The compound adjective "Yiddish-speaking" is a modern English formation that transparently combines the name of a language with a present participle. "Yiddish" itself derives from the German word jüdisch, meaning "Jewish," which traces back to the Old High German judeisc, ultimately from Latin Iudaeus and Greek Ioudaios, referring to the people of Judah. The element "speaking" originates from the Proto-Germanic verb sprekaną, which evolved into the core English verb for verbal communication. When combined, the morphemes create a straightforward descriptive term for an individual or community whose primary or habitual mode of oral communication is the Yiddish language, reflecting a key aspect of cultural identity.

Structure: yiddish (language) + speaking (action) - yiddish: Origin: From Yiddish yidish, meaning "Jewish". Functional role: Specifies the particular language. - speaking: Origin: From Old English specan, later sprecan, meaning "to speak". Functional role: Denotes the action or ability of using language.