klezmer refers to the musician, not the music.



 
 
 

Comments


bottom of page