נאַשבראַט

Yiddish

Alternative forms

• נאַש בראַט (nash brat)

Etymology

Univerbation of the Slavic phrase meaning "our brother"; compare Polish nasz brat, Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian наш брат (naš brat), although exact borrowing source uncertain.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /naʃˈbrat/

Noun

נאַשבראַט • (nashbrat) m, plural נאַשבראַטעס (nashbrates)

1. guy, regular fellow
2. buddy, pal, one of the boys

   זײַן נאַשבראַט מיט ― zayn nashbrat mit ― to be buddy-buddy with

   ער איז אַ נאַשבראַט ― er iz a nashbrat ― he's one of us (literally, “he is a buddy”)

3. nice guy, good guy

   ער אַליין איז געווען אַ גוטמוטיקער, ליבער און איידעלער מענטש, אַ צוגעלאָזטער, גוט־ברודעריש און אַ נאַשבראַט.

   er aleyn iz geven a gutmutiker, liber un eydeler mentsh, a tsugelozter, gut-bruderish un a nashbrat.

   He himself was a good-natured, generous and noble man, agreeable, kind-hearted and a good guy.

4. backslapper

   Synonym: גוטער־⁠ברודער (guter-⁠bruder)

   פֿירן זיך נאַשבראַט ― firn zikh nashbrat ― to backslap (literally, “to behave backslapper”)

References

• Astravux, Aljaksandar (2008) “našbrát”, in Idyš-bjelaruski slóŭnik [Yiddish–Belarusian Dictionary], Minsk: Mjedisónt, →ISBN, page 564
• Beinfeld, Solon, Bochner, Harry (2013) “נאַשבראַט”, in Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, →ISBN
• Justus van de Kamp et al., “נאַשבראַט” in Jiddisch-Nederlands Woordenboek [Yiddish-Dutch Dictionary], Amsterdam: Stichting Jiddische Lexicografie, 1987-present (ongoing). [1].
• Schaechter-Viswanath, Gitl, Glasser, Paul (2016) “backslapper”, in Comprehensive English-Yiddish Dictionary, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, →ISBN