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jaundice

Etymology and origin of the English word jaundice

History

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈd͡ʒɔːndɪs/ (UK); /ˈd͡ʒɔndɪs/, /ˈd͡ʒɑndɪs/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English jaunis, jaundis,[2][3][4][5] borrowed from Old French jaunice (“yellowness”),[2][3][4][5][6] from jaune, earlier jalne “yellow”,[2][3][4][6] from Latin galbinus (“greenish yellow”), from galbus.[2][3][4][5][6] The -d- is unetymological.[4] In early use the word was often treated as a plural, like measles.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

A disease caused by obstruction of the bile, marked by yellowness of the skin and eyes (1303).[7][3][4]

Semantic evolution

Old English called it geolu ādl “yellow sickness”.[4] The figurative sense, a state of mind in which views are coloured or judgement distorted by envy or bitterness, is recorded by the 1620s (1629),[4][7][3] from the association of yellow with bitterness and envy and the supposed yellow vision of jaundiced persons.[4][7] The verb dates from 1791, usually figurative, as in a jaundiced view.[7][3][4]

Timeline

  • 1303 – the disease.[7][3]
  • 1373 – jandis.[3]
  • 1629 – figurative, distorted judgement.[7][3]
  • 1791 – verb, to affect with envy or prejudice.[7][3][4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. Yellowish discoloration of the skin, the whites of the eyes and other tissues, caused by the deposit of bile pigments, often a symptom of diseases such as hepatitis; icterus.
  2. A state of feeling in which views are prejudiced or judgement distorted, as by envy or resentment.

Verb

  1. To affect with jaundice.
  2. To affect with envy, jealousy, prejudice or hostility.
  • yellow
  • jaundiced
  • icterus

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Jaundice.” Etymologically, 10 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/jaundice. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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