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

  1. A Chinese household divinity; a Chinese idol; A...

Ancestry of “joss”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Chinese Pidgin Englishjossgod
2PortugueseDeusGod
3Old PortugueseDeus—
4LatinDeusGod
5Latindẹ̄vos—
6Old Latindeivosgod, deity
7Proto-Italicdeiwosgod, deity
8Proto-Indo-Europeandeywósgod
9Proto-Indo-Europeandyew-to be bright; sky, heaven
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dyew- →