Chatchke

/ˈtʃɑːtʃkə/ noun

Definition

An alternative spelling of chatchka; a small, inexpensive ornament or trinket of little value.

Etymology

An alternate English spelling of the Yiddish 'chatchka,' representing different transliteration choices from the original Yiddish letters into Roman characters.

Kelly Says

The multiple spellings of this Yiddish word (chatchka, chatchke, tchotchke) show how English speakers wrestled with unfamiliar sounds—Yiddish has sounds that don't exist in English, so different communities spelled it phonetically in different ways, and all became 'correct.'

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