קעסט

Yiddish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɛst/, /keːst/

Etymology 1

Most likely from Middle High German koste, kost with umlaut. From Medieval Latin costus, costa. Cognate to German Kosten, Kost, Dutch kost.

Noun

קעסט • (kest) ?

1. room and board, bed and board (meals in a place of lodging)

   Synonym: פּאַנסיאָן (pansyon)

   געבן קעסט ― gebn kest ― to provide room and board

   האָבן קעסט בײַ ― hobn kest bay ― to have room and board with

   איידעם אויף קעסט ― eydem oyf kest ― parasite, freeloader (literally, “son-in-law on room and board”)

2. (Judaism) room and board for a young couple provided by the bride’s parents for an agreed upon period of time to enable the son-in-law to continue his traditional studies

   זײַן/זיצן אויף קעסט, עסן קעסט ― zayn/zitsn oyf kest, esn kest ― to receive room and board (esp. from one's in-laws)

   אַראָפּגיין פֿון קעסט ― aropgeyn fun kest ― to stop receiving room and board (esp. from one's in-laws)

Usage notes

• The gender of this noun differs between dictionaries. JNW lists it as any gender (i.e. masculine, feminine, neuter), CEYD lists it as masculine only, while CYED and the Yiddish-Belarusian Dictionary list it as plural.
• קאַזיאָנע (kazyone) in the first derived term most likely comes from Russian казённый (kazjónnyj, “state, government”).

Derived terms

• אויף קאַזיאָנע קעסט (oyf kazyone kest, “at the taxpayer's expense; in prison”)
• קעסטקינד (kestkind, “foster child”)
• קעסטניק (kestnik, “freeloader”)
• קעסט־עלטערן (kest-eltern, “foster parents”), קעסטפֿאָטער (kestfoter, “foster father”), קעסטמוטער (kestmuter, “foster mother”)

References

• Astravux, Aljaksandar (2008) “kest”, in Idyš-bjelaruski slóŭnik [Yiddish–Belarusian Dictionary], Minsk: Mjedisónt, →ISBN, page 441
• Justus van de Kamp et al., “קעסט” in Jiddisch-Nederlands Woordenboek [Yiddish-Dutch Dictionary], Amsterdam: Stichting Jiddische Lexicografie, 1987-present (ongoing). [1].
• Schaechter-Viswanath, Gitl, Glasser, Paul (2016) “board, (meals/lodging)”, in Comprehensive English-Yiddish Dictionary, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, →ISBN
• Beinfeld, Solon, Bochner, Harry (2013) “קעסט”, in Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, →ISBN

Etymology 2

Likely cognate to Luxembourgish Käscht. Ultimately from Latin castanea. Doublet of קאַשטאַן (kashtan), קאַשטן (kashtn).

Noun

קעסט • (kest) f, plural קעסטן (kestn)

1. chestnut

   Synonyms: קאַשטן (kashtn), קאַשטאַן (kashtan)

   קעסט ברוין ― kest broyn ― maroon (literally, “chestnut brown”)

Derived terms

• קעסטנבוים (kestnboym, “chestnut tree”)

References

• Astravux, Aljaksandar (2008) “kest”, in Idyš-bjelaruski slóŭnik [Yiddish–Belarusian Dictionary], Minsk: Mjedisónt, →ISBN, page 441
• Justus van de Kamp et al., “קעסט” in Jiddisch-Nederlands Woordenboek [Yiddish-Dutch Dictionary], Amsterdam: Stichting Jiddische Lexicografie, 1987-present (ongoing). [2].
• Beinfeld, Solon, Bochner, Harry (2013) “קעסט”, in Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, →ISBN
• Schaechter-Viswanath, Gitl, Glasser, Paul (2016) “chestnut”, in Comprehensive English-Yiddish Dictionary, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, →ISBN