Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “jigger” come from?

Jigger derives from English jig, which comes from English gig, ultimately traceable to Latin gignere meaning "to beget" and the Latin agent noun suffix -arius.

jigger (English): A double-ended vessel, generally of stainless...

Definitions

  1. A double-ended vessel, generally of stainless...

Ancestry of “jigger”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Slavicjiga—
2EnglishDiggerA soldier from Australia or New Zealand; One of a...
3Middle Englishdyggar—
4Middle English-ere—
5Old English-eremasculine agent suffix, originally applied only...
6Proto-West Germanic-ārī-er
7Proto-Germanic-ārijaz-er
8Latin-ārius—
9Proto-Italic*-āzios—

Words derived from “jigger”

  • jiggered
  • jiggermast
  • jiggerer
  • gyger
Every word from Proto-Italic *-āzios →