# An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/J (full text)

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J.
ja, adv., ‘yes,’ from the equiv. MidHG. and OHG. jâ (for jă); corresponding to Goth. ja, ‘yes,’ also jai, ‘truly, forsooth,’ OSax. ja, AS. geâ, also gese (for gê-swâ, ‘yes, thus’), whence E. yea and yes. Allied also to Gr. ἢ, ‘forsooth,’ and OHG. jëhan, ‘to acknowledge, confess’ (see Beichte). Lith. ja is derived from G.
jach, gach, ‘precipitate, hasty,’ allied to jähe.
Jacht, f., ‘yacht, sloop,’ ModHG. only, formed from the equiv. Du. jagt (comp. E. yacht), which is usually connected with jagen, and even to jähe.
Jacke, f., ‘jacket,’ first occurs in early ModHG. (15th cent.), formed from the equiv. Fr. jaque, whence also E. jacket; the derivation of Fr. jaque (Ital. giaco) from Teut. is quite uncertain.
Jagd, f., ‘chase, hunt, hunting-party,’ from the equiv. MidHG. jaget, n. (and f.), OHG. *jagot, n.; a verbal abstract of jagen, ‘to hunt, chase’ (from the equiv. MidHG. jagen, OHG. jagôn, wk. vb.), which does not occur in Goth., OIc., AS., or OSax. The connection of this specifically G. word with Gr. διώκω is dubious, and so too its kinship with Gr. ἀξηχής, ‘unceasing,’ and Sans. yahú, ‘restless.’ —
Jäger, ‘huntsman, sportsman,’ is the equiv. MidHG. jęger, jęgere, OHG. *jageri (jagâri).
jäh, gähe, adj., ‘steep, precipitous, hasty,’ from MidHG. gœhe (also gâch), OHG. gâhi, adj., ‘quick, suddenly, impetuous’; a specifically G. word (with a dial. initial j for g as in jappen; comp. also jähnen with gähnen). From this Fr. gai, ‘gay,’ is borrowed. Its connection. with gehen, gegangen (see Gang), is impossible. Gaudieb is, on the other hand, allied to it.
Jahn, m., ‘swath,’ first found in early ModHG., yet undoubtedly a genuine G. word, existing throughout South Germany (MidHG. *jân), and also appearing in Swed. dials. as ån. In Swiss dials. Jahn means ‘passage (formed by a swath)' Hence the word is a derivative of the Aryan root yê, or rather ĭ, ‘to go,’ with which Goth. iddja, ‘went’ (Sans. yâ, ‘to go’), is connected. See gehen and eilen.
Jahr, n., ‘year,’ from the equiv. MidHG. and OHG. jâr, n.; a common Teut. term; comp. Goth. jêr, OIc. ár, AS. geâr, E. year, Du. jaar, OSax. jâr (gêr), n., ‘year.’ The orig. meaning of the word, which also appears in heuer, seems to be ‘spring,’ as is indicated by the Slav. cognate jarŭ, ‘spring’; comp. also Gr. ὥρα, ‘season, spring, year,’ and ὥρος, ‘year,’ so too Zend yâre, ‘year’; in Ind. a similar term is wanting (comp. Sommer and Winter). For the change of meaning see the history of the word Winter.
Jammer, m., ‘sorrow, grief, wailing,’ from the equiv. MidHG. jâmer, OHG. jâmar, m. and n.; prop. a neut. adj. used as a subst., OHG. jâmar, ‘mournful’ (hence Jammer, ‘that which is mournful’); in OSax. and AS. the adj. only exists, comp. OSax. jâmar, AS. geômor, ‘paiuful, mournful.’ The origin of this word, which is unknown to East Teut. (Goth. *jêmrs), is obscure.
Jänner, m., ‘January,’ from the equiv. early MidHG. jęnner, m.; from the Lat. januarius, Rom. jenuario (OHG. *jęnneri, m., is wanting, perhaps only by chance).
jappen, vb., ‘to gape, pant,’ ModHG. only, prop. LG.; comp. Du. gapen, ‘to gape,’ under gaffen.
jäten, see gäten.
Jauche, f., ‘filthy liquid, first occurs in early ModHG., introduced into HG. from a MidG. and LG. variant, jûche. It is based on a Slav. word for ‘broth, soup,’ which deteriorated in sense when borrowed; e.g. Pol. jucha, ‘broth’ (cognate with Lat. jûs, Sans. yûšan, ‘broth’).
Jauchert, Juchert, m., from the equiv. MidHG. jûchert, late OHG. juhhart (û?), n., ‘acre’; the Bav. and Alem. word for the Franc. and MidG. Morgen. The usual derivation from Lat. jûgerum, ‘acre of land’ ​(prop. 5/8 acre), does not offer a satisfactory explanation of the OHG. word, for the equiv. MidHG. jiuch, n. and f., ‘acre of land,’ can only be cognate with Lat. jûgernum, and not a mutilated form of the Lat. original. Hence MidHG. jiuch, like Lat. jûgerum, is doubtlessly connected with ModHG. Joch and Lat. jugum; consequently Juchert is lit. ‘as much land as can be ploughed by a yoke of oxen in a day’; the suffix of OHG. juhhart suggests that of MidHG. egerte, ‘fallow land.’ See Joch.
jauchzen, vb., ‘to shout for joy, exult,’ from MidHG. jûchezen, ‘to cry out, shout for joy,’ OHG. *jûhhazzen; probably a derivative of the MidHG. interjs. jûch, jû (expressions of joy); comp. ächzen, allied to ach.
je, adv., older ie (which in the 17th cent. was supplanted by je, recorded at a still earlier period), ‘always, ever,’ from MidHG. ie, ‘at all times, always (of the past and present), the (with compars., distributives, &c.), at any (one) time,’ OHG. io, eo, ‘always, at any (one) time.’ The earliest OHG. form eo is based on *êo, aiw (comp. See, Schnee, and wie); comp. Goth. aiw, ‘at any time,’ OSax. êo, AS. â, ‘always’ (E. aye, from OIc. ei, ‘always’). Goth. aiw is an oblique case of the subst. aiws, ‘time, eternity,’ and because in Goth. only the combination of aiw with the negative ni occurs, it is probable that ni aiw (see nie), ‘never’ (‘not for all eternity’), is the oldest, and that the positive meaning, OHG. eo, ‘always,’ was obtained à posteriori; yet comp. Gr. αἰεί, ‘always,’ allied to αἰών, and see ewig and the following words.
jeder, pron., ‘each, every,’ from late MidHG. ieder, earlier iewëder, OHG. iowëdar (eo-hwëdar), ‘either,’ from weder (OHG. wëdar, ‘which of two’) and je; corresponding to OSax. iahwëthar, AS. âhwœðer; comp. also OHG. eogiwëdar, MidHG. iegewëder, AS. œ̂ghwœðer, E. either. — ModHG. jedweder, ‘each, every,’ is of a different etymological origin, being derived from MidHG. ietwëder, ie-dewëder, ‘either’ (from ie and MidHG. dewëder, ‘any one of two’; see entweder). —
jeglich, ‘each, every,’ from MidHG. iegelich, OHG. eo-gilîh, ‘each’; allied to OHG. gilîh, ‘each’ (see gleich), ModHG. jeder, prop. ‘either,’ has in ModHG. supplanted the MidHG. iegelich. —
jemand, ‘anybody, somebody,’ from the equiv. MidHG. ieman, OHG. eoman (prop. ‘any person’).
jener, pron., ‘you, yonder, that, the former,’ from the equiv. MidHG. jęner, OHG. jęnêr, allied to the differently vocalised Goth. jains, OIc. enn, inn, AS. geon, E. you (with which yonder is connected). In late MidHG. dër jęner, ‘that,’ is also used, whence ModHG. derjenige. —
jenseits, ‘on the other side, beyond,’ from the equiv. MidHG. jęnsît, lit. ‘on that side’ (MidHG. also jęne sîte).
jetzt, av. (older ietz, like ie for je), ‘now, at the present time,’ from the equiv. MidHG. ietze, iezuo (hence the archaic ModHG. jetzo), beside which MidHG. iezunt, ModHG. jetzund, with a new suffix, occurs. How the adv. ie-zuo, recorded in earlier MidHG., can mean ‘now’ is not clear; comp. MidHG. iesâ, ‘at once,’ from ie (see je) and sâ, ‘at once.’
Joch, n., ‘yoke, ridge of mountains,’ from the equiv. MidHG. joch. OHG. joh(hh), n., ‘yoke, ridge of mountains, acre’; corresponding to Goth. juk, n., ‘yoke of oxen,’ OIc. ok, AS. geoc, E. yoke, Du. juk; a common Aryan word formed from the Aryan root yug, ‘to fasten’; comp. Sans. yugá, ‘yoke, team’ (allied to the root yuj, ‘to put to’), Gr. ζυγόν from ξεύγνυμ, Lat. jugum, from jungere, Lith. jùngus, OSlov. igo (from *jŭgo); comp. Jauchert. The str. root verb (Teut. root juk) has become obsolete in the whole Teut. root.
Joppe, f., ‘boddice,’ from MidHG. joppe (jope, juppe), f., ‘jacket’; borrowed, like Jacke, from Rom.; comp. Fr. jupe, jupon, ‘skirt,’ Ital. giuppa, giubba, ‘jacket, jerkin.’
jubeln, vb., ‘to rejoice loudly, exult.’ allied to MidHG. jubilieren. This word (formed like MidLat. jubilare, comp. Ital. giubilare) is still wanting in MidHG. and OHG. Jubel, ‘shout of joy, exultation,’ too, first occurs in ModHG.
Juchert, see Jauchert. —
juchzen, see jauchzen.
jucken, vb., ‘to rub, scratch, itch,’ from the equiv. MidHG. jucken (jücken), OHG. jucchen, wk. vb.; corresponding to AS. gyccan, E. to itch (Goth. *jukkjan). The stem juk, jukk, occurs also in OHG. jucchido, AS. gycða, ‘itch’ (MidLG. jöken, Du. jeuken, ‘to itch’).
Juks, see Jur.
Jugend, ‘period of youth, young people,’ from the equiv. MidHG. jugent(d), OHG. jugund, f.; corresponding to OSax. juguð, Du. jeugd, AS. geogoð, f., ‘youth, young troop,’ E. youth (see Bursche, Frauenzimmer, and Imme); the common Teut. ​abstract of jung (in Goth. jenda, ‘youth); Teut. jugunþi- represents pre-Teut. yuwenti- (comp. Brücke).
The adj. jung, ‘young, new, recent,’ is the common Teut. junga- (with a nasal); comp. MidHG. junc(g), OHG. and OSax. jung, Du. jong, AS. geong, E. young, Goth. juggs (jungs), ‘young.’ This common Teut. junga- is based, by contraction from juwunga-, upon a pre-Teut. yuwenko-, ‘young,’ with which Lat. juvencus, ‘youth,’ and Sans. yuvaçás, young,’ are identical. The earlier Aryan form yuwên (yéwen?) appears in Lat. juvenis, ‘young, youth,’ and juven-ta, ‘youth’ (equiv. to Goth. junda, f.), as well as in Sans. júvan, ‘young, youth’ (yôšâ, f., ‘maid’), and OSlov. junŭ, Lith. jáunas, ‘young’; they are all based upon an Aryan root yū̆, ‘to be young’ (comp. Sans. yávišṭha, ‘the youngest’).
Jüngling, ‘youth, young man,’ is a Teut. derivative of jung; comp. OHG. jungaling, MidHG. jungelinc, Du. jongeling, AS. geongling, E. (antiquated) youngling, OIc. ynglingr (in Goth. juggalauþs), ‘youth.’ —
Jünger m., ‘disciple,’ prop. the compar. of jung, used as a subst.; comp. MidHG. jünger, OHG. jungiro, ‘disciple, pupil, apprentice’; the word (as the antithesis to Herr, OHG. hêrro) is probably derived from the OTeut. feudal system. —
ModHG. Jungfer, f., ‘young girl, virgin, maid, maiden,’ is developed from MidHG. juncwrouwe, ‘noble maiden, young lady’ (thus, even in MidHG., ver appears for the unaccented proclitic Frau). To this is allied Junker, m., ‘young nobleman, squire’ (prop. ‘son of a duke or count’), from MidHG. junc-hē̆rre, ‘young lord, noble youth’; corresponding to Du. jonker, jonkheer, whence E. younker is borrowed.
jüngst, ‘recently,’ from MidHG. ze jungest; comp. der jüngste Tag, ‘doomsday,’ for der letzte Tag, ‘the last day.’
Jux, m., ‘jest,’ ModHG. only; probably from Lat.-Rom. jocus (comp. Ital. giuoco), whence also E. joke, Du. jok.