Etymograph

English

jack of all trades

From jack (“typical man, fellow”) + of + all + trades.

A compound of jack ‘typical man, fellow’ + of + all + trades

Middle Dutch Jan ‘John’

Middle Dutch Janke

Anglo-Norman Jakke

Middle English Jakke

English Jack

English jack

Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep

…

Proto-West Germanic *ab

Old English æf

Old English of ‘from’

Middle English of

English of

Proto-Germanic *allaz

Proto-West Germanic *all

Old English eall

Middle English all

English all

Today it means

noun One competent in many endeavours, sometimes regarded as not excelling in any of them.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / jack of all trades