Although Yiddish is recognized as the most important Jewish language, no introductory description of its history is available up to date. The purpose of the book is to provide a basic but detailed description of its history: describing its sociolinguistic framework (its contacts to Hebrew, German and other languages), literary development (genres, moments of importance in its literary history), the use of Yiddish within religious and secular sphere, its roles as a spoken vernacular and a medium of high literature, Yiddish and gender, and Yiddish as a language of theatre, journalism, scholarship and politics among others. The book will also include a chapters on Yiddish centra throughout the globe, and its book history and each chapter will be followed by a detailed bibliography on a variety of subjects discussed.