Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
(plural) "central and northern European Jews" (as opposed to Sephardim, Jews of Spain and Portugal), 1839, from Hebrew Ashkenazzim, plural of Ashkenaz, eldest son of Gomer (Gen. x:3), also the name of a people mentioned in Jer. li:27 (perhaps akin to Greek skythoi "Scythians," compare Akkadian ishkuzai); identified historically with various people; in Middle Ages, with the Germans.
WordNet
See ashkenazi
Usage examples of "ashkenazim".
Although there were some differences in the way Sephardim and Ashkenazim observed their faith, which resulted in friction and even occasional clashes, neither one of the branches of Judaism considered the other to be heretics.
Sephardim, as a rule, were more comfortable with cultural accommodation to gentile society—and, as a rule, considerably wealthier than most Ashkenazim.
So, they tended to look down on Ashkenazim as the equivalent of "country rubes"—a disdain which the Ashkenazim returned in kind, much as Morris' hillbilly neighbors made wisecracks about city slickers.
It had been a long time, after all—a very long time—since the Ashkenazim of central and eastern Europe had had a martial hero of their own.
But for the Ashkenazim of Europe, for many centuries, heroism had been something that could only be measured by martyrs.
Sephardim, as a rule, were more comfortable with cultural accommodation to gentile societyand, as a rule, considerably wealthier than most Ashkenazim.
So, they tended to look down on Ashkenazim as the equivalent of "country rubes"a disdain which the Ashkenazim returned in kind, much as Morris' hillbilly neighbors made wisecracks about city slickers.
It had been a long time, after alla very long timesince the Ashkenazim of central and eastern Europe had had a martial hero of their own.
The Jews were all Sephardim who, unlike the Ashkenazim of eastern Europe, had a long tradition of cosmopolitanism.
Hombre de memorables ojos, de piel cetrina, de barba casi negra, David Jerusalem era el prototipo del judío sefardí, si bien pertenecía a los depravados y aborrecidos Ashkenazim.