goy
UK[ɡɔɪ]US[ɡɔɪ]
n
A term used in Jewish contexts to refer to a person who is not Jewish.
Etymology
The word 'goy' entered English directly from Yiddish, where it was used to mean a non-Jew. Its ultimate origin is the Biblical Hebrew noun 'goy,' which broadly meant "nation" or "people." In the Hebrew Bible, this term was applied to various ethnic groups, including the Israelites themselves. Over centuries of diaspora usage within Jewish communities, particularly in Eastern Europe, the Yiddish adaptation of the word underwent semantic narrowing. It evolved from a general term for a nation to a specific, often colloquial, reference to individuals outside the Jewish faith and community, which is the sense carried into modern English.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from Yiddish, which in turn derived from the Hebrew word 'goy' (גוי), meaning "nation" or "people." In its original Hebrew context, it could refer to any nation, including the Jewish nation (goy kadosh, "a holy nation"). Its functional role is as a noun.
Examples
He grew up in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood and had little interaction with the goyim.
The term is sometimes used informally within the community, though it can be considered offensive if used by outsiders.
In the story, the old shopkeeper would refer to any non-Jewish customer as a goy.