英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

Jeremiah [Jeremiah 词源字典]: masc. proper name, Old Testament prophet (see jeremiad) who flourished c. 626-586 B.C.E., from Late Latin Jeremias, from Hebrew Yirmeyah, probably literally "may Jehovah exalt," but Klein suggests it also might be short for Yirmeyahu "the Lord casts, the Lord founds," and compares the first element in Jerusalem. The vernacular form in English was Jeremy.[Jeremiah etymology, Jeremiah origin, 英语词源]
Jeremy: popular anglicized form of Jeremiah; compare French Jérémie.
Jericho: Biblical city (Num. xxii:1, etc.), perhaps ultimately from Hebrew yareakh "moon, month," and thus a reference to an ancient moon cult. As a figurative place of retirement (17c.), the reference is to II Sam. x:5.
jerk (v.1): "to pull," 1540s, "to lash, strike as with a whip," of uncertain origin, perhaps echoic. Related: Jerked; jerking.
jerk (v.2): as a method of preserving meat, 1707, American English, from American Spanish carquear, from charqui (see jerky). Related: Jerked.
jerk (n.2): "tedious and ineffectual person," 1935 (the lyric in "Big Rock Candy Mountain" apparently is "Where they hung the Turk [not jerk] that invented work"), American English carnival slang, of uncertain origin. Perhaps from jerkwater town (1878), where a steam locomotive crew had to take on boiler water from a trough or a creek because there was no water tank [Barnhart, OED]. This led 1890s to an adjectival use of jerk as "inferior, insignificant." Alternatively, or influenced by, verbal phrase jerk off "masturbate" [Rawson].
jerk (n.1): 1550s, "stroke of a whip," from jerk (v.1). Sense of "sudden sharp pull or twist" first recorded 1570s. Meaning "involuntary spasmodic movement of limbs or features" first recorded 1805. As the name of a popular dance, it is attested from 1966. Sense in soda jerk attested from 1883, from the pulling motion required to work the taps.
jerk off (v.): slang, "perform male masturbation," by 1896, from jerk (v.) denoting rapid pulling motion + off. Farmer & Henley also list as synonyms jerk (one's) jelly and jerk (one's) juice. The noun jerk off or jerkoff as an emphatic form of jerk (n.) is attested by 1968. As an adjective from 1957.
jerkin (n.): 1510s, of uncertain origin, perhaps related to Dutch jurk "a frock," but this is a modern word, itself of unknown origin, and the initial consonant presents difficulties (Dutch -j- typically becomes English -y-).
jerky (n.): 1850, American English, from American Spanish charqui "jerked meat," from Quechua (Inca) ch'arki "dried flesh."
jerky (adj.): "characterized by jerks," 1858, from jerk (v.1) + -y (2). Related: Jerkily; jerkiness.
jeroboam (n.): 1816, "large wine bottle," from Jeroboam, "a mighty man of valour" (I Kings xi:28) "who made Israel to sin" (xiv:16), from Hebrew Yarobh'am, literally "let the people increase."
Jerome: masc. proper name, from French Jérome, from Late Latin Hieronymus, from Greek Hieronymos, literally "holy name," from hieros "holy" (see ire) + onyma, dialectal form of onoma "name" (see name (n.)).
Jerry (n.): World War I British Army slang for "a German, the Germans," 1919, probably an alteration of German, but also said to be from the shape of the German helmet, which was thought to resemble a jerry, British slang for "chamber pot" (1827), this being probably an abbreviation of jeroboam. Hence jerry-can "5-gallon metal container" (1943), a type first used by German troops in World War II, later adopted by the Allies.
jerry-built (adj.): 1869, in which jerry has a sense of "bad, defective," probably a pejorative use of the male nickname Jerry (a popular form of Jeremy; compare Jerry-sneak, mid-19c., "sneaking fellow, a hen-pecked husband" [OED]). Or from or influenced by nautical slang jury "temporary," which came to be used of all sorts of makeshift and inferior objects (see jury (adj.)).
jersey (n.): 1580s as a type of knitted cloth; 1842 as a breed of cattle; both from Jersey, one of the Channel Islands. Its name is said to be a corruption of Latin Caesarea, the Roman name for the island (or another near it), influenced by Old English ey "island;" but perhaps rather a Viking name (perhaps meaning "Geirr's island"). The meaning "woolen knitted close-fitting tunic," especially one worn during sporting events, is from 1836.
Jerusalem: holy city in ancient Palestine, from Greek Hierousalem, from Hebrew Yerushalayim, literally "foundation of peace," from base of yarah "he threw, cast" + shalom "peace." Jerusalem "artichoke" is folk etymology of Italian girasole "sunflower" (see girasole).
jess (n.): leg-strap used in hawking and falconry, mid-14c., from Old French jes "straps fastened round the legs of a falcon," plural of jet, literally "cast, throw," from Latin iactus "a throw, cast," from iacere (see jet (v.)). Related: Jesses.
jessamine (n.): Middle English, from Middle French jassemin, variant of jasmine.
Jesse: masc. proper name, biblical father of David, from Latin, from Greek Iessai, from Hebrew Yishay, of unknown origin.