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Nebich (Nebbich)

The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia

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Judæo-German term carrying the sense of "regret" and "pity." It is used as a noun, an adverb, and most often as an interjection; e.g., "Nebich, the poor man"; "He is a great nebich" (object of pity). The etymological explanation is doubtful. Zunz ("G. V." p. 456)thinks it is of Polish origin; others, as M. Gruenbaum ("Judisch-Deutsche Chrestomathie," 1882, p. 394), derive it from the German "Nie bei euch," based on Lamentations 1:12, which Jewish commentators (Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and others) read as "May such a calamity not come upon you." Polish Jews often use the Hebrew words of that passage, "Lo 'alekem," in the same sense.