BUBALA
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bubala
A Yiddish (Jewish) word, traditionally used by Grandmothers, that references children. The modern usage of the word can be extended to any person that is considered darling and close to one’s heart.

Is that it?

Jeffelah I guess would be close but I don’t usually see it written.

I thought it was Portman. ;-p

I’ve also seen it written -eleh. I associate it with the German diminutive ending -lein, but I’m not actually sure if they’re related.

Apparently @Jeruba is correct, it’s “eleh.”

I also came across a fun blog of Yiddish words:

https://moderntribe.com/blogs/news/the-best-yiddish-words

Yes, I was just coming on to say after thinking about it, it’s “Jeffeleh” like the word “tateleh.”

I’ve seen it aleh, ala, eleh, ulah.

Like so many Yiddish and Hebrew words, spelling them phonetically in English they can be spelled many ways and it’s ok.

I love this. Kalelah….

@jca2, I was surprised to look at the list and realized I knew more than I thought of those. I use some farely regular, oy vey, especially. I think it comes from hearing Rabbi say it so frequently when I worked at the kosher bakery. :-)

I like the first one on that list. She sounds like a great person to know.

This reminds me of a recent Facebook thread asking the difference between a schtickel and a bissel. However you spell those.

Someone should really do something to revive Yiddish. It’s so funny. I know English has adopted a lot of words, but it’s too bad the language is dying.

I agree.

@JLeslie Yiddish is alive and thriving, back from nearly dead. My nephew and one of my brothers are Yiddish scholars who do translations. There are Yiddish courses in many places. The Folksbiene Theater has put on Yiddish plays for over a hundred years.

@all That’s exactly what I was looking for!

I could only hear it in my head but could not figure out the written form. I even tried looking at some Yiddish sites. Apparently I didn’t know what to ask.

Thanks all! Merry Christmas!

@janbb I’m glad to hear that, but it’s still spoken by only a very few. I thought it’s only around 1 million worldwide. Maybe that was only a US number. I’m aware there are still some Yiddish periodicals. I assume the ultra orthodox still use Yiddish as a common language.

Apparently, Kamala Harris’s Jewish step kids call her “Mamaleh”!

-eleh or -chic

As other Jellies have answered, endearments can be formed by adding -eleh to the end of someone’s name or nickname. I often call my dog Sadeleh.

Less commonly, you might hear someone called Boychic, or another word formed with -chic.