jazz

Pronunciation

• IPA: /dʒæz/^[1]

Etymology

It is American English, of unknown origin.^[2][3][4] It may come from the earlier slang jasm (“energy, vitality, spirit”) (1860), itself perhaps from gism in the same sense (1842);^[5][6][7] Barnhart also compares several African words meaning to dance or to be very lively, but stresses that the connection cannot be shown.^[6] Etymonline, following Lewis Porter, notes that the sexual sense was added only from 1918, so it was not part of the word's origin.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lively, energetic, by 1912 in California baseball writing:^[5] a pitcher called his new wobbling throw “the Jazz ball”.^[7] Barnhart dates the word to 1913, as a kind of ragtime dance.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The first known musical use is in Chicago in 1915;^[7][5] by 1922 jazz was applied to music of the kind played by Black musicians.^[6] The sense of energy, excitement or pep is from 1913 in the OED,^[8] and of nonsense or empty talk from 1918.^[8][5] And all that jazz, and so on, is recorded from 1939 in Etymonline and 1959 in the OED.^[5][8] The verb, to speed up or liven up, is from 1917, and to play in the style of jazz from 1919;^[8][5] to jazz up is now to make something more colourful or exciting.^[9] Of design, jazz meant gaudy or loud from 1919.^[8]

Timeline

• 1912 – lively, in baseball slang.^[5]
• 1913 – a ragtime dance; energy, pep.^[6][8]
• 1915 – the music, in Chicago.^[7][5]
• 1917 – the verb, to liven up.^[8][5]
• 1918 – nonsense, empty talk.^[8][5]
• 1939 – and all that jazz.^[5]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A style of music of African-American origin, with strong, flexible rhythm, syncopation and solo and group improvisation.
2. (slang) Pretentious or empty talk; similar things in general: and all that jazz.
3. (informal) Liveliness, energy.

Verb

1. To play in a jazz style.
2. (informal) To make livelier or more showy: jazz it up.

Word family

• jazzer
• jazzish
• jazzlike
• jazz-rock
• jazzy
• jazzercise
• jazzwoman
• cool jazz

Related words

• jasm
• jism
• ragtime
• blues

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
7. ^ a b c d Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
8. ^ 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
9. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press