Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “jaywalk” come from?

jaywalk (English) comes from English jaywalker, from English Jay, from English jy, from English I, from Old French i, from Latin hīc, from Latin heic, from Latin hic — whale, sea monster; abyss.

jaywalk (English): To behave as a jaywalker; to violate pedestrian...

Definitions

  1. To behave as a jaywalker; to violate pedestrian...

Ancestry of “jaywalk”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishjaywalkerA person who violates pedestrian traffic...
2EnglishJay—
3EnglishjyThe name of the Latin-script letter J
4EnglishIThe speaker or writer, referred to as the...
5Old Frenchithere
6Latinhīc—
7Latinheic—
8Latinhicthis; these; this one; this ; these ones ; these...
9Proto-Italichek(e)—
10Proto-Indo-Europeangʰi-ḱethis, here
11Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
12Middle Englishkyt—
13Russianкитwhale; genitive plural of ки́та
14Old Church Slavonicкитъwhale
15Ancient Greekκῆτοςwhale, sea monster; abyss
Every word from Ancient Greek κῆτος →