Yid
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Yid (when pronounced "yeed") is the Yiddish word for Jew. In all-Ashkenazi contexts, the word is also frequently used to mean simply "fellow", "chap", "buddy", "mate" etc, i.e. with no expressed emphasis on Jewishness (although this may be implied by the intra-Jewish context). In fact, in Yiddish, the polite way of addressing a person whose name is not known is Reb Yid, meaning "Sir".
The Yiddish word yidish (from Middle High German jüdisch) is an adjective derived from the noun Yid, and thus means "Jewish". Yid has its origins in the Middle High German word Jüde (the contemporary German word is Jude).
When used by non-Jews, the word yid pronounced phonetically (but not Yiddish) can also be meant to be offensive. However, Ashkenazi Jews call themselves and each other Yidn (pronounced "yid'n" or yeed'n) (plural of Yid).
Football terminology
An exceptional non-offensive use of Yid by non-Jews is when it is by a member or supporter of English Premiership soccer team Tottenham Hotspur to refer to another fan or player on the team. Tottenham Hotspur are nicknamed "The Yids" due to the large Jewish population of their North London location - although this is not necessarily reflected in their actual fanbase. It is debatable as to whether, despite the fact that the majority of Tottenham Hotspur's fan base is largely non-Jewish, the use of the word 'Yid' in this context is acceptable seeing as 'Yid' is also (as stated above) used as an offensive term about Jews.
See also
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