Where does “jester” come from?
Jester derives from Middle English gestour, a word of unknown ultimate origin whose meaning is not documented in surviving sources.
jester (English): One who jests, jokes or teases; A person in...
Definitions
- One who jests, jokes or teases; A person in...
Ancestry of “jester”, step by step
jester traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English gestour
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | gestour | A reciter of gests or legendary tales; A jester;... |
| 2 | Middle English | gesten | To host a guest, provide hospitality; To provide... |
| 3 | Middle English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 4 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 5 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 6 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |
via Old Norse jǫstr
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | jǫstr | yeast |