Shtetl definition
A small Jewish town or village in Eastern Europe, especially before World War II.
noun
Any of the former Jewish village communities of E Europe, esp. in Russia.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun
Singular:
shtetl
Plural:
shtetlach, shtetlsOrigin 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