The Yiddish Dictionary Committee announced today that the second volume of the Great Dictionary of the Yiddish Language has been completed and will be distributed in January. The second volume contains more than 600 pages with definitions of more than 20,000 Yiddish words, as well as notes on grammar, etymology and historical backgrounds of the words. Also included are citations from early and modern Yiddish literature.
The first two volumes include definitions of more than 40,000 words beginning with the letter “Aleph.” Israel Steinbaum, secretary general of the committee, said it had been estimated that another eight to nine more volumes would be needed to complete definitions of the estimated 250,000 words in Yiddish. The late Judah A. Joffe and Yudel Mark have served as editors-in-chief of the first two volumes. Hundreds of correspondents and consultants have contributed to the contents.
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