Yamulka

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small, often rounded cap worn by Jewish men during prayer or religious rituals
2. A head covering that symbolizes reverence and is commonly associated with Jewish customs
3. A traditional piece of attire that signifies a Jewish identity and acts as a reminder of one's faith

Etymology: The word "yamulka" is simply a spelling variant of "yarmulke," the skullcap worn by many Jewish men and some women. Its path into English runs through three languages. It came from Yiddish, where the word is "yarmlke," and Yiddish took it from Polish "jarmułka," meaning "skullcap." The Polish word itself traces back to a Turkic source, and a Turkish word, "yağmurluk," meaning "rain apparel," is cited as a relative of that root. The surprising part is the journey. A garment now tied closely to Jewish religious practice arrived in Jewish usage by way of Polish, a language spoken by the Christian majority in the region. Yiddish speakers in Central and Eastern Europe borrowed the everyday word for a cap and made it their own, so the term carries the trace of Eastern European Jewish life rather than of any Hebrew original.

Synonyms: kippah, yarmulke