Where does the Yiddish word yenems come from?

The Yiddish word "yenems" (יֶנֶם) comes from the Hebrew word "הַנֶּעֱמָם" (han'e'emām), which means "the pleasant ones" or "the beloved ones."

It's interesting to note the evolution of the word:

* Hebrew: "הַנֶּעֱמָם" (han'e'emām) - originally referred to those who were dear or beloved.

* Aramaic: "נִיעֲמָא" (ni'ama) - became a generic term for "they" or "those."

* Yiddish: "yenems" (יֶנֶם) - adopted the Aramaic meaning and became a common pronoun meaning "them" or "those."

So, while the word "yenems" is used in Yiddish to simply refer to "them," its origins lie in the Hebrew concept of "the beloved ones." This reflects a common linguistic phenomenon where words can acquire new meanings over time and across different languages.