Yarmelke
/ˈjɑːrməlkə/noun
A skullcap worn by Jewish men, especially during prayer or religious observance.
Did you know?Yarmelke is a variant spelling of yarmulke, whose deeper origin is debated: scholars connect it either to Polish and Ukrainian forms or, more speculatively, to Turkish words associated with rain protection.
Etymological Timeline
Early Modern Period
Turkish
yağmurluk
“A rain-covering garment or protection from rain; a proposed, but disputed, source.”
16th–17th Century
Polish
jarmułka
“A skullcap or small cap, used in Polish Jewish communities.”
17th Century
Ukrainian
ярмулка (yarmulka)
“A Jewish skullcap; a related Eastern European form.”
19th Century
Yiddish
יאַרמולקע (yarmulke)
“A Jewish skullcap, especially one worn for religious reasons.”
19th–20th Century
English
yarmulke / yarmelke
“An English borrowing referring to the traditional Jewish skullcap.”