# yamaka question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 16, 2001, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683 "2001-07-16T14:45:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smoke)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/1 "2001-07-16T14:45:21Z")
Walking to work this morning, I saw a kid walking with his mother who was wearing a yamaka (sp?) with the Nike logo on it. This strikes me as odd. Is this considered “kosher?” Would it be acceptable to wear this to a temple? -j ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/2 "2001-07-16T14:52:11Z")
Technically speaking, there is nothing wrong with wearing designs on a yarmulke. However, I do not allow my kids to wear a yarmulke with designs on it, unless they are Judaic in nature. I feel that there is a time and a place for Barney, the Yankees and sneaker company logos, but upon a religious item is not one of those times. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/3 "2001-07-16T14:55:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by smoke \* > \*\*… I saw a kid walking with his mother who was wearing a yamaka (sp?) with the Nike logo on it. > \*\* Why was **she** wearing it? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smoke)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/4 "2001-07-16T15:27:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Floater \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by smoke \* > > \*\*… I saw a kid walking with his mother who was wearing a yamaka (sp?) with the Nike logo on it. > > \*\* > > Why was **she** wearing it? 😃 \*\* Sorry for the poor construction there…😉 Thanks, **zev**. Both for the input and the correct spelling of yarmulke. I kind of thought the same thing- it seems slightly disprespectful to have a designer, sports-logoed yarmulke. -j ---
**Author:** ![Spritle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Spritle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spritle)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/5 "2001-07-16T15:52:46Z")
While I will **always** defer to **Zev** in manners judaic, I thought I’d weigh in with my own observations. While not orthodox, my Brother-IL’s children do attend the synogogue every Saturday with thier father (and sometimes mother). When they were younger (3-6 years old or so), getting them to wear thier yarmulkes (and even putting them on) was next to impossible. Tere was absolutley no way one was going to remain on top of their Keppies for the entire service. However, when they got thier Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle lids, they couldn’t wait to put them on and show them off. Perhaps, (not that I agree with the “advertising” aspect) this was the only way the child would wear it. Let me ask a question of **Zev** , if it isn’t too personal… Did you have a time when it was difficult to get your sons to wear theirs? How did you handle it? Just curious… ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/6 "2001-07-16T16:13:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spritle \* > \*\*While I will **always** defer to **Zev** in manners judaic, I thought I’d weigh in with my own observations. While not orthodox, my Brother-IL’s children do attend the synogogue every Saturday with thier father (and sometimes mother). When they were younger (3-6 years old or so), getting them to wear thier yarmulkes (and even putting them on) was next to impossible. Tere was absolutley no way one was going to remain on top of their Keppies for the entire service. However, when they got thier Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle lids, they couldn’t wait to put them on and show them off. > > Perhaps, (not that I agree with the “advertising” aspect) this was the only way the child would wear it. \*\* Well, I feel that it is better to wear them with TMNT than to not wear them at all. So, if that’s what it took… > [@](#): > > \*\* > Let me ask a question of **Zev** , if it isn’t too personal… Did you have a time when it was difficult to get your sons to wear theirs? How did you handle it? Just curious… \*\* Not difficult at all. Consider, however, that my kids see that I wear mine all day (I always feel that parenting by example is the best teacher), go to school with kids that wear theirs all day, have cousins who wear theirs all day, etc. If I only wore mine in shul, however, I’m willing to bet I would have had a much harder time. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![sdimbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sdimbert/32/20204_2.png) [@sdimbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sdimbert)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/7 "2001-07-16T17:28:42Z")
Just wanted to chime in on the “debate”: My son wears various yarmulkas with different things on them (a basketball, the Words _Yeled Tov_ (lit: Good Boy), the Hebrew Alphabet, Superman, etc.) and my wife, **jdimbert** paints similar items for sale in the Synagogue Gift Shop. When I was younger, I wore various designed Yarmulkas myself; I enjoyed the expression of individuality. If you wear a yarmulka all the time, you don’t get to show off your favorite team via a cap - I had a yarmulka that said “Celtics World Champs” on it. It was like a conversation piece. To each his own. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/8 "2001-07-16T18:47:22Z")
Maybe this is not the place to hijack the thread as to why _yarmulke_ has to be pronounced “yamaka,” leading to understandable misspellings such as in the OP. But in my youth, I composed the music for a punkoid/metaloid song titled “Teenage Jewish Depression” and my rock-‘n’-roll friend [The Bagman](http://www.ncweb.com/users/ajeffries/) wrote the lyrics for it that began, _Johnny pawned his yamaka Bought himself a Yamaha_… ;j ---
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/9 "2001-07-16T19:21:44Z")
I was becoming observant while attending [public] high school. I began wearing my yarmulka to school in 11th grade. Since this was the time that Izod everything was all the rage, I had my mother sew an alligator onto the yarmulka. That was as close as I ever came to wearing anything on my yarmulka other than my name. > [@](#): > > - originally posted by Jomo Mojo\* > > \*\*Maybe this is not the place to hijack the thread as to why yarmulke has to be pronounced “yamaka,” leading to understandable misspellings such as in the OP. \*\* I’m sure **Zev** knows more about this, but I believe “yarmulke” comes from the words “yoray malka.” The pronunciation **yamaka** is from years of slurring the words. Hava Negila! ---
**Author:** ![sdimbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sdimbert/32/20204_2.png) [@sdimbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sdimbert)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/10 "2001-07-16T20:50:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Knighted Vorpal Sword \* > **I’m sure Zev knows more about this, but I believe “yarmulke” comes from the words “yoray malka.” The pronunciation yamaka is from years of slurring the words.** Hope **Zev** doesn’t mind me stepping in here. ; The words _Yoreh Malkah_ (lit: Fear of Heaven) do indeed form the root of the word Yarmulka, pronounced _Ya-Mul-Ka_. But, I don’t think “slurring” is to blame; I think the word is Yiddish, where pronounciation rules are different. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/11 "2001-07-16T20:59:40Z")
IANAJ, but… Last year I did ask essentially the same question of an orthodox Jew who works here and wears a variety of yarmulkas. One day he came in wearing a _Three Stooges_ yarmulka. I am not making this up [™ Dave Barry]. On the back, it had an iron-on transfer with the faces of the zany trio. It was so hilarious, I couldn’t believe it! So, being not afraid to ask these kinds of questions, I asked him about it and said it seemed kind of frivolous for a religious garment. To paraphrase his reply, since I don’t remember the jargon: it’s bad to bare your head to God, but nothing officially says what you’re supposed to cover it with. The style of head covering one chooses is merely a cultural and personal choice. So he felt entirely comfortable hiding his head from God with a piece of felt decorated with the mugs of our most beloved slapstick comedians. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![IzzyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@IzzyR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IzzyR)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/12 "2001-07-16T21:23:07Z")
I wonder if you guys (i.e. **Knighted Vorpal Sword** and **sdimbert** ) can provide a source for your statements. It sounds fishy to me. If I had to guess, I would say that yarmulka is similar to a word for a type of headcovering in some European language. Also, **sdimbert** , Yiddish and Hebrew are pronounced the same. What is true is that they have a different structure - a Hebrew word used in Yiddish might have different prefixes and suffixes etc. But that wouldn’t apply here. There is no reason for \*Yoreh Malkah \* to translate to Yarmulka, other than slurring. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/13 "2001-07-16T21:30:32Z")
I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know the etymology of the word. However, [http://www.m-w.com](http://www.m-w.com) has this to say: > [@](#): > > Etymology: Yiddish yarmlke, from Polish jarmulka & Ukrainian yarmulka skullcap, of Turkic origin; Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/14 "2001-07-16T21:36:40Z")
I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know the etymology of the word. However, [http://www.m-w.com](http://www.m-w.com) has this to say: > [@](#): > > Etymology: Yiddish yarmlke, from Polish jarmulka & Ukrainian yarmulka skullcap, of Turkic origin; Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/15 "2001-07-16T21:53:55Z")
Just sticking my head in so that we’ll have a minyan, in case one is needed. ;j ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/16 "2001-07-17T01:57:00Z")
IzzyR - > [@](#): > > Also, sdimbert, Yiddish and Hebrew are pronounced the same Not exactly. Yiddish and _Ashkenazic_ Hebrew are pronounced the same. Sephardic Hebrew is pronounced quite differently. Sephardic Hebrew, incidentally, is the dialect spoken in Israel - by Ashkenazim and Spharadim alike - and is thus by far the more common language, at least in terms of day-to-day use. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/17 "2001-07-17T10:56:28Z")
The Turkish etymon (source word) is _yagmurluk_, meaning ‘rain gear’, like a rain hat or raincoat. From here perhaps the idea of head protection was generalized and then applied to the skullcap. _Yagmur_ means rain, and -_luk_ is a substantive suffix. The _g_ in _yagmur_ is the variety called “soft” (_yumuSak_) g in Turkish; that means it’s not pronounced. It’s like the -gh in high. So _yagmur_ is pronounced “yaamur.” To get _yarmulke_, the r and m were switched around. This happens often in linguistics; it’s called metathesis. The final syllable -_ke_ is a diminutive in Yiddish. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/18 "2001-07-17T11:17:30Z")
The best “decorated” yarmulka" was the one I saw at Columbia University – it had Schroedinger’s Equation on it! “Yamaka” sounds like the inexpensive Japanese version. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/19 "2001-07-17T11:33:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CalMeacham \* > \*\* > “Yamaka” sounds like the inexpensive Japanese version. \*\* Kinky Friedman always calls it a **yamaha** in his books. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683/20 "2001-07-17T13:03:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Montfort \* > \*\*Just sticking my head in so that we’ll have a minyan, in case one is needed. > > ;j \*\* Make sure you bring your own yarmulka; we may not have enough for everyone. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yamaka-question/72683.md?page=2)