Where does “Johnny” come from?
Johnny is an English diminutive of John formed with the Middle English suffix -y, derived from Middle French -ie, which comes from Latin -ia, ultimately tracing through Latin -ivus and -ia back to Proto-Indo-European -kos.
Johnny (English): A jack; A Confederate soldier; nickname used by...
Definitions
- A jack; A Confederate soldier; nickname used by...
Ancestry of “Johnny”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | John | A new recruit at Royal Military Academy... |
| 2 | Middle English | John | An appellation for a generic individual, especially of lower social standing |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | Jehan | John |
| 4 | Latin | Iōhannēs | — |
| 5 | Latin | Iōannēs | John biblical persons |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | Ἰωάννης | — |
| 7 | Hebrew | יוחנן | Yahweh is gracious |
| 8 | Hebrew | חנון | gracious, merciful, compassionate; passive... |
| 9 | Moroccan Arabic | خنونة | mucus, snot |
| 10 | Arabic | خُنَّة | — |