Why The Yiddish Word "Machetunim" Matters

We all know who matters in life. Family. Friends. These are the people we write about, worry about, complain about. And we have so many words for them! Bestie. Sis. Bro. Partner-in-crime. We’ve got a lavish buffet of terms to capture the deep, earth-shattering bonds in our lives. But what about the rest?

Few people talk about the other relationships, the odd, oddly important little people who quietly sustain our days. The deli slicer who always nails your prosciutto thickness? Nameless. The work colleague who, like clockwork, gives you the “I know, right?” look every time management says something idiotic? No name. These people are the filler glue in our lives—the ones who, if you squint, are actually low-key holding your entire existence together.

In my podcast, Fifty Words for Snow, my Welsh co-host, Emily John Garcés, and I dig up words from other languages for the things English has ignored. Recently, we chatted with TikTok legend Annie Korzen and unearthed machetunim, a Yiddish term for your child’s in-laws. An entire, culturally significant relationship that Western culture just... skips. Like, “Ah yes, those people I’ll see twice at the wedding and once at Thanksgiving.” But Yiddish culture has a word for it because it matters. It’s one of those connections that, if given a name, might actually mean something to us.

Annie Korzen, guest on 50 Words for Snow, TikTok legend

Source: Annie Korzen/used with permission

I’ve been wondering: Can we create words for all those other underappreciated people who deserve a shout-out? I say yes. If we had terms for these people, maybe we’d appreciate them more. Maybe even, dare I say it, ourselves a bit more. Here are a few names I think we should all start using immediately:

1. Deliado: That saint at the deli counter who understands precisely how thin you need your mortadella.
2. Tendura: The dental hygienist who scrapes like they’re mining for diamonds but who does it with kindness and several “you doing OK there?”s
3. Tuyaki: The child or young person in your life who surprises you with profound insights or wisdom well beyond their years.
4. Musemate: The person who doesn’t just understand your weird creative ideas but actively encourages them.
5. Dishara: The buddy who dishes out the gossip you crave.
6. Partenza: The unsung hero at your parties, silently cleaning up as everyone else slinks out.
7. Sivka: The person you often share a laugh with at work but never see outside of the office.
8. Teachara: That one teacher who actually gets your kid, making them feel like a mini-genius.
9. Vennaga: That stranger you see everywhere, who somehow gives your daily routine a sense of stability.
10. Wordmate: And, finally, the rare soul who reads your stuff. Wordmate is the one who reads your blog or article, laughs, maybe even comments, and makes you feel like you’re not, in fact, a futility.

Now, some may think these names are unnecessary. But think about it: What if we actually acknowledged the web of minor, quirky, lovely people who hold our lives together? If we noticed them, maybe we’d all feel just a bit more connected, a bit less like solo acts running around doing solo things.

So thank you, dear reader, for being my wordmate—the one who stuck with this rant, all the way to the end. You’ve just become one of my favorite minor characters and I’m glad I have a name for you.