maven

Definitions

• "An expert or connoisseur; a specialist" (JPS)

Example Sentences

• "She's a maven of the history of the synagogue."

Languages of Origin

Textual Hebrew, Yiddish

Etymology

Yiddish מבֿין méyvn 'expert', from Heb מבין mevín 'understands' (singular masculine present tense), 'one who understands'

Who Uses This

Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements
Non-Jews: (words that have spread outside of Jewish networks)

Regions

North America

Dictionaries

The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).
The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001)