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What does 'klezmer' mean?

  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'. ​


From website: https://www.yiddishwit.com/gallery/klezmer.html


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.


BACK TO KLEZMER FACTS & FUN


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