האַרלע

Yiddish

Etymology

האַר (har, “sir”) suffixed with a diminutive cognate to ־עלע (-ele),^[1] equivalent to German Herrlein.

Noun

האַרלע • (harle) m, plural האַרלעס (harles)

1. (Western Yiddish, now chiefly Alsace and pockets near Amsterdam^[2]) grandfather

   Synonyms: זיידע (zeyde), (also chiefly Western Yiddish) גראָספֿאַטער (grosfater), אָפּאַ (opa), גראָספּאַפּאַ (grospapa)

   Coordinate term: פֿראַלע (frale, “(Western Yiddish) grandmother”)

Usage notes

• Also seems to be used by German non-Jews (but not Jews) near Frankfurt and Nuremburg, as *Harrle or *Herrle.

References

1. https://yiddish.forward.com/articles/175178/index.html
2. The Language and Culture Atlas of Ashkenazic Jewry: The Eastern Yiddish - Western Yiddish Continuum, Volume III, Niemeyer, 2010, p.214-215

Further reading

• Justus van de Kamp et al., “האַרלע” in Jiddisch-Nederlands Woordenboek [Yiddish-Dutch Dictionary], Amsterdam: Stichting Jiddische Lexicografie, 1987-present (ongoing). .