Kol Nidre
/ˌkɔːl nɪˈdreɪ/noun
A Jewish prayer recited at the beginning of Yom Kippur that addresses the annulment of certain vows and oaths.
Did you know?Kol Nidre is traditionally recited before sunset on Yom Kippur, and its haunting melody became so famous that composers created instrumental works based on it.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*n-d-r
“To vow or make a solemn promise”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
נֶדֶר (neder)
“A vow or religious promise made to God”
Late Jewish Aramaic
Aramaic
כָּל נִדְרֵי (kol nidrei)
“All vows”
8th–9th Century
Babylonian Jewish Aramaic
Kol Nidre
“A liturgical formula concerning the annulment of vows”
Medieval Period
Hebrew-Aramaic
Kol Nidrei
“The opening prayer of the Yom Kippur evening service”
Modern English
English
Kol Nidre
“The Yom Kippur prayer and its traditional melody”