Mokum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mokum is a popular nickname for Amsterdam, especially referring to the city center there. The name is usually only used in informal settings.
The word originated from Yiddish and means 'place' or 'safe haven', related to the Hebrew word for city, Makom. Historically it has been used to denote the Jewish district in the center of Amsterdam.
Originally cities in Yiddish were shortened to the first letter of the name transliterated into the Hebrew alphabet, used in Yiddish. Thus, Amsterdam was called Mokum Alef (city A), Rotterdam was called Mokum Resh (city R), and Delft Mokum Dalet (city D). This also applied to other European cities such as Berlin - Mokum Bet (city B). Eventually Mokum was used mainly to identify Amsterdam.[1]
[edit] See also
- Mokum Records, a Dutch independent record label specialising in gabber and hardcore techno releases.
