nebbish
pronunciation
How to pronounce nebbish in British English:
UK [ˈnebɪʃ]
How to pronounce nebbish in American English:
US [ˈnɛbɪʃ]
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- Noun:
- (Yiddish) a timid unfortunate simpleton
Word Origin
- nebbish (n.)
- 1905, nebbich, from Yiddish (used as a Yiddish word in American English from 1890s), from a Slavic source akin to Czech neboh "poor, unfortunate," literally "un-endowed," from Proto-Slavic *ne-bogu-, with negative prefix (see un- (1)) + PIE *bhag- "to share out, apportion" (see -phagous).