Where does “Jeopardy” come from?
Jeopardy (English) comes from Middle English jupartie, from Old French jeu parti, from Latin iocus partītus, from Latin iocus, from Proto-Italic jokos, from Proto-Indo-European yokos, from Proto-Indo-European yek- — to utter.
Ancestry of “Jeopardy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | jupartie | Jeopardy, danger, peril; a potential of failure;... |
| 2 | Old French | jeu parti | a divided game, i.e. an even game, an even chance |
| 3 | Latin | iocus partītus | — |
| 4 | Latin | iocus | a joke, jest; a form of amusement; pastime, sport |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | jokos | word, saying |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | yokos | word, utterance |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | yek- | to utter |