Shiksa
Encyclopedia
Shiksa or shikse, is a Yiddish
and Polish
word that has moved into English
usage, mostly in North America
n Jewish culture, as a term for a non-Jewish
woman, initially and sometimes still pejorative
but now often used satirically
. Shiksa usually refers to an attractive (stereotypically blonde) gentile
woman or girl who might be a temptation to Jewish men or boys, e.g., for dating, intermarriage, etc. For some Jewish people (especially more religious types), the term may be used pejoratively (e.g. implying loose morals), but among others, it is more often used self-mockingly and satirically, to poke fun at the supposed view among Jews that non-Jewish women are more attractive than Jewish women.
Professor Frederic Cople Jaher writes:
Among Orthodox Jews
, the term may be used to describe a Jewish girl or woman who fails to follow Orthodox religious precepts.
The equivalent term for a non-Jewish male, used less frequently, is shegetz
.
In South America
(Argentina
, Brazil
, Uruguay
), the term "shiksa" is used by both Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews to indicate a housekeeper
or maid and not simply a non-Jewish female.
term שקץ, sheketz, which means "abomination", "impure," or "object of loathing", depending on the translator.
Several dictionaries define "shiksa" as a disparaging and offensive term applied to a non-Jewish girl or woman.
In Polish
"siksa" is a popular pejorative word for an immature young girl or teenage girl (or, in its masculine form, "sikus", boy), as it is a conflation
between the Yiddish term and usage of the Polish verb "sikać" ("to piss", "to urinate"). It means "pisspants" and is roughly equivalent to the English terms "snot-nosed brat", "little squirt", or "kid".
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
and Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
word that has moved into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
usage, mostly in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n Jewish culture, as a term for a non-Jewish
Gentile
The term Gentile refers to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible....
woman, initially and sometimes still pejorative
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
but now often used satirically
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
. Shiksa usually refers to an attractive (stereotypically blonde) gentile
Gentile
The term Gentile refers to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible....
woman or girl who might be a temptation to Jewish men or boys, e.g., for dating, intermarriage, etc. For some Jewish people (especially more religious types), the term may be used pejoratively (e.g. implying loose morals), but among others, it is more often used self-mockingly and satirically, to poke fun at the supposed view among Jews that non-Jewish women are more attractive than Jewish women.
Professor Frederic Cople Jaher writes:
- The shiksa obsesses many Jews: Rabbis see her as an intermarital threat to the survival of Judaism; parents fear that she will lure their sons away from family and faith; and Jewish men fantasize about her sexual and social desirability. She figures prominently—even compulsively—in popular movies and bestsellers by Jewish directors and writers.
Among Orthodox Jews
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
, the term may be used to describe a Jewish girl or woman who fails to follow Orthodox religious precepts.
The equivalent term for a non-Jewish male, used less frequently, is shegetz
Shegetz
Shegetz is a Yiddish word that has entered English to refer to a non-Jewish boy or young man...
.
In South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
(Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
), the term "shiksa" is used by both Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews to indicate a housekeeper
Housekeeper
Housekeeper may refer to:* Housekeeper , a woman heading up domestic maintenance* Maid, a female with various domestic duties* Janitor, a person responsible for institutional maintenance* A person engaged in housekeeping...
or maid and not simply a non-Jewish female.
Derivation
The word shiksa is etymologically partly derived from the HebrewHebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
term שקץ, sheketz, which means "abomination", "impure," or "object of loathing", depending on the translator.
Several dictionaries define "shiksa" as a disparaging and offensive term applied to a non-Jewish girl or woman.
In Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
"siksa" is a popular pejorative word for an immature young girl or teenage girl (or, in its masculine form, "sikus", boy), as it is a conflation
Conflation
Conflation occurs when the identities of two or more individuals, concepts, or places, sharing some characteristics of one another, become confused until there seems to be only a single identity — the differences appear to become lost...
between the Yiddish term and usage of the Polish verb "sikać" ("to piss", "to urinate"). It means "pisspants" and is roughly equivalent to the English terms "snot-nosed brat", "little squirt", or "kid".