English
hoax
Hoax may come from Latin iocus ‘joke’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEiocus‘joke’uncertain
- Englishtodayhoax
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEiocus‘joke’uncertain
- Englishtodayhoax
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *yek- ‘to speak’
through Latin iocus ‘joke’
Today it means
verb To deceive (someone) by making them believe something that has been maliciously or mischievously fabricated.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin iocus / hoax