Reynikn - רייניקן
Reynikn - רייניקן \REYN-ik-en\ Verb \ Past Participle Gereynikt:
To clean, cleanse, purify.
Pronunciation: Click here to hear a native Yiddish speaker use this word in conversation, and here for its use specifically in the context of Peysekh cleaning.
Synonyms: klern (קלערן), laytern (לייטערן), noki(נקי), putsn (פוצן), ramen (ראמען).
German equivalents: frischen, läutern, putzen, räumen, reinigen, säubern.
Etymology: What follows is an etymology of Yiddish reyn (ריין) - clean - from which the verb derives:
Reyn comes from Middle High German “reine,” from Old High German “reini, hreini,” itself from Proto-Germanic *hrainiz, which is actually a suffixed form of Proto-Indo-European *(s)keri-. Cognates include Danish “ren,” Dutch “rein,”Faroese “reinur,” Gothic hrains, Icelandic “hreinn,” Middle Dutch “rene, reine,” New High German “rein,” North Frisian “rian,” Norwegian “rein,” Old Dutch “reini, rēni,”Old Frisian: “hrēne, rēne,” Old Icelandic “hreinn,” Old Irish “criathar,” Old Norse “hreinn,” Old Saxon “hreni,” Swedish “ren.” Apparently, the word originally had the sense of “winnowed, sifted.”
Reyn comes from Middle High German “reine,” from Old High German “reini, hreini,” itself from Proto-Germanic *hrainiz, which is actually a suffixed form of Proto-Indo-European *(s)keri-. Cognates include Danish “ren,” Dutch “rein,”Faroese “reinur,” Gothic hrains, Icelandic “hreinn,” Middle Dutch “rene, reine,” New High German “rein,” North Frisian “rian,” Norwegian “rein,” Old Dutch “reini, rēni,”Old Frisian: “hrēne, rēne,” Old Icelandic “hreinn,” Old Irish “criathar,” Old Norse “hreinn,” Old Saxon “hreni,” Swedish “ren.” Apparently, the word originally had the sense of “winnowed, sifted.”
Derivatives of reynikn: farumreynikn (פאראומרייניקן) - to taint, dirty; khemish reynikn(כעמיש רייניקן) - to dry clean (lit., to clean chemically); opreynikn (אפרייניקן) oroysreynikn (אויסרייניקן) - to clean, clear, purge; reynvashn (ריינוואשן) - to absolve, exonerate (lit., to wash clean); opreynik-aktsye (אפרייניק-אקציע) - a mopping-up;reynkeyt (ריינקייט) or reyntlekhkeyt (ריינטלעכקייט) - purity, cleanliness; reynikeyt(רייניקייט) - a Torah scroll; reynikung (רייניקונג) - a cleaning, sanitation, purification,purge, liquidation; reynik-mitl (רייניק-מיטל) - a cleaning fluid; umreynkeyt (אומריינקייט) - impurity, uncleanliness; umreyns (אומריינס) - impurity, impurities; reyn (ריין) orreyntlekh (ריינטלעך) - pure, clean, blank, innocent; reynblutik (ריינבלוטיק) - thoroughbred; reynhartsik (ריינהארציק) - sincere, heartfelt; umreyn (אומריין) - impure, dirty, unclean, foul.
I wasn’t able to find a clear explanation for how the term reynikeyt came to refer to a Torah scroll, but I guess it’s intuitive: the Torah is considered to be pure and holy, and so it came to be called by a name meaning “pure.” The irony, of course, is that the rabbis of the Mishnah famously decreed that Torah scrolls (and other scrolls of the books of the Bible) actually make your hands (and some other items) ritually impure; see mKelim 15:6 and various passages in chapters 3 and 4 of mYadayim, especially 4:6. Weinreich notes that reynikeyt seems to have been used more in speech than in writing, with the Hebrew-derived seyfer Toyre (ספר תורה) predominating in the latter area.
Phrases with reynikn:
1. zogn dem reynem emes (זאגן דעם ריינעם אמת) - to tell it like it is (lit., to tell the pure truth)
2.dos reyne ort (דאס ריינע ארט) - a cemetery (lit., the place of purity)
3.reyne hent (ריינע הענט) - clean hands (i.e. those that have not taken bribes)
4. a sheyne, reyne kapore (א שיינע, ריינע כפרה) - good riddance (lit., a handsome, pure kapore - the rooster many observant Jews wave around their heads three times on the eve of Yom Kippur and then slaughter as penance for their sins; seeWex for more)
5. an arbet a reyne un a parnose a sheyne (אן ארבעט א ריינע און א פרנסה א שיינע) - a pure (i.e. honest) business and a beautiful (i.e. comfortable) living [too!].
Comparisons with reynikn:
reyn vi der tog; vi di zun; vi gold; vi a shpigl; vi gloz; vi krishtol; vi di menoyre; vi vaser; vi shney; vi flam fayer; vi erev-Peysekh; vi a Peysekhdike shtub; vi a getoyvlter; vi nokh seu-yedeykhem (ריין ווי דער טאג; ווי די זון; ווי גאלד; ווי א שפיגל; ווי גלאז; ווי קריסטאל; ווי די מנורה; ווי וואסער; ווי שניי; ווי פלאם פייער; ווי ערב-פסח; ווי א פסחדיקע שטוב; ווי א געטובלטער; ווי נאך שאו-ידכם) - as clean/clear/pure as the day; as the sun; as gold; as a mirror; as glass; as crystal; as the [clear light of the] Menorah; as water; as snow; as the flame of a fire; as on the eve of Passover; as a house prepared for Passover; as a person who has gone to the ritual bath (mikveh); as after one has ritually washed one’s hands (lit., as after “lift up your hands” - a phrase from Tehillim 134:2 often recited accompanying the ritual washing of hands).
1. zogn dem reynem emes (זאגן דעם ריינעם אמת) - to tell it like it is (lit., to tell the pure truth)
2.dos reyne ort (דאס ריינע ארט) - a cemetery (lit., the place of purity)
3.reyne hent (ריינע הענט) - clean hands (i.e. those that have not taken bribes)
4. a sheyne, reyne kapore (א שיינע, ריינע כפרה) - good riddance (lit., a handsome, pure kapore - the rooster many observant Jews wave around their heads three times on the eve of Yom Kippur and then slaughter as penance for their sins; seeWex for more)
5. an arbet a reyne un a parnose a sheyne (אן ארבעט א ריינע און א פרנסה א שיינע) - a pure (i.e. honest) business and a beautiful (i.e. comfortable) living [too!].
Comparisons with reynikn:
reyn vi der tog; vi di zun; vi gold; vi a shpigl; vi gloz; vi krishtol; vi di menoyre; vi vaser; vi shney; vi flam fayer; vi erev-Peysekh; vi a Peysekhdike shtub; vi a getoyvlter; vi nokh seu-yedeykhem (ריין ווי דער טאג; ווי די זון; ווי גאלד; ווי א שפיגל; ווי גלאז; ווי קריסטאל; ווי די מנורה; ווי וואסער; ווי שניי; ווי פלאם פייער; ווי ערב-פסח; ווי א פסחדיקע שטוב; ווי א געטובלטער; ווי נאך שאו-ידכם) - as clean/clear/pure as the day; as the sun; as gold; as a mirror; as glass; as crystal; as the [clear light of the] Menorah; as water; as snow; as the flame of a fire; as on the eve of Passover; as a house prepared for Passover; as a person who has gone to the ritual bath (mikveh); as after one has ritually washed one’s hands (lit., as after “lift up your hands” - a phrase from Tehillim 134:2 often recited accompanying the ritual washing of hands).
Expressions with reynikn:
1. Gis nisht aroys dos umreyne vaser kol zman du host nisht dos reyne (דיס נישט ארויס דאס אומריינע וואסער כל זמן דו האסט נישט דאס ריינע) - Don’t reject the backup until your first choice comes through (lit., As long as you don’t yet have clean water, don’t pour out the dirty water). Similarly, Men zol nisht dos umreyne vaser oysgisn biz dos reyne kumt nisht tsu flisn (מען זאל נישט דאס אומריינע וואסער אויסגיסן ביז דאס ריינע קומט נישט צו פליסן) - lit., Don’t pour out the dirty water until the clean water comes flowing. And again, Varf nisht aroys di shmutsike eyder du host di reyne(ווארף נישט ארויס די שמוציקע איידער דו האסט די ריינע) - Don’t throw away the soiled until you have the clean.
2. Aleyn iz di neshome reyn (אליין איז די נשמה ריין) - I’m better off alone (lit., The soul is pure by itself). The expression probably originally meant that the soul, without the body, is pure and holy - only when it is combined with the body does it come to sin; see bSanhedrin 91b. However, today it is mostly used as a way of extricating oneself from a business partnership or other interpersonal association which one would like to avoid.
3. A reyn harts iz bay a mes (א ריין הארץ איז ביי א מת) - A pure heart is found [only] in a corpse.
4. Reyn gold zhavert nisht (ריין גאלד זשאווערט נישט) - Perfection tends to stay perfect (lit., Pure gold does not rust).
5. Reynkeyt hit op dos gezunt (ריינקייט היט אפ דאס געזונט) - Cleanliness keeps you healthy.
6. Rakhmones hot reyne kavones (רחמנות האט ריינע כוונות) - Pity has pure intentions.
7. Peysekh-lebn iz a shverer ober a reyner yontef (פסח-לעבן איז א שווערער אבער א ריינער יום-טוב) - Passover is a difficult but clean holiday (so true!).
For another expression involving reyn, see the YWOTW edition of kern.
1. Gis nisht aroys dos umreyne vaser kol zman du host nisht dos reyne (דיס נישט ארויס דאס אומריינע וואסער כל זמן דו האסט נישט דאס ריינע) - Don’t reject the backup until your first choice comes through (lit., As long as you don’t yet have clean water, don’t pour out the dirty water). Similarly, Men zol nisht dos umreyne vaser oysgisn biz dos reyne kumt nisht tsu flisn (מען זאל נישט דאס אומריינע וואסער אויסגיסן ביז דאס ריינע קומט נישט צו פליסן) - lit., Don’t pour out the dirty water until the clean water comes flowing. And again, Varf nisht aroys di shmutsike eyder du host di reyne(ווארף נישט ארויס די שמוציקע איידער דו האסט די ריינע) - Don’t throw away the soiled until you have the clean.
2. Aleyn iz di neshome reyn (אליין איז די נשמה ריין) - I’m better off alone (lit., The soul is pure by itself). The expression probably originally meant that the soul, without the body, is pure and holy - only when it is combined with the body does it come to sin; see bSanhedrin 91b. However, today it is mostly used as a way of extricating oneself from a business partnership or other interpersonal association which one would like to avoid.
3. A reyn harts iz bay a mes (א ריין הארץ איז ביי א מת) - A pure heart is found [only] in a corpse.
4. Reyn gold zhavert nisht (ריין גאלד זשאווערט נישט) - Perfection tends to stay perfect (lit., Pure gold does not rust).
5. Reynkeyt hit op dos gezunt (ריינקייט היט אפ דאס געזונט) - Cleanliness keeps you healthy.
6. Rakhmones hot reyne kavones (רחמנות האט ריינע כוונות) - Pity has pure intentions.
7. Peysekh-lebn iz a shverer ober a reyner yontef (פסח-לעבן איז א שווערער אבער א ריינער יום-טוב) - Passover is a difficult but clean holiday (so true!).
For another expression involving reyn, see the YWOTW edition of kern.
Reynikn in a sentence: M’reynikt di shtub di gantse vokh un mayn tsimer iz epes nokh a blote (מ’רייניקט די שטוב די גאנצע וואך און מיין צימער איז עפעס נאך א בלאטע) - We’ve been cleaning the house the entire week and somehow my room is still a mess.
Use reynikn in your own sentence today!
