Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “joyau” come from?

joyau (French) comes from Old French joyaux, from Old French joyal, from Old French jouel, from Vulgar Latin jocale, from Latin iocus, from Proto-Italic jokos, from Proto-Indo-European yokos, from Proto-Indo-European yek- — to utter.

joyau (French): jewel

Definitions

  1. jewel

Ancestry of “joyau”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchjoyaux—
2Old Frenchjoyal—
3Old Frenchjoueljewel; treasure; an object or person of beauty
4Vulgar Latinjocalegraceful object
5Latiniocusa joke, jest; a form of amusement; pastime, sport
6Proto-Italicjokosword, saying
7Proto-Indo-Europeanyokosword, utterance
8Proto-Indo-Europeanyek-to utter
Every word from Proto-Indo-European yek- →