Where does “jenta” come from?

jenta (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from Old Norse genta, from Old Norse gant — joke, foolery.

Ancestry of “jenta”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsegentagirl, lass
2Old Norsegantjoke, foolery
Every word from Old Norse gant →Every word from Old Norse genta →