goy

Where does the word "goy" come from? It comes from Hebrew gōy, passing through Yiddish before entering English (1830s).

Goy’s story begins in Hebrew: gōy meant “nation, people.” 'nation' or 'people'; the Bible calls Israel itself a 'goy qadosh', a holy nation. By 1800s, the word had taken hold in Yiddish as goy. Came to mean a non-Jew in the speech of Jewish communities across Europe. It reached English by 1830s as goy. Borrowed from Yiddish, often now regarded as derogatory depending on tone. Today, goy means a non-Jewish person.

1. Stage 1 · Hebrew · ancient gōy "nation, people", 'nation' or 'people'; the Bible calls Israel itself a 'goy qadosh', a holy nation.
2. Stage 2 · Yiddish · 1800s goy "non-Jew", came to mean a non-Jew in the speech of Jewish communities across Europe.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1830s goy "non-Jew", borrowed from Yiddish, often now regarded as derogatory depending on tone.