The final S in ISIS stands for Sham, a geographic term that may come from the same root as “Semite.” As for the different names,. . .

The lexical fusion of “Thanksgiving” and “Hanukkah” might be artificial, but the invention of portmanteau words is an old American tradition.

The origins of the verb “to bagel,” meaning to ascertain the Jewishness of others or subtly to publicize one’s own, are mysterious no longer.

The Judeo-English spoken by American Orthodox Jews, sprinkled with Yiddish, differs from standard English in vocabulary but not in phonetics and grammar—yet.

So great is the difference in speech patterns between Orthodox and secular Jews that many newcomers to religious communities never fully blend in with the natives.