Duolingo is adding a new tongue to its arsenal of over three dozen languages: Yiddish. If you’ve ever wondered where words, like “klutz,” “schmooze,” and “spiel,” come from, now you can dive right into their Yiddish origins.
Do You Know “Bupkis” About Yiddish?
You might not think you come across Yiddish in your everyday life, but many words that we use today are actually derived from the language. Yiddish is a Germanic language that was originally spoken by Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe.
Although the language is still prevalent today, it has a smaller number of speakers, and these speakers are spread out across the globe. The Holocaust brought about the deaths of millions of Yiddish speakers, and many survivors migrated to different countries, further diluting the language. Today, there are only around 600,000 Yiddish speakers left.
But now that Yiddish is available on Duolingo, you can immerse yourself in the distinct sound and Hebrew-based script that’s unique to Yiddish. Duolingo announced the addition of Yiddish in a post on the Duolingo Blog, which makes it the platform’s 40th language.
Duolingo notes that the Yiddish grammar lessons are “based on the version standardized by the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.” As for pronunciation, Duolingo uses the Hasidic Hungarian accent, citing that this is the most commonly-heard variety.
If you’re interested in learning the language, you can head over to the Yiddish course page on Duolingo. Keep in mind that you can use Duolingo for free, but if you want to eliminate ads, track your progress, and access the app offline, you might want to think about upgrading to Duolingo’s $6.99/month Plus plan.
Duolingo is known for its scientifically proven learning methods, which encourage you to study a new language for at least five minutes per day. Its gamified lessons make learning a new language fun and interactive.
Learn Yiddish in Your Spare Time
Now, you can dedicate small chunks of your day to learn Yiddish. But if that’s not your thing, Duolingo offers a massive library of languages, some of which are lesser spoken or entirely fictional.
Not only can you pick up Spanish, French, and German with Duolingo, but you can also learn more about Gaelic, Welsh, Hawaiian, and Swahili. And in case you want to impress your nerdy friends, Duolingo even offers Klingon and High Valyrian, which are the fake languages spoken in Game of Thrones and Star Trek, respectively.