We are pleased to inform you that the word kvell is derived from Yiddish kveln, meaning "to be delighted," which, in turn, comes from the Middle High German word quellen, meaning "to well, gush, or swell." Yiddish has been a wellspring of creativity for English, giving us such delightful words as meister ("one who is knowledgeable about something"), maven ("expert"), and shtick ("one's special activity"), just to name a few. The date for the appearance of kvell in the English language is tricky to pinpoint exactly. The earliest known printed evidence for the word in an English source is found in a 1952 handbook of Jewish words and expressions, but actual usage evidence before that date remains unseen.
Examples of kvell in a Sentence
proud grandparents who kvell over every thing that their precious little darlings do
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kvell.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
