English
jo
Jo comes from Scots jo ‘joy’, and goes back to Latin gaudēre ‘to be glad, rejoice’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEgaudēre‘to be glad, rejoice’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEgaudium‘joy’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEgaudia
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400joie‘joy’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500joye‘joy’
- Scotsc. 1450–presentjo‘joy’
- Englishearliest quotation 1711same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEgaudēre‘to be glad, rejoice’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEgaudium‘joy’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEgaudia
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400joie‘joy’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500joye‘joy’
- Scotsc. 1450–presentjo‘joy’
- Englishearliest quotation 1711same form
Earliest quotation: 1711, traditional: “On Old long syne my Jo, on Old long…”
Linked words
through Latin gaudium ‘joy’
through Old French joie ‘joy’
through Middle English joye ‘joy’
Another origin of jo
- Japanesemodern杖
- Englishtodayjo
Today it means
noun Darling, sweetheart.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin gaudēre / jo