jay
English
/dʒeɪ/
noun
Definitions
- Any one of the numerous species of birds belonging to several genera within the family Corvidae, including Garrulus, Cyanocitta, Aphelocoma, Perisoreus, Cyanocorax, Gymnorhinus, Cyanolyca, Ptilostomus, and Calocitta, allied to the crows, but smaller, more graceful in form, often handsomely coloured, usually having a crest, and often noisy.
- Other birds of similar appearance and behaviour.
- Any of various large papilionid butterflies of the genus .
- (archaic) A dull or ignorant person.
- (obsolete) Promiscuous woman; prostitute.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English jay derived from Old French jai (magpie, jaybird, bird, jay gl), gai (gay, cheerful, happy, merry, laughing, joyful) derived from Frankish *gāhi, *gahi (impetuous, quick) derived from Proto-Germanic *ganhuz.
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*ganhuz
Gloss
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- bird English
- jaybird English
- jaylike English
- jaywalker English
- walker English
- gaius Latin
- vagus Latin
- gei Italian
- gaai Dutch, Flemish
- gai French
- *nas- Proto-Indo-European
- *ǵʰengʰ- Proto-Indo-European
- *ganhuz Proto-Germanic
- ジェイ Japanese
- ジェー Japanese
- gay Middle English
- jay Middle English
- gai Old French
- jai Old French
- gaio Galician
- gay Middle Dutch
- gāhi Old High German
- dgai Norman
- geai Norman
- gay Middle French
- *𐌲𐌰𐌷𐌴𐌹𐍃 Gothic
- gā Old Dutch
- *gāhi Frankish
- *gāhi, *gahi Frankish
- gai Old Occitan
- gā Old Frisian
- gau Low German
- gai ONF.