entry
jewel
/ˈdʒuːəl/Precious stone or ornate valuable object.
From Medieval Latin jocal (joyful thing) + Latin joc (sport) + Latin gaud (joy).
from Medieval Latin jocale
from Anglo-French juel , Old French jouel "ornament; present; gem, jewel" (12c.), which is perhaps [Watkins]
+1 more sourcefrom Old French jouel, joel, joïel, hence French joyau, of uncertain origin. Perhaps based ultimately on Latin gaudium...
from Anglo-French juel , Old French jouel "ornament; present; gem, jewel" (12c.), which is perhaps [Watkins]
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Medieval Latin jocale
from Anglo-French juel , Old French jouel "ornament; present; gem, jewel" (12c.), which is perhaps [Watkins]
+1 more sourcefrom Old French jouel, joel, joïel, hence French joyau, of uncertain origin. Perhaps based ultimately on Latin gaudium...
from Anglo-French juel , Old French jouel "ornament; present; gem, jewel" (12c.), which is perhaps [Watkins]
+1 more sourceA jewel may look like pure luxury, but its family tree smells faintly of jokes and joy. One possible ancestor is Latin iocus, the source of words like jocular and joke, which means the original idea may have been something delightfully playful before it became a precious object. Another path points toward Latin gaudium, the same cheerful root behind gaudy, so the word may have been born in the warm glow of celebration rather than in a jeweler’s shop. By the late 13th century, English was using jewel for a prized ornament, and then it slid neatly into the idea of a beloved person—proof that what we treasure most often gets described as if it were something glittering in a velvet box. The memory hook is simple: jewel is what happens when joy gets dressed up for court.
The Story
A jewel may look like pure luxury, but its family tree smells faintly of jokes and joy. One possible ancestor is Latin iocus, the source of words like jocular and joke, which means the original idea may have been something delightfully playful before it became a precious object. Another path points toward Latin gaudium, the same cheerful root behind gaudy, so the word may have been born in the warm glow of celebration rather than in a jeweler’s shop. By the late 13th century, English was using jewel for a prized ornament, and then it slid neatly into the idea of a beloved person—proof that what we treasure most often gets described as if it were something glittering in a velvet box. The memory hook is simple: jewel is what happens when joy gets dressed up for court.
Kin & Kindred
From 'jocal'·joyful thing; trinket; ornament
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'joc'·sport, joke, pastime
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'gaud'·joy, delight, rejoice
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary