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

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