Where does “jewel” come from?
jewel (Middle English) comes from Middle English juel, from Anglo-Norman juel, 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.
jewel (Middle English): Alternative form of juel
Ancestry of “jewel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | juel | Something of great monetary worth or value,... |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | juel | — |
| 3 | Old French | jouel | jewel; treasure; an object or person of beauty |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | jocale | graceful object |
| 5 | Latin | iocus | a joke, jest; a form of amusement; pastime, sport |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | jokos | word, saying |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | yokos | word, utterance |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | yek- | to utter |
Words derived from “jewel”