Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “jill” come from?

jill (English) comes from English Gill, from Middle English gille, from Old French gille, from Medieval Latin gillo, from Gaulish gallā, from Proto-Germanic gallǭ, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃- — to flourish; green, yellow.

jill (English): To masturbate; A female ferret; Misspelling of...

Definitions

  1. To masturbate; A female ferret; Misspelling of...

Ancestry of “jill”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishGillSomeone connected with Gillingham Football Club,...
2Middle Englishgille—
3Old Frenchgillea wine measure; wine measure
4Medieval Latingilloearthenware jar; A cooler for liquids
5Gaulishgallāvessel
6Proto-Germanicgallǭgall, bile
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰelh₃-to flourish; green, yellow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃- →