Where does “joss” come from?
Joss comes from Chinese Pidgin English, borrowed from Portuguese deus, Latin deus meaning "god," ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European deywós.
joss (English): A Chinese household divinity; a Chinese idol; A...
Definitions
- A Chinese household divinity; a Chinese idol; A...
Ancestry of “joss”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Chinese Pidgin English | joss | god |
| 2 | Portuguese | Deus | God |
| 3 | Old Portuguese | Deus | — |
| 4 | Latin | Deus | God |
| 5 | Latin | dẹ̄vos | — |
| 6 | Old Latin | deivos | god, deity |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | deiwos | god, deity |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | deywós | god |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dyew- | to be bright; sky, heaven |
Words derived from “joss”