כְּלֵיזְמֶר

The word "כְּלֵיזְמֶר" (klezmer) is a compound of two Hebrew words: "כְּלֵי" (kli, instruments) and "זֶמֶר" (zemer, song, music), meaning "instruments of song" or "musical instruments." The term began to be widely used in the 17th century in Eastern Europe as a name for professional Jewish musicians, especially those who played at Jewish weddings and events. In everyday language, the term "klezmer" was also applied to the musician himself, in the plural form "כְּלֵיְזְמֵרִים" (klezmerim). The form "klezmer" in the singular (instead of "kli zemer") was established in the language apparently under the influence of Yiddish. During the 20th century, the term "klezmer" became a description of the style of music played by these musicians, and became a recognized musical genre. The modern klezmer style grew among Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, especially among Ashkenazi Jews. Its characteristics include the use of traditional instruments such as violin, clarinet and accordion, and melodies that combine Jewish, Gypsy, Slavic and Hasidic influences. In the 1970s and 1980s, there was a revival of klezmer music in the United States and Israel, and today this term is used to describe a popular and well-known musical style.