challah
UK[ˈxɑːlə]US[ˈhɑːlə]
n
a loaf of white leavened bread, often braided, traditionally baked to celebrate the jewish sabbath and other holidays.
Etymology
the word 'challah' entered english from the hebrew חַלָּה (ḥallāh), referring to a specific type of bread. in biblical hebrew, the term originally denoted a portion of dough set aside and given to the priests. this religious practice is the direct source of the bread's name. over time, the meaning shifted from the consecrated offering to the special, often braided, loaf itself, which is central to jewish sabbath and holiday observances. the journey into english reflects the cultural transmission of jewish traditions, with the spelling and pronunciation adapting to the latin alphabet.
Analysis
this word is a loanword from hebrew, transliterated into the english spelling 'challah'. it does not decompose into meaningful english or classical morphemes.
Examples
she braided the dough for the challah before baking it for shabbat.
the sweet, egg-rich flavor of the challah is a highlight of the friday night meal.
we bought a beautiful round challah for the rosh hashanah celebration.