Where does “jack” come from?
Jack comes from Portuguese jaca, from Malayalam ചക്ക, a tropical fruit tree and its spiky fruit native to South Asia.
jack (English): A coarse mediaeval coat of defence, especially...
Definitions
- A coarse mediaeval coat of defence, especially...
Ancestry of “jack”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | jacke | — |
| 2 | Middle French | jaque | — |
| 3 | Middle French | jacques | — |
| 4 | French | jacques | plural of jacque; a stupid person; a jemmy or... |
| 5 | Latin | Iacobus | Jacob; James; Saint James |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | Ἰάκωβος | — |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | Ἰακώβ | Jacob |
| 8 | Hebrew | יַעֲקֹב | Jacob |
| 9 | Hebrew | עָקֵב | heel of the foot; heel |
Words derived from “jack”