"J" Word Origins

junction

Latin

From Latin iunctio, "a joining," from iungere, "to join."

juncture

Latin

From Latin iunctura, "a joining" — the same root as junction.

June

Latin

From Latin Iunius, "the month of Juno," the Roman goddess of marriage and childbirth.

Jung

German

Borrowed from German Jung. Doublet of Young.

jungle

Sanskrit

From Hindi/Sanskrit jangala, originally meaning rough, uncultivated land, before it came to mean dense tropical forest in English.

junior

Latin

From Latin junior, "younger," the comparative form of iuvenis, "young" — the same root as juvenile.

juniper

Latin

From Latin iuniperus, "juniper tree," of uncertain further origin.

junk

Origin

Originally a sailor's word for old bits of rope and cable salvaged for reuse; the meaning later widened to any discarded, low-value stuff.

junket

Origin

Originally meant a basket of rushes, then a picnic carried in one, then a pleasure trip, and eventually a business trip padded out with entertainment.

junkie

Origin

Formed from junk (in its drug sense) plus the informal suffix -ie.

junky

Origin

From junk plus the adjective-forming suffix -y.

junkyard

Origin

A straightforward compound of junk and yard.

Juno

Latin

From Latin Iuno, of uncertain deeper origin, possibly linked to words meaning "vital force" or "youthful."

junta

Latin

From Spanish junta, literally "a thing joined or gathered together," from Latin iunctus, "joined."

junto

Origin

Erroneous adaptation of junta, by assimilation with Spanish nouns in -o.

Jupiter

Latin

From Latin Iupiter, literally "father sky" or "sky father," combining an old word for sky/day with pater, "father."

Jura

French

From French Jura, perhaps of Celtic origin.

juramentado

Origin

Borrowed from Philippine Spanish juramentado.

Jurassic

Origin

Named after the Jura Mountains in France and Switzerland, where rock layers from this period were first studied.

jurat

Origin

From Medieval Latin iūrātus (“sworn [man]”) or iūrātum (“[that which is] sworn”), from Latin iūrō (“to swear an oath”). As a medieval office, via French jurat, via Occitan juré.

Jurek

Origin

Borrowed from Polish Jurek.

juridical

Origin

From juridic + -al or alternatively borrowed from Latin iuridicalis.

juridicial

Origin

From Latin iūridiciālis, though see usage notes.

jurisdiction

Latin

From Latin iurisdictio, combining ius, "law," and dictio, "the saying/declaring" — literally, the power to declare the law.

jurisdictional

Origin

Formed from jurisdiction plus the adjective-forming suffix -al.

jurisprudence

Latin

From Latin iurisprudentia, "skill in law," combining ius, "law," with prudentia, "knowledge, foresight."

jurisprudent

Origin

Compare French jurisprudent.

jurist

Origin

From Middle French juriste.

juristic

Origin

Calque of obsolete Dutch juristisch.

juror

Latin

From Old French jureor, ultimately from Latin iurare, "to swear an oath" — jurors traditionally swear to judge fairly.

jury

Latin

From Old French juree, ultimately from Latin iurare, "to swear an oath."

juryman

Origin

From jury + -man.

jus

French

Borrowed directly from French jus, meaning "juice."

just

Latin

From Latin iustus, "just, lawful, proper," related to ius, "law, right."

justice

Latin

From Latin iustitia, "righteousness, fairness," from iustus, "just."

justicer

Origin

From justice + -er.

justiciable

Origin

From Middle French justiciable.

justiciar

Origin

From Late Latin justitiarius and justiciarius (“justiciar, judge, justice [of the peace]; judiciary, related to justice”), from Latin iūstitia (“justice”) + -āria (“-ary”). As a translation of various Continental European offices, via Middle French justicier, Spanish justiciero, justicia mayor, etc.

justiciary

Origin

From Late Latin justitiaria, justiciaria (“judgeship, judiciarship; court sessions”), justitiarius, and justiciarius (“justiciar, judge, justice [of the peace]; judiciary, related to justice”), all from Latin iūstitia (“justice”) + -āria (“-ary”). Paralleled in Middle English and Early Modern English by forms from Anglo-Norman justiserie (“judgeship, judiciarship”), from Anglo-Norman and Middle French justicerie (“judgeship; tribunal”), from justice + -ery. As a translation of various Continental European offices, via Middle French justicier, Spanish justiciero, etc.

justifiable

Origin

From justify plus the suffix -able, "capable of."

justification

Late Latin

From Late Latin iustificatio, from iustificare, "to make just."

justifiedly

Origin

From justified + -ly.

justify

Late Latin

From Old French justifier, from Late Latin justificare, "to make just," combining iustus, "just," with facere, "to make."

Justin

Origin

Name of early saints, Latin Iūstīnus, from Iūstus + -īnus, from iūstus (“just”).

Justine

French

From French Justine, from Latin Iūstīna, name of early saints, feminine of Iūstīnus, derivative of Iūstus, from iūstus (“just”). The feminine equivalent of Justin.

justly

Origin

Formed from just plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

Justus

Latin

Name of several early saints, from Latin iustus (“just”), from iūs + -tus.

jut

Origin

A variant of the older word jet, meaning to stick out or project.