Relating to the Jews, their religion (Judaism), culture, or identity. It can describe people, traditions, beliefs, or things connected to Jewish life.
From “Jew” plus the adjective-forming suffix “-ish.” “Jew” comes from Old French “giu,” from Latin “Iudaeus,” from Greek “Ioudaios,” meaning “Judean,” a person from Judea. The term shifted from meaning a geographic region’s people to a religious and ethnic identity.
“Jewish” can describe religion, culture, ethnicity, or some mix of all three, which is why it doesn’t fit neatly into one box. The word’s roots go back to “Judea,” a region on ancient maps, showing how geography, belief, and people’s sense of self got braided into one label. It’s a reminder that identity words often carry long, tangled histories.
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