Mokum
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| City | Yiddish | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | Mokum Aleph | City A |
| Berlin | Mokum Bet | City B |
| Delft | Mokum Dalet | City D |
| Rotterdam | Mokum Resh | City R |
Mokum (מקום) is the Yiddish word for "place" or "safe haven".[1] It is similar to the Hebrew word mokom (מקום), which means "place" or "location".[2] In Yiddish the names of some cities in the Netherlands and Germany were shortened to Mokum and the first letter of the name of the city, transliterated into the Hebrew alphabet (that is used in Yiddish). Cities named this way were Amsterdam, Berlin, Delft, and Rotterdam.[3]
Mokum, without Aleph, is still used as a nickname for Amsterdam. First the nickname was considered to be Bargoens, but in twentieth century the name lost its negative sound and is now used as a nickname for Amsterdam in sentimental context.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Yiddish Dictionary Online
- ^ Milon
- ^ Martens, Hadewych (2006-09-26). Jiddisch, ontstaan en etymologie. www.ety.nl. Retrieved on 2007-08-11.
- ^ Berns, Jan; Daan, Jo (1992). Hij zeit wat. De Amsterdamse volkstaal (in Dutch). The Hague: BZZTôH, p. 66. ISBN 90-629-756-9.
