English
joint
Joint comes from Old French joint, from Latin iūnctus ‘joined’, past participle of iungō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *yewg- ‘to join’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*yewg-‘to join’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEiūnctus‘joined’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400joint‘joint of the body’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500joynt
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1599joint
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*yewg-‘to join’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEiūnctus‘joined’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400joint‘joint of the body’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500joynt
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1599joint
Earliest quotation: c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.: “A joint burden laid upon us all.”
The story
The adjective (attested since the 15th century) is from Old French jointiz. Both Old French words are from Latin iūnctus, the past participle of iungō. The meaning of "building, establishment", especially in connection with shady activities, appeared in Anglo-Irish by 1821 and entered general American English slang by 1877, especially in the sense of "opium den". The sense "marijuana cigarette" is attested since 1935.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *yewg- ‘to join, to yoke, to tie together’
yoga, junction, adjunct, yogi, yoke, juncture, conjugate, jugular, jodi, conjugation, subjugate, rejoin, zygote, yojana, yuga, joiner, enjoin, 39 more
through Latin iūnctus ‘joined, having been joined’
Today it means
adj United, combined
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *yewg- / joint