Yid

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Main article: Jew

Yid (when pronounced "yeed") is the Yiddish word for Jew.

When used by non-Jews, the word yid pronounced phonetically (but not Yiddish) is generally meant to be highly offensive.

However, in all-Ashkenazi contexts, the word is also frequently used to mean simply "fellow," "chap," "buddy," "mate," etc, i.e., with no expressed emphasis on Jewishness (although this may be implied by the intra-Jewish context). In fact, in Yiddish, the polite way of addressing a person whose name is not known is Reb Yid, meaning "Sir." Ashkenazi Jews call themselves and each other Yidn (pronounced "yid'n" or yeed'n) (plural of Yid).

The Yiddish word yidish (from Middle High German jüdisch) is an adjective derived from the noun Yid, and thus means "Jewish." Yid has its origins in the Middle High German word Jüde (the contemporary German word is Jude).

[edit] Football terminology

An exceptional non-offensive use of Yid by non-Jews is when it is by a member or supporter of English Premiership football team Tottenham Hotspur to refer to another fan or player in the team. Tottenham Hotspur are nicknamed "The Yids" due to the large Jewish population of their North London location - although this is not necessarily reflected in their actual fanbase.

It is debatable whether, despite the fact that the Tottenham Hotspur's fan base is largely non-Jewish, the use of the word 'Yid' in this context is acceptable, given that 'Yid' is also (as stated above) used as an offensive term about Jews.

[edit] See also

• Goy
• List of ethnic slurs