Klezmer (M-W 1949, OED no entry?)

[Jesse Sheidlower]

On Fri, Jun 21, 2002 at 01:50:31AM -0400, Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:
>    With that "Bas Mitzvah" thing, I told the RRC rabbi to send any other Jewish etymologies.  I decided see OED's "klezmer," an Jewish instrument surely as old as the bagel.  OED has no entry.  I tried "klez*".  It's not there!  THIS IS HORRIBLE!
>    Merriam-Webster has 1949 for "klezmer."
>    Is anything in the OED files?  ANYTHING at all??

Our draft entry for it has a first cite of 1929 in the sense 'Eastern
European Jewish folk instrumentalist', which appears to be Merriam's
first sense as well.

Antedatings welcome, as always.

Jesse Sheidlower
OED