Shtetl definition

shtĕtl, shtātl

Words form:

shtetlach shtetls

See word origin

Frequency:

A small Jewish town or village in Eastern Europe, especially before World War II.

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Any of the former Jewish village communities of E Europe, esp. in Russia.

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A Jewish village or small town, especially one in Eastern Europe.

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Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:

shtetl

Plural:

shtetlach, shtetls

Origin of shtetl

Yiddish from Middle High German stetel diminutive of stat town from Old High German place stā- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Yiddish שטעטל (shtetl, “small town, village"), from שטאָט (shtot, “city") (compare German Stadt), from Old High German stat, from Proto-Germanic *stadiz, from Proto-Indo-European *stéhâ‚‚tis.

From Wiktionary