Writing System: Yiddish is typically written in the Hebrew alphabet (ייִדיש אלף־בית Yidish Alef-Beys), which includes adaptations to represent sounds specific to Yiddish phonology. There is also a standardized Latin-based Yiddish orthography (YIVO) used in academic and secular contexts.
Grammar: Yiddish grammar shows strong influence from Germanic languages, featuring inflectional endings for nouns, adjectives, and verbs. It has a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order and employs case markings (nominative, accusative, dative) for nouns and pronouns.
Phonology: Yiddish phonology includes consonants such as /p, t, k, b, d, ɡ, m, n, ŋ, f, v, s, z, ʃ, ʒ, ʔ, h, r, l, j, w/ and vowels /i, e, ɛ, a, o, u, y/. It features distinctive phonological features such as the velar fricative [x] and historical vowel shifts.
Lexicon: The Yiddish lexicon primarily consists of Germanic words with significant Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic (especially Polish and Russian), and Romance (particularly Yiddishized German and Hungarian) borrowings. It reflects the cultural and historical contexts of Jewish communities.
Endangered Voices Initiative 